Teacher sickness led to the loss of 3.2 million working days across schools in England in the 2021/22 academic year, a rise of 61 per cent over five years, with one union blaming “stress, overwork and burnout”.
The average teacher in England took 6.3 days off sick in 2021/22, up from 4.1 days five years before, figures show.
More than two thirds of teachers (68 per cent) were off sick at some point in the academic year, up from 55 per cent five years before.
In Yorkshire and The Humber, teachers took an average of 6.7 days off sick in the last academic year, up from 4.8 days in 2016/17.
In North Yorkshire, 40,058 working days were lost across the year, with 66.3 per cent of teachers taking sickness absence that year.
Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said that the increase in both the proportion of teachers taking sick leave and the number of days taken “reflects the reality that teachers are increasingly suffering stress, overwork and burnout”.
He said: “The government has expected teachers simply to soldier on throughout the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis whilst more children are presenting with acute learning and support needs.
"The job of teaching is becoming impossible for teachers who are also finding themselves taking on the roles of counsellor, social worker and therapist to fill gaps left by cuts to children’s services.”
He said the figures were likely the “tip of the iceberg” as staffing pressures meant many teachers felt they had little choice but to come to work even when unwell.
The Department for Education said staff well-being was “crucial”.
A spokesperson added: “We recognise the extraordinary service that headteachers, teachers and other school staff provide and are taking action to reduce the pressures on them where we can.”
Here we reveal which schools in the Harrogate district had the greatest average number of days taken in sickness absence by teachers, including those who were not off sick.
We have omitted schools where fewer than five teachers took sick leave.
1. St Nicholas Church of England Primary School West, Ripon
At this school a total of 178 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 29.7 days per teacher. A total of five teachers took sickness absence, representing 83.3 per cent of the workforce. Photo: Archive
2. Glasshouses Community Primary School, Harrogate
At this school a total of 160 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 26.7 days per teacher. A total of six teachers took sickness absence, representing 100 per cent of the workforce. Photo: Archive
3. Masham Church of England Primary School, Ripon
At this school a total of 213 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 26.6 days per teacher. A total of eight teachers took sickness absence, representing 100 per cent of the workforce. Photo: Google Maps
4. Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, Harrogate
At this school a total of 212 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 26.5 days per teacher. A total of six teachers took sickness absence, representing 75 per cent of the workforce. Photo: Archive