Staff Wellbeing in Schools: 11 Ways to Make a Difference

According to the DfE’s Working Lives of Teachers report, staff working in state schools now have lower levels of wellbeing than the general adult population. To many, this will come as little surprise, especially given known issues with workload and burnout.

While a lot of this hinges on Government policy, there are practical things that school leaders and senior mental health leads can do to ease stress and improve the mental fitness of their staff in the here and now.

We’ve explored some of these below, including some thoughts from teachers and senior leaders, who were kind enough to tell us what’s working at their school.

1. Flexible working

Some schools are enabling teachers to work from home to complete PPA. However, this is not widespread; the latest 2024 NASUWT Teacher Wellbeing Survey suggests that less than half (42%) of respondents had the option to work flexibly.

One teacher told me how much flexible working meant to her:

“A compulsory staff meeting about improving wellbeing can be counterproductive – we’d simply rather have that time back in the day. My school allows us to work from home to do PPA sessions which is great. It means we finally have some of the flexibility that other professions have had for years. Being able to stick a wash on or go for an appointment or do a pilates class earlier in the day and catch up with work later that evening creates a bit of space for us to look after ourselves and have more control over our time in the week.” 

– Hannah, Primary School Teacher 

Other schools, such as Dixon’s Academy Trust have recently made headlines by trialling a nine-day fortnight where staff at any level (including senior management) have every other Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday off. Katie Knighton their Senior Vice Principal has created several videos that explain in detail how they managed the timetabling with minimal reduction in contact time.

2. Reduce staff workload and consolidate after-school commitments

Another way to get to grips with workload is to eliminate unnecessary admin and reduce mandatory after-school commitments. A Deputy Head at a South London Comprehensive told me what they were putting in place this year:

“We’ve invested in our admin team to reduce the burden on our teachers and have centralised systems for things like detentions and reprographics. This year we have reduced our formal assessments from three to two times a year and spaced them strategically across the year. We’re also providing an Autumn and Spring marking and feedback day to allow staff a little more headspace to reflect on class data and next steps. After school, we have streamlined all training and events to happen on a Thursday and ensure they fall within directed hours.”

– Deputy Headteacher, South London Comprehensive

AI also has the potential to save time, but needs a clear policy around its safe and secure use in schools. Many staff in schools are already using it to aid the creation and adjusting of resources, writing emails to parents and recording and summarising meeting notes. Schools and MATs need effective ways to share these pockets of innovation to make adoption easier and reduce anxiety amongst staff feeling left behind.

3. Staff supervision

Supervision used to be largely reserved for staff working in special schools, but over the past year, educational psychologists at our sister company, Real Psychology, have been seeing an increasing number of requests from mainstream settings. 

Teachers, senior leaders and DSLs in particular can end up absorbing a lot throughout the week as they help pupils with significant needs, often taking on secondary trauma. Supervision provides a means to have structured discussions where staff can offload some of the emotional weight and work through solutions, rather than taking it home with them. It differs from counselling in that it focuses more on finding strategies to help with the work you are doing rather than working on yourself and understanding the history and root cause of why you react in a certain way. 

“Often we can assume that because we see each other every day we can check in – especially in smaller primary schools – but there’s a real power to more structured supervision. We are currently developing triads of schools that can collaborate across the trust to provide this enhanced support.”

– Andrew Chadwick, Safeguarding, Inclusion and Ambition Lead, Focus Trust 

You can find out more about different approaches to supervision and understand how to run group or individual sessions in our Senior Mental Health Leadership Advanced Award.

4. Leading by example, creating an open culture and being clear about the right to switch off

Senior leaders need to model good working practices. This includes setting boundaries around work and personal time, saying “no” constructively, or positively engaging with wellbeing activities and celebration days. If you really need to send emails outside of working hours – make it clear that you don’t expect others to respond in the same time frame. A clear policy on the right to switch off can also be useful – only 46% of the NASUWT survey respondents said this was in place in their school.

Often showing vulnerability and empathy is the start of creating a more open culture where staff don’t feel the pressure to be perfect. The main reason teachers don’t seek mental health support in schools is the concern that it would be viewed as a sign of weakness, driving home the need to address this openly. 

Leaders must address the big topics; managing workload, monitoring burnout, and supporting staff who feel stressed, as well as dealing with any potentially toxic relationships. They may also need to challenge their own subconscious bias towards working methods that enact greater long-term harm towards staff than overall benefit to pupils.

5. Staff counselling and mentoring

Counselling can be a valuable safety net for teachers and is often offered as part of a package of support. Parkview Academy, for example, offer six free online sessions of Bupa counselling to all staff; six sessions of face-to-face counselling and supervision sessions with the school therapist.

Mentoring can also contribute to positive wellbeing – with research suggesting positive effects on wellbeing and self-esteem for both for mentor and mentee. Yet a survey carried out last year by the National Institute of Teaching suggested only 1 in 10 respondents in state schools had access to a formal mentor. You might want to use feedback surveys to assess demand in your setting. If you are considering implementing a programme, note that the research also found that it was more effective when carried out voluntarily by someone in the same key stage or subject specialty (and not a line manager).

You can find out more about how to set up effective mentorship programmes in our Coaching and Mentoring in Education course.

6. A clear policy on menopause support

Only 17% of teachers in the 2024 NASUWT survey reported that their school had policies to support women teachers with menopause-related issues. Education Support has some great resources on their site as well as tips for senior leaders about how to have conversations with staff going through menopause. 

It’s also worth considering:

• Have leaders had basic menopause training so they know what reasonable adjustments can be made? 
• Is it feasible to provide classrooms closer to bathrooms or showers? 
• Do staff know when it is appropriate to request time off or more flexible working?

7. Staff wellbeing teams, feedback boxes and wellbeing surveys

Listening to staff voice is imperative. A dedicated wellbeing team can help gather feedback and help initiatives stay on track, but only once you have embedded staff wellbeing into your whole-school strategy with clear and concrete goals. The DfE recommends appointing a designated wellbeing Governor as an advocate to assist if required. 

Most schools now use surveys to monitor wellbeing, but some have more consistent processes around follow-up. Kaleidoscope Independent Special School have decided not to make surveys anonymous but to create an atmosphere of trust and openness in order to use them to provide targeted support.

“We carry out a staff survey twice a year, they aren’t anonymous, which was initially met with a bit of trepidation, but staff have been very forthcoming. Key to success are the follow-up meetings held on an informal basis over two weeks. Staff have cover pre-arranged and are invited for a “brew and a biscuit” where they are encouraged to discuss feelings brought up in the survey.

They are offered support if needed and ideas are shared to improve things, for example, extra time within the school day needed to complete evidencing. We’ve found this works really well and staff feel valued and respected as their ideas are listened to and then plans are put in place to try and support them. The plan is revisited at the next meeting to discover if things have improved.“

– Sarah Shingler, Senior Education Engagement Assistant, Kaleidoscope Independent Special School

8. Equip teachers and TAs with more strategies for SEND and SEMH

Many staff feel out of their depth when it comes to supporting pupils with special educational needs. Fewer than 14% of mainstream teachers have received training in autism, for example, and only 50% of TAs have received training in social and emotional development.

Building skills and knowledge in this area can improve confidence in their teaching techniques, or in the case of teaching assistants, how they deliver one-to-one and rotating group support. Advice on how to communicate with parents can also help reduce stress and build more productive relationships.

There are a raft of new qualifications opening up career pathways for teaching assistants to help them grow in the role. This includes the recently launched Level 5 Specialist TA Apprenticeship, which has a focus on SEND and SEMH.

9. Small wins – Christmas shopping days, domestic leave, gratitude days

Offering benefits such as paid days off to do Christmas shopping, attend a child’s sports day or to support an elderly parent can make a meaningful difference to many people. Teachers leaving the profession often cite instances where they have missed key events in their own children’s lives as factors galvanising their decision. Discounted wrap-around care might also provide more flexibility over how work (or wellbeing activities) can be managed outside of core school hours.

Gratitude days held once every half term or termly can be a good opportunity for staff to show appreciation for one another – sending e-cards or putting physical notes on a board in the staffroom.

Encouraging the practice of positive psychology can also make a difference. A study carried out last year found improved wellbeing in Primary School teachers who could choose to participate in positive psychology techniques either through 45-minute self-interest groups or 10-minute sessions in staff meetings.

10. Provide a choice of ways for staff to connect

The connections we make with colleagues have a significant impact on our wellbeing and sense of belonging, acting as a buffer against stress and replenishing our energy. 

Two teachers outlined the benefits this brings to them and to others:

“My previous school had an interesting approach to CPD. We had to complete a certain number of hours, but half of this was allocated to essential training and then the rest was handed back to the staff to run their own sessions. There was a whole host of activities on offer – rounders with the PE department, making bath bombs in the science department, learning how to batik/silk print in art/DT etc.  

It was a better alternative to sitting in extra INSETs after school and the requirement to stay felt more “fun” and beneficial rather than being for the sake of it. It meant we were able to spend time bonding with colleagues in a more relaxed, less micro-managed environment. It was a good way to learn new skills that weren’t directly related to the job – a helpful reminder that there is life outside of teaching!“ 

Sam – Secondary School Teacher.

“As a qualified yoga teacher, I provide weekly yoga for our staff. These yoga/meditation sessions are run to support our staff in taking time for themselves, straight from school, without any travel involved and for free. The staff that come to yoga are so appreciative, which in turn supports my wellbeing – it’s good to know that you are making a difference. Everyone leaves so much more relaxed than when they arrived.” 

Julietta Howell – Learning Support Teacher, St John’s College Cardiff.

11. Better spaces for staff to relax

More than half (54%) of respondents in the NASUWT survey said their school does not provide staff with a safe and comfortable space to take time out outside the classroom. 

Several schools are taking this on board by either creating dedicated quiet or wellbeing rooms or partitioning their existing staffroom to make it more accommodating. Being able to adjust the lighting, work in a quiet space and even open a window can be beneficial.

This is the staff wellbeing room at Eden Girls School for example: 

And below is the recently revamped staffroom at Lewis Girls’ School.

Conclusion

Teaching is facing an unprecedented recruitment crisis – with more than a third of teachers thinking of leaving the profession. It is fast attracting the label as a career where workload is relentless and wellbeing is pushed onto the back burner.

Action on staff wellbeing needs to be led from the top and embedded into the culture of our schools. This is one of the reasons we recommend senior mental health leads are part of the SLT and have the time and the training to do the role justice. They also need to be conscious of their own wellbeing and focus their energy on things that can make an impact.

Initiatives must be sustainable and backed up by a well-thought-through plan for universal, targeted and specialist support as part of a whole-school approach. Without this, they can come across (at best) like mere band-aids. 

One teacher mentioned to me that the SLT had created a wellbeing wall in the staffroom at the beginning of this year. It had nice things that parents and the children had said about staff or the school, leaflets and advice about where to go for help, or local yoga classes etc. and a stash of sweet treats that staff could help themselves to at break. It was well received at first and the staff felt it was considerate. But, six weeks on, the sweets haven’t been replaced and none of the information has been updated – leaving them feeling the effort was more for show rather than commitment to long-term impact.

What works in one setting doesn’t necessarily apply to all, and also depends on the maturity of your current processes and provision for staff wellbeing. That said, there is definitely value in schools coming together to share what is working.

We’d love to hear your thoughts.