A new industry benchmark from HR Connect has shed light on the pressures facing HR functions within UK schools. The State of HR in Education 2025 Report is based on feedback from more than 125 education organisations, spanning primary, secondary, special and independent schools, as well as academy trusts.
The report, which is available to download free, outlines a challenging environment for education leaders. Persistent budget constraints, staff shortages and rising compliance demands are placing increasing pressure on HR teams. These issues are being compounded by the introduction of the Employment Rights Act, representing the most substantial overhaul of UK employment legislation in decades.
- Budget pressure is overwhelming schools: 56% of schools say funding and cost pressures are now their biggest HR challenge, dwarfing all other concerns.
- Hiring is slow and getting harder: 3 in 4 schools take more than a month to fill vacancies, with nearly 1 in 5 waiting two months or longer.
- Critical classroom roles are hardest hit: Classroom teachers and teaching assistants top the list of hard-to-fill positions, alongside SEND specialists and subject experts.
- Pay is the deal-breaker: Almost half of schools cite salary and benefits as the single biggest barrier to attracting quality candidates.
- Nearly half are standing still: Despite fierce competition for staff, 49% of schools have made no changes to their recruitment or retention approach.
- HR is still stuck in hybrid mode: Spreadsheets and paper remain widespread, and just 5% of schools are very confident their HR systems are fully integrated and efficient.
- Safeguarding systems are stronger, but not universal: While confidence is higher here, a significant minority of schools still lack full integration with HR.
- Major legal change is coming, but awareness is patchy: Fewer than 1 in 8 schools are very familiar with the Employment Rights Act 2025, with day-one dismissal rights and flexible working the biggest concerns.
Speaking about the Report, Elliot Masters, Associate Director of HR Advisory, Strategy & Systems at HR Connect, said:
HR Connect’s State of HR in Education 2025 Report is free to download in full and provides detailed analysis, benchmarking data and practical insights across recruitment, retention, HR systems, compliance and legal readiness, offering school leaders and HR professionals a clear view of where the sector stands today and what must change next.
