There’s no better way to start the school year than by celebrating some truly impressive school achievements. We’ve identified the top schools in England in our key employee engagement categories – both primary and secondary – for the academic year 2024/2025.

The results come from the last national census (summer 2025) conducted by The Engagement Platform (TEP), the country’s leading fixed measurement tool for staff engagement.

High engagement means more than happy staff: it reflects schools where employees feel supported, connected, and able to thrive. These schools are showing what’s possible when people are placed at the heart of education.

Why employee engagement matters for schools

Why measure engagement rather than just retention or performance? Because engagement acts as a litmus test for school health. As research consistently shows, when staff feel motivated, supported, and included, they teach with more energy, build stronger relationships with pupils and peers, and are more likely to stay.

TEP looks at engagement across several drivers, including Employee Satisfaction, Teacher Agency, Inclusion, Leadership, Line Management, and Wellbeing & Workload. This breakdown helps schools see where they shine and where there’s room to grow.

Employee Satisfaction: How top schools engage their staff

Employee Satisfaction measures overall how staff feel about working at their school, using the single, question: “Overall, how satisfied are you working at this school?” Despite its simplicity, this question is a powerful indicator of engagement, encompassing both value (how much staff appreciate their workplace) and commitment (their intention to remain).  

Hill Farm Academy shines in this area. Over multiple census windows, TEP data shows that the school has consistently achieved high levels of staff satisfaction. This has been thanks to Headteacher Dawn Wilson, who, by prioritising staff wellbeing and actively involving teachers in decision-making, has built a collaborative and supportive culture where staff feel part of the school’s success.

Schools recognised for Employee Satisfaction

Top schools include: Canon Johnson CofE Primary School; Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' Church of England Primary School; Far Forest Lea Memorial CofE Primary School; Oasis Academy Aspinal; Oasis Academy Bank Leaze; Oasis Academy Byron; Oasis Academy New Oak; Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary School; St James' Church of England Primary School; Wilden All Saints CofE Primary School.

Teacher Agency: Empowering educators to make a difference

Agency gauges how much staff feel they can shape outcomes in their roles – their belief in their competence, influence, and ability to inspire. High agency often translates into greater job satisfaction and retention, as educators who feel effective and valued are more likely to stay committed to their schools.

Streatham Wells Primary School, which sits among the top schools for teacher agency, has shown how powerful this can be. Headteacher Sarah Wordlaw has fostered a supportive, inclusive, and flexible environment where staff feel trusted – and the results have really paid off. In a recent interview, Sarah explained how giving staff genuine control over planning and workload has deepened their engagement: “I want everyone to be empowered to do the things that make their hearts sing, both in school and outside of school”.

Schools recognised for Teacher Agency

Top schools include: Canon Johnson CofE Primary School; Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' Church of England Primary School; Gorsefield Primary School; Hill Farm Academy; Oasis Academy Byron; Rockliffe Manor Primary School; St James' Church of England Primary School.  

Inclusion: Building a sense of belonging

Inclusion measures staff perceptions of belonging, fairness, authenticity, uniqueness, participation, and psychological safety. TEP captures this through questions about fairness in treatment, the safety of expressing contrary opinions, and overall psychological safety at work.

De Havilland Primary School in Hertfordshire, which ranked in the top schools for inclusion, has invested heavily in relationships and voice. Headteacher Dave Bostock, who has promoted practical strategies to strengthen belonging and team cohesion such as including support staff in all meetings and workshops and weekly shoutouts and prep briefings – says: “It’s a school where you can't really feel isolated.”

Schools recognised for Inclusion

Top schools include: Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' CofE Primary; Far Forest Lea Memorial CofE Primary; Maundene School; Oasis Academy Aspinal; Oasis Academy Temple Quarter; Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary; Our Lady's Catholic Primary (a Voluntary Academy); Rockliffe Manor Primary; St James' CofE Primary; St Peter's Smithills Dean CofE Primary.

Leadership: Guiding teams to thrive

Leadership measures the perceived quality of school leadership, including strategy, support, clarity of direction, and communication. High scores indicate that staff understand and trust the school’s vision. Research shows that strong leadership perception is one of the most significant predictors of staff retention: teachers who feel aligned with their school’s strategy are about 26% more likely to stay when offered another job.

Onslow St Audrey’s in Hertfordshire, which sits in the top schools for leadership, has seen how powerful this can be. After years of instability, characterised by low pupil performance and high staff turnover, new Headteacher Julie Jones brought clarity and consistency. Promoting initiatives like letting staff experience strategies firsthand before rollout, holding Senior Leadership Team meetings three times a week, and protecting individual line management time, Julie’s leadership approach has really paid off. She sums it up: “We’re really lucky to have a team that’s united in philosophy and work ethic – and you can feel that around the school”.

Schools recognised for Leadership

Top schools include: Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' CofE Primary; Far Forest Lea Memorial CofE Primary; Canon Johnson CofE Primary; Oasis Academy Aspinal; Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary; Oasis Academy Woodview; St James' CofE Primary; Oasis Academy Clarksfield; St Bartholomew's CofE VC Primary; St Peter's Smithills Dean CofE Primary.

Line Management: Everyday support that retains teachers

Line Management measures the quality of support employees receive from their immediate manager, including guidance, resource allocation, and pastoral care. Along with Leadership, research shows that the quality of the direct management relationship can significantly impact retention decisions, with staff needing to feel both professionally supported and personally valued.

St Augustine’s Primary School in Cheshire, ranked in the top schools for line management, shows what great practice looks like. Headteacher Elizabeth Lambe has built a culture where staff feel both trusted and cared for, implementing relational practices across the staff body. Elizabeth, who began using TEP when she took up her headship in 2024, says: “As a leader, TEP helps me to see the bigger picture and put it all together. It's definitely helped me to confirm what I think is going well.”

Schools recognised for Line Management

Top schools include: Clayton-le-Moors All Saints' CofE Primary; Far Forest Lea Memorial CofE Primary; Canon Johnson CofE Primary; Oasis Academy Aspinal; Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary; St Augustine's Catholic Primary (A Voluntary Academy); Rockliffe Manor Primary; Oasis Academy Woodview; St James' CofE Primary; St Peter's Smithills Dean CofE Primary.

Wellbeing & Workload: Achieving balance for staff success

This driver measures staff perception of personal wellbeing and whether workload is manageable, recognising the interplay between these factors. TEP question set explores workload size, appropriateness, and whether staff feel equipped to manage their responsibilities, alongside questions about stress and personal wellbeing.

St Augustine’s is again a standout here. Since 2024, the school has lifted its score from 7.7 to an outstanding 9.1, well above the national benchmark. Key to this success has been rethinking marking and planning. By adopting live marking and using tools like Balance, staff spend less time on paperwork and more time teaching. Flexible working, a welcoming staffroom, and stronger internal communication all add to the sense that wellbeing is taken seriously. As Headteacher Elizabeth Lambe notes, small changes can be transformative: moving away from unnecessary admin has freed teachers to focus on what matters most.

Schools recognised for Wellbeing & Workload

Top schools include: Hill Farm Academy; St Paul's CofE Primary (Astley Bridge); St John's CofE Primary; Canon Johnson CofE Primary; Gorsefield Primary; Oasis Academy Aspinal; Oasis Academy Temple Quarter; Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary; St Augustine's Catholic Primary (A Voluntary Academy); Rockliffe Manor Primary; St James' CofE Primary.

Is your school driving employee engagement?

Celebrating employee engagement isn’t just about recognising high scores – it’s about sharing lessons that every school can use. These schools show that with the right mix of listening, trust, and visibility, staff engagement can flourish and drive school improvement. Watch this space for the schools leading the pack in engagement overall, in our headline awards later this academic year.

If you’re ready to measure and strengthen engagement in your own school, explore how The Engagement Platform (TEP) can help you understand staff voice and act on it.

‍