nEdEx Thought Leaders Series: Retention - Effective employee retention strategies

Retaining talent in a changing education landscape

As recruitment continues to provide a challenge in education, retaining and developing talent has never been more critical. This session will explore how leaders can embed a sustainable culture of retention that balances wellbeing, progression, and performance.

From understanding why staff leave to creating environments where they want to stay, the discussion will focus on practical strategies that strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and ensure your workforce remains aligned with your School or Trust’s values and goals.

We’ll be inviting attendees to reflect on how their approach to retention has changed in recent years, what interventions have made the biggest difference, and how they’re building workplaces that staff choose to stay in.

Join our panel to share your challenges, successes, and ideas for the future.

We'll be discussing:

Why staff leave and what encourages them to stay

• Explore the key drivers of staff turnover and what today's education workforce values most. Discover practical, low-cost strategies that significantly improve staff experience and encourage long-term commitment

Developing an effective culture

• How to develop a strong culture that supports mental health, recognition and belonging, and the influence of leadership on staff morale and retention

Career development and progression

• Understand how structured career pathways, professional development, and talent nurturing can build loyalty, motivate staff, and develop future leaders from within

The power of data and dialogue

• How workforce trends, feedback tools, and meaningful conversations can identify early warning signs, shape targeted interventions, and strengthen staff engagement.

Why attend?

• Gain insights: Hear from sector colleagues about the growing challenges and how they impact schools financially and operationally.
• Collaborate: Engage in meaningful discussions with peers about overcoming barriers.
• Innovate: Discover new ideas and best practices for managing key challenges successfully.

Chaired by EPM, with input from sector experts, these panel discussions offer a unique opportunity for you to air your challenges, share your experiences, discuss ideas, ask questions and take part in polls in a supportive and open forum. 

We recognise that many senior leaders often experience a sense of isolation. With a limited number of peers to turn to for advice, feedback, or even reassurance, it can be challenging to feel confident that you're on the right path.

But we know that there is a wealth of expertise out there: creative and strategic thought leaders who are finding innovative strategies to deal with the challenges faced by the sector.  

These sessions provide a safe sounding board and an opportunity to discuss topical issues and challenges, share solutions or simply listen in and pick up ideas to take back to your schools and trusts. 

Whether you're a seasoned leader with ideas to share or someone looking to gain actionable insights and fresh ideas, these sessions are designed with you in mind.