Doing more with less - Capacity challenges and how to solve them

In the latest School Workforce statistics, 61.8% of teachers in England recorded a sickness absence during the 2024/25 academic year, equating to more than 2.6 million working days lost across state-funded schools. Teachers who took sickness absence were absent for an average of 8.1 days.

As schools and MATs continue to navigate increasing demands on limited resources, workforce capacity remains one of the most significant challenges facing education leaders. Seasonal illness, rising absence levels, complex employee relations matters and competing priorities can quickly place additional strain on already stretched teams.

This session will explore the practical realities of workforce capacity management in schools and MATs, with a particular focus on absence management, maintaining compliance and supporting staff wellbeing. We'll discuss how organisations can make better use of existing resources, identify early warning signs of capacity pressures and access support before minor issues become major challenges.

Victoria Jones is an experienced Relationship Manager with a background in law and professional services. Having worked across multiple sectors supporting organisations with complex operational and people-related challenges, she is passionate about helping leaders achieve more with the resources available to them.