UK Teacher Pulse Index

Only for Teachers · Original Research

UK Teacher Pulse Index

A multi-dimensional sentiment tracker drawn from weekly surveys of UK teachers · onlyforteachers.co.uk

Surveys scored

2,888

Total responses

48.4

Average TPI (0–100)

Sep ’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.

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. Sample sizes vary week to week and are shown in the table below.

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.

Citation: You are welcome to reference or cite these findings. Please credit: Source: Only for Teachers UK Teacher Pulse Index — onlyforteachers.co.uk

The Teacher Pulse Index · Sep 2025 – Apr 2026

80–100 Very Positive

60–79 Positive

40–59 Neutral / Mixed

20–39 Negative

0–19 Very Negative

Date	Survey Topic	n	Confidence	Workload	Support	Optimism	Overall TPI
02 Sep 2025	The 2025/26 school year: A new start? Or the same old?	100	45	42	38	48	43
17 Sep 2025	Your perspective on the 2025 Spending Review for Schools	83	35	42	30	25	33
30 Sep 2025	2025 GCSE & A-level Results	81	55	60	58	50	56
03 Oct 2025	AI and teacher workload in UK schools	138	50	55	32	45	46
11 Oct 2025	The state of teacher wellbeing in the UK	87	40	35	30	28	33
11 Oct 2025	Budget cuts and their impact on learning opportunities	128	48	50	35	30	41
26 Oct 2025	Onsite CPD vs virtual CPD — which do you prefer and why?	167	75	70	72	78	74
26 Oct 2025	Navigating school procurement — plain sailing or fighting against the tide?	83	50	55	42	48	49
09 Nov 2025	The curriculum and assessment review — your opinion	100	58	60	62	62	61
09 Nov 2025	Do assessments need assessing?	140	68	62	65	70	66
22 Nov 2025	Your view on AI-generated attendance targets	98	45	50	32	35	40
30 Nov 2025	CPD: Access, Impact and Effectiveness	134	55	58	48	52	53
30 Nov 2025	Exploring assessment practice and future changes	138	65	55	58	68	62
14 Dec 2025	Revision practices in 2026	197	58	60	58	62	60
14 Dec 2025	What do you want to see in 2026?	178	45	50	40	48	46
14 Dec 2025	2030 vision: digital exam revolution	80	25	30	28	20	26
18 Jan 2026	Did you feel the ‘Bett Buzz’?	85	48	50	42	55	49
18 Jan 2026	Beyond the classroom: What’s your view on school trips?	123	60	35	45	50	48
01 Feb 2026	Celebrating Professional Growth (CPD Growth)	137	72	65	70	75	70
09 Feb 2026	Remote Provision Needs & Adoption Survey	86	55	60	45	55	54
23 Feb 2026	Is there a cost of living crisis?	131	50	45	40	45	45
02 Mar 2026	SEND Reform impact survey: Teacher perspectives	121	30	25	28	20	26
07 Mar 2026	School Funding and Strategic Management Survey	88	45	40	32	35	38
16 Mar 2026	The Impact of the new Ofsted Inspection Framework	90	40	35	30	25	33
22 Mar 2026	AI in the Classroom	95	62	70	35	58	56
Overall Average · 25 surveys · 2,888 responses		—	51.2	50.4	43.8	47.5	48.4

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