Half of teachers have suffered at least one symptom of work-related burnout since the beginning of this school year, research by YouGov shows.

And just under a third are suffering from a lack of energy or exhaustion “all the time”, according to the research, commissioned by the Education Support charity.

The charity is calling for schools to be properly resourced and for teachers to be “properly equipped and supported to do their best work”.

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Chief executive Sinéad Mc Brearty said: “Thousands of teachers up and down the country are exhausted.

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“School and college staff have worked around the clock to configure remote learning, support the social and emotional needs of pupils and to cover significant amounts of staff absence due to Covid.

“They continue to roll their sleeves up...but it is an unavoidable fact that over time, prolonged stress, anxiety and fatigue can lead to burnout. 

“This is now becoming more and more true in our classrooms.  We need to recognise this reality and properly resource schools and colleges to do what is being asked of them. This is not about being soft and fluffy; it’s about ensuring that the education workforce is properly equipped and supported to do their best work. ”

The research was carried out in February and March this year among a representative sample of 1,059 teaching professionals.

It also found that just under a third of teachers harboured “negativity or cynicism” towards the profession “all the time”.

One respondent said: “I’ve been teaching for five years and am incredibly passionate about what I do. However, my mental health has really suffered in the past year to the point of burning myself out and having to take a month off sick when I hit crisis point. I was working myself into the ground and not prioritising my wellbeing. Support and medication have helped me through.”

The research found that:

• 43 per cent of teaching professionals said they had experienced “all components associated with burnout”  since September.
• 89 per cent said they had felt a lack of energy or exhaustion in relation to their job “some or all of the time” (29 per cent said “all of the time”).
• 80 per cent felt “negativity or cynicism” related to the teaching profession “some or all of the time” (31 per cent said “all the time”).
• 73 per cent said that they felt “reduced professional efficacy” (or ability to perform their job as expected) “some or all of the time’” (14 per cent said “all the time”)
• 59 per cent said that they felt mentally distanced from their job “some or all of the time” (10 per cent said “all of the time”).

The findings were broadly consistent across primary and secondary schools, teachers and senior leaders, said the charity, which helps teachers with their mental health and wellbeing.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said in response to the findings: “Morale is very low and we know many [teachers and school leaders] are considering leaving the profession…the top words school leaders would use to describe their experiences over the last year are ‘challenging, exhausting and stressful’.’”

Last month, the charity published research indicating that 46 per cent of teachers were considering leaving the profession this academic year due to pressures on their health and wellbeing.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have taken a wide range of actions to address teacher workload and wellbeing, and invested millions in mental health charities to support teachers. This includes our £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which is supporting staff in schools and colleges to respond to any wellbeing issues they or their colleagues may be experiencing.

“We are also improving support and professional development for teachers at all stages of their career. This includes providing additional support for teachers who are at their least experienced and at most risk of leaving the profession, through our Early Career Framework reforms.”