The end of the year is typically marked with teachers handing out reports (primary teachers on average spend more than 15 hours writing them; secondary less than five). So here at Teacher Tapp, we thought we should do our bit of end-of-year report writing too.
After thousands of tapps, we’ve pulled together the Teacher Tapp 2024–25 School Report — and this time, it’s teachers getting the feedback.
From absences to AI, and playground drama to inbox etiquette, here’s what stood out from a jam-packed year in classrooms across the country.
1. Attendance & Punctuality: Missing in Action
The story for students
- Student absence was a worry: 69% of primary and 80% of secondary teachers said it was disrupting learning.
- This figure is similar to last year’s (71% and 82%), but it represents a notable increase from 2023, when the overall rate was 55%.
- Looking at a snapshot day, 49% of secondary teachers had a student arrive late to a lesson, but fortunately, primary teachers find this happens less frequently (15%).
- All subjects are equally hit for lateness, with no subject reporting lateness significantly higher than others.
- It’s not just a matter of getting the students into school – 48% of secondary teachers report that internal truancy is a bigger problem than truancy.
What is happening with teachers
- In secondary schools, 34% had three or more days off sick, and in primary that figure drops to 28%.
- 41% of primary teachers had no days off sick at all, and 35% of secondary can say the same.
- The UK average number of sick days is 4.4, so teachers clock in much lower.
- Teacher absence caused problems for GCSE classes. Science, English, and maths were hit hardest (with more than half of respondents in those subjects saying their exam classes had been affected by long-term teacher absence).
Overall verdict – absence was a big deal this year .
2. Effort & Attitude: Top Marks for Resilience
Despite everything thrown at them, teachers kept going.
- A variety of different sources for stress were reported across the year. In June, just 15% reported accountability was a source of stress, compared to 26% in January.
- Student behaviour started and ended the year low (45%), but hit a high of 52% in December and February.
Overall verdict? Resilient under pressure.
3. Classroom Conduct: Could Do Without the Vaping
Behaviour was, once again, a big talking point.
But how did behaviour in 2024-25 compare to previous years? On the whole, this academic year saw fewer disruptions than the previous one. In 2023-24, disruptions hit a high of 43%, whereas in 2024-25 the highest reported was 38%.
- Phones continued to be a challenge in secondary schools. 9% of secondary teachers reported a mobile phone disrupting their most recent lesson – but this leapt up to 24% when looking at schools where phones are allowed out at break, lunch and during lessons when directed by a teacher.
- Vapes were another problem teachers have had to tackle. One in twelve secondary teachers reported vaping as an issue.
- Swearing was also on the radar: 34% of secondary teachers said they had a student swear in their last lesson, compared to 15% in primaries.
- Behaviour is still a reason people consider leaving: 15% of secondary and 13% of primary teachers said so – but this jumps UP to 19% for teachers with less than 5 years experience.
Final grade? Continue the hard work.
4. Tech Use: ChatGPT? Getting There.
AI edged its way further into classrooms this year — with growing interest, cautious use, and plenty of side-eye.
- There has been a HUGE jump in the number of teachers reporting they use AI for school work: 57% of primary and 52% of secondary teachers UP from 34% last year!
- The rise in AI isn’t without its problems, though. 18% had more than one student use AI on a task when they shouldn’t have – this has shot up from 3% in 2023, and 12% in 2024, a concerning 50% increase.
We’ll call it Cautious progress.
5. Works Well With Others: Sometimes. Not Always.
Work-life balance still feels like a dream for many — and colleague relationships? A mixed bag.
- Not all staffroom interactions were warm and fuzzy: 28% got a rude email, and 38% had a tense conversation last month alone.
- Leadership matters: 16% of teachers cited it as a reason they’d considered leaving.
BUT! There is good news. Some friendships are blooming — 25% said they have a best friend at work (that’s higher than the 20% reported in this US study) — but it’s clear the people stuff can make or break a week.
Verdict: Working above the expected standard.
6. Overall Progress: You Kept Showing Up
Through tough days and triumphs, what stood out most was your determination.
Whether you smashed targets or simply made it through the term, you made a difference — to your students, to your colleagues, and to us.
🏖️ Final Grade: A for Effort. Now Please Rest!
We’ll leave you with this:
No emails. No guilt. Just naps, sunshine (fingers crossed), and that unread book on your shelf.
You’ve earned it!
