Only for Teachers · Original Research

UK Teacher Pulse Index

A multi-dimensional sentiment tracker drawn from weekly surveys of UK teachers

Total surveys

2,888

Total responses

48.4

Average TPI

Sept '25

Data from

About the index

Confidence (0–100)

How prepared, capable and self-assured teachers feel regarding the survey topic — covering skill levels, adoption rates and willingness to engage with new approaches.

Workload (0–100)

The perceived impact on teachers' time and effort. A high score means the topic eases workload; a low score means it adds burden or administrative pressure.

Support (0–100)

Quality and availability of institutional support — including training, resources, clear school policy, and CPD access relevant to the topic.

Optimism (0–100)

Forward-looking sentiment — whether teachers feel positive or negative about the direction of travel, derived from motivations versus concerns and barriers.

Methodology

How it works: Each week, teachers registered with Only for Teachers complete a short anonymous survey on a topic affecting their profession. For every survey, each question is classified into one or more of the four dimensions above and scored 0–100 based on response patterns. The Overall TPI is the unweighted mean of all four dimension scores.

Who responds: Active UK teachers who have registered with the Only for Teachers platform. Participation is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. Our surveys target a specific, verified professional community rather than a general population panel.

Limitations: The TPI is based on self-selected respondents and does not claim to be statistically representative of all UK teachers. Scoring involves analyst judgement, documented in full in the accompanying methodology file. Use as a directional indicator of professional sentiment, not as a definitive measurement.

The Teacher Pulse Index · Sep 2025 – Mar 2026

80–100Very Positive60–79Positive40–59Neutral / Mixed20–39Negative0–19Very Negative

Date	Survey topic	Confidence	Workload	Support	Optimism	Overall TPI
02 Sept 2025	The 2025/26 school year: A new start? Or the same old?	45	42	38	48	43
17 Sept 2025	Your perspective on the 2025 Spending Review for Schools	35	42	30	25	33
30 Sept 2025	2025 GCSE A-level Results	55	60	58	50	56
03 Oct 2025	AI and teacher workload in UK schools	50	55	32	45	46
11 Oct 2025	The state of teacher wellbeing in the UK	40	35	30	28	33
11 Oct 2025	Budget cuts and their impact on learning opportunities	48	50	35	30	41
26 Oct 2025	Onsite CPD vs virtual CPD which do you prefer and why?	75	70	72	78	74
26 Oct 2025	Navigating school procurement process - plain sailing or fighting against the tide?	50	55	42	48	49
09 Nov 2025	The curriculum and assessment review - your opinion	58	60	62	62	61
09 Nov 2025	Do assessments need assessing?	68	62	65	70	66
22 Nov 2025	Your view on AI-generated attendance targets	45	50	32	35	41
30 Nov 2025	CPD Access Impact Effectiveness	55	58	48	52	53
30 Nov 2025	Exploring assessment practice future changes	65	55	58	68	62
14 Dec 2025	Revision practices in 2026	58	60	58	62	60
14 Dec 2025	What do you want to see in 2026?	45	50	40	48	46
14 Dec 2025	2030 vision: digital exam revolution	25	30	28	20	26
18 Jan 2026	Did you feel the 'Bett Buzz'?	48	50	42	55	49
18 Jan 2026	Beyond the classroom: What's your view on school trips?	60	35	45	50	48
01 Feb 2026	Celebrating Professional Growth (CPD Growth)	72	65	70	75	71
09 Feb 2026	Remote Provision Needs & Adoption Survey	55	60	45	55	54
23 Feb 2026	Is there a cost of living crisis?	50	45	40	45	45
02 Mar 2026	SEND Reform impact survey: Teacher perspectives	30	25	28	20	26
07 Mar 2026	School Funding and Strategic Management Survey	45	40	32	35	38
16 Mar 2026	The Impact of the new Ofsted Inspection Framework	40	35	30	25	33
22 Mar 2026	AI in the Classroom	62	70	35	58	56
Overall average · 25 surveys		51	50	44	47	48

Download full methodology & index (PDF)

Citation

Only for Teachers UK Teacher Pulse Index (2025–2026) — onlyforteachers.co.uk/teacher-index

Join the community and share your voice

Join for free