An in-depth research report exploring the immediate and emerging risks in education today.
Ecclesiastical’s 2021 Education Risk Barometer identifies threats to the sector that feel all too familiar. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new risks for schools and their staff and students, but more than anything, it has seriously exacerbated challenges that already existed.
This year's Barometer shows a sector that is doing its best to take on new responsibilities and ways of working, but struggling to cope. One alarming finding, is that 38% of staff are seriously considering leaving the profession, ground down by the pandemic and its consequences.
In the current climate, it isn’t difficult to understand why the mental health of both staff and students features so highly in our findings, nor why fears around cyberbullying, finances and recruitment all make the top ten. These were all risks before the pandemic, but Covid has brought them into sharp focus.
Meanwhile, one product of the pandemic is a new focus on personalised approaches to education and the ways in which that might be delivered. Parents are becoming more demanding in this area, creating both risks and opportunities.
The 2021 Education Risk Barometer is based on interviews with 500 senior education leaders, 100 of whom are from the independent sector. Research was conducted between 1 October and 19 October 2021. The full findings are detailed via the link below.
