Keeping up the morale of newly qualified teachers is key to making sure more remain in their jobs for a long period of time, Ofsted has claimed. 

The schools watchdog has said that many young people are put off by the fact they feel they have little support in the work, leading to a call for more headteachers across the country to make sure they are doing enough to protect young teachers and help keep them enthusiastic about their roles. 

Speaking before the Commons Education Select Committee, Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw said that it is not the pressure of things like inspections that put new teachers off staying in the sector, but rather the fact they feel unsupported. 

"What used to upset me was talking to people who were bright-eyed and bushy tailed, hugely enthusiastic about coming into teaching and wanting to do well for disadvantaged youngsters, saying to me that they were put off teaching in the first few years because they weren't adequately helped and supported by leaders," he said. 

Things like the poor behaviour of pupils and a lack of support from the top when dealing with such issues were cited as some of the main reasons teachers often do not feel committed to their roles in the long run. 

Sir Michael said that in order to tackle this issue, schools need to make sure that teachers feel valued and that they have someone to turn to when they need support.

He added that providing a strong and positive culture where teachers feel good about coming to work is important in ensuring that the education sector is able to retain the very best and brightest people coming into the industry.