Only one in five school leaders are satisfied with the UK Government’s education policy as Andy Burnham prepares to become the next Prime Minister, according to a survey of school leaders. 

While satisfaction rates increased from 9% to 20% during Labour’s second year in power, the latest School Leaders Survey by UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson illustrate the challenging education landscape facing Sir Keir Starmer’s successor in Number 10. 

Funding concerns, as well as issues relating to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspections and parental complaints, have driven low sentiment at a time when seven in 10 (71%) leaders judge their financial prospects as poor compared to 12 months earlier. This is down from 85% in 2025 but around the same levels as under the previous Conservative government, when 73% of leaders shared this perspective in spring 2024. 

The survey, which represents the views of school and trust leaders representing more than 1,000 schools and half a million pupils in England, was conducted in March 2026 after publication of the schools white paper, ‘Every child achieving and thriving’. Key findings include: 

• Almost half (46%) of school leaders are dissatisfied with the impact of government education policy on their organisation, although this is down from 59% under the previous government.
• There is dissatisfaction regarding funding for SEND (86%), general school and academy funding (80%), and capital projects and estates (64%).
• There were further frustrations with government policy relating to parental complaints (78%), SEND (67%), pay and reward policy (62%), inspections and Ofsted (60%) and place planning (55%).
• While satisfaction didn’t outweigh dissatisfaction in any policy area, there was a greater balance in curriculum, where 27% were satisfied and the same proportion dissatisfied; academisation (34% satisfied versus 39% dissatisfied); and governance (22% versus 25%).   

Heather Mitchell, Partner in the education team who leads on the School Leaders Survey, said: “Our School Leaders Survey paints a candid picture of a sector that remains frustrated with government policy. While sentiment has improved during Labour’s second year, this comes from a low bar with only one in five school leaders actually satisfied.

“A string of policy reforms set out in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, as well as the recent schools white paper, have driven this improvement – but the overwhelming feeling of concern that remains signals there’s plenty for Andy Burnham’s government to do if he is to persuade the sector he is serious about making significant improvements to education policy.

“The most pressing issue is money, with funding pressures prevalent across SEND, renewal of the crumbling school estate and general running costs that not only affect schools’ overall financial resilience, but also their ability to recruit and retain staff.”

Financial sustainability concerns

The theme of financial instability will be a focus for the incoming Prime Minister, with only 27% of leaders reporting any confidence in their financial security over the next three years. 

However, the picture has eased regarding day-to-day finances, with those describing their current situation as “poor” falling from 40% to 26% over the past year.

Maintained school leaders recorded notable lower levels of confidence, with 56% judging their financial prospects as “poor” versus 12% “good”. Among their academy counterparts, this was flipped, with 69% feeling this was “manageable” or “good” and 31% saying “poor”. 

Set against this backdrop, a significant shift this year is the sharp decline in reported employee engagement, with 35% of leaders now judging it negatively – up from 20% last year.

With staffing costs accounting for around 80% of total spend, reviewing staffing requirements has become the most common response, cited by 84% of leaders – a pattern that reflects the reality of schools having to make further cuts simply to balance their budgets. 

Other popular measures included reviewing and cutting expenditure (78%), optimising resources to drive efficiencies (72%) and reviewing contracts (68%). 

Jenny Beaumont, Principal Associate in the education employment team, said: “Staffing restructures have emerged as the leading cost-saving measure identified by survey respondents, reflecting the considerable budgetary pressures facing schools across the sector. 

“For those considering this approach, the industrial relations and legal implications of undertaking a restructure are well understood and should not be underestimated. 

“We’re seeing unions emboldened under this labour government, in part due to their increased powers under the Employment Rights Act. In this context it’s more important than ever that early thought goes into the detailed planning of restructures and clear engagement with staff is at the forefront of the strategy.”

The latest School Leaders Survey report also features insights on the schools white paper, SEND reforms and the rise of AI-generated parental complaints.

Read the full report