Eden Project Teacher weekends

Did you know?

Only 75.8% of teachers who qualified three years earlier were still teaching in England’s state-funded sector in 2024/25. Retaining good people requires more than workload initiatives alone: teachers also need purpose, belonging, confidence, professional agency and sustaining relationships.

Every departure affects more than a staffing spreadsheet. It consumes recruitment and leadership time, interrupts continuity for pupils and families, and increases pressure on the colleagues who remain. This weekend gives schools a distinctive way to invest in the human foundations of retention: professional purpose, wellbeing, relationships, confidence and growth.

A direct contribution to Whole Education’s mission

Whole Education is a network of leaders building schools that provide a rigorous holistic education, so that everyone thrives in a transforming world. The weekend strengthens that work by helping early career teachers and emerging leaders connect rigorous professional learning with personal purpose, relationships, place, nature and the wider development of children and adults. 

Across five years of participant feedback, 100% of respondents have said that they would highly recommend the weekend to another teacher. Participants report the following gains:

• renewed clarity about why they teach and the contribution they want to make;
• practical ideas for nature-rich, sustainability-focused and outdoor learning;
• greater confidence in their professional identity and emerging leadership;
• strategies for protecting energy and remaining effective in a demanding profession;
• supportive relationships with educators beyond their own school;
• time to identify realistic priorities to take back into their role and setting. 

The weekend is designed as professional development, not an isolated wellbeing experience. Participants identify one or two relevant priorities to take back to school, share useful learning and resources with colleagues, and leave with a clearer sense of how they can contribute. Where appropriate, a follow-up conversation can help participants review progress and sustain momentum without creating an additional reporting burden.

For schools and trusts, the investment supports:

• retention, professional commitment and a stronger sense of belonging;
• confidence and emerging leadership capacity;
• fresh curriculum, pupil-engagement and nature-rich learning ideas;
• stronger professional networks and reduced isolation;
•  a visible commitment to valuing and developing staff. 

The programme is facilitated by Alex Bell — an award-winning leadership and innovation coach at Portland Education — working alongside the Eden Project Education Team and, where agreed, contributors from the Whole Education network. It combines educational leadership, professional coaching, nature connection and Eden’s distinctive approach to learning and transformation.

The programme takes place in the breathtaking setting of the Eden Project in Cornwall. 

If you'd like to learn more about these weekends or discuss how we can work together to create an ECT weekend for your group of schools or multi-academy trust, please contact education@edenproject.com.