Teacher workload has been a problem for years, contributing to stress and playing a role in driving people out of the profession. The pandemic has changed some workload patterns – at times even reducing it – but it’s still unclear whether any of these changes will become…
Editor’s note: this article is longer than our usual posts but we wanted to include a diverse set of opinions and perspectives on the concept. Remote governance, or flexi-governance, is a model of school governance that allows for at least a minority of board members to attend meetings remotely.
Fortunately, highly traumatic events are not a common occurrence. But, when they do happen they can have devastating and long-term consequences for those affected. School staff are particularly vulnerable, working in stressful conditions and being exposed to a wide variety of potential sources of trauma in the school community beyond…
A positive approach to staff wellbeing is a fundamental component of good leadership. However, it shouldn’t be reliant on the abilities, experience or passions of individual governors or members of a school’s leadership team. Too often, schools attempt to address this issue without long-term sustainability in mind. A change in…
Providing support and challenge to headteachers and a school’s leadership team is one of a governor’s key roles. For some people, finding the balance between the two can be the hardest part of the job.  To ‘provide challenge’ can conjure up visions of confrontation and…
An effective staff wellbeing strategy is built upon the specific requirements of your staff, and the feedback gathered from surveying staff knowledge and opinion. This is the case whether your school has an existing staff wellbeing strategy that isn’t meeting your needs, or your school is looking to implement one…
Creating an effective staff mental health and wellbeing strategy is reliant on two things: understanding the current provision, and understanding the needs and feelings of all staff members who will be relying upon it. Similarly, any changes or reviews of the strategy must take into account staff views and feedback…
Once policies have been created and wellbeing roles have been filled, there are many changes that schools can make that will have an impact on staff wellbeing. On their own, these actions may not seem particularly impactful, but combined, these small changes will demonstrate to staff that their wellbeing and…
Permanent and fixed-term exclusions have increased in recent years. Exclusions are still a rare event in many English schools, but the increase has been dramatic. 10 pupils were excluded for every 10,000 pupils in 2018/19, an increase from six pupils per 10,000 in 2012/13. The number of pupils receiving fixed-term exclusions increased from 350…
The mental health and wellbeing of school staff and their pupils is closely linked. If teachers and school staff work in an environment where wellbeing is prioritised and they feel supported and valued, their pupils will also reap the benefits. So how can schools go about this,…
This guest blog is by Sinead McBrearty, CEO of Education Support, the UK’s only charity dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the entire education workforce. 2020 was an extraordinary year for everyone connected with schools. As well as being CEO of Education Support, I am…
Working in a school is rewarding yet challenging, and the past few months will likely have been some of the most difficult of many teachers and school staff’s careers.  Looking after school staff’s mental health and wellbeing should always be a priority for governors.