The impossible balance: why new mothers are leaving the profession, and what needs to change

Our Managing Director, Naomi Howells, takes a look at what the sector can do to help its educators when they become parents

Becoming a mother is transformative: emotionally,
physically, and mentally. But what’s often less spoken about is how completely it reconfigures your priorities and capacity when you return to work.

When I returned after having my son; who is now two, I didn’t just step back into my role. It took the best part of a year to feel I was operating at the same level. That period was marked by self-doubt, exhaustion, and a recalibration of what I could realistically give. The only reason I remained in my position was because I was offered flexibility: part-time hours, hybrid working, and trust. Without that, I may have joined the growing number of women leaving the sector.

Since 2017, women aged 30 - 39 have been the largest group of teachers leaving the profession each year. Many of them are new mothers, and the reasons are clear. Teaching, for all its rewards, is inflexible. Long hours, high demands, and limited room for adjustment make it almost impossible to balance effectively with raising young children. The result? Talented professionals forced to choose between their careers and their families.

Historically Class People was founded by such a occurrence as Lynis Bassett our founder always tells, and the majority of the bank staff were mothers of on average 2.3 children and second income within the family, women who wanted to stay in education but needed flexibility. In recent years, though, we’ve seen something shift. Schools are increasingly offering part-time and job-share roles. As a result, we’ve seen a decline in mothers joining the supply pool, not because they’re leaving education entirely, but because they’re being retained in permanent roles that fit around their families.
That’s encouraging. It shows that schools are listening. Change is happening, however slowly, but meaningfully.

Still, we need to do more. We must move past the idea that productivity looks the same at every life stage. Re-prioritisation is not a weakness. It’s a reality for many new parents. Offering flexibility doesn’t mean compromising on standards, it means
creating a system where professionals can thrive long term, not burn out or opt out.

My first year back was humbling. I was slower, unsure, and juggling more than ever. But I was also determined – and with the right support, I found my stride again. It’s not about sympathy; it’s about systems that work for people as they grow and change.

If we want to keep brilliant educators in the classroom, especially those in their peak professional years, we need to keep talking about this – and acting on it. When mothers are supported, schools thrive.
And so do the children in them.