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.
Headteachers and other members of school leadership teams (SLT), alongside effective governors, are crucial to creating and maintaining a positive culture concerning staff mental health and wellbeing in a school. They are also most at risk of suffering from a…
Schools have differing requirements in ensuring they become – and remain – mentally healthy.  Schools are also at different points in the implementation of cultures and practices that support the mental health and wellbeing of their staff.  It’s useful for any governor or board …
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the issue of mental health and wellbeing at the forefront in schools. But it’s a subject that’s been of concern for some time, and will continue to be after the effects of the pandemic end. Teachers…
Governors can help transform their schools’ approach to staff wellbeing and mental health. But before they can do so, governors need some underlying knowledge and understanding of the terminology and issues involved. The World Health Organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every…
Kingmoor Infant and Nursery School recently became the first school in Cumbria to be awarded the AcSEED Award. Headteacher Nicky Corfield and Youth Mental Health Champion Nikki Hall, answer some of our questions about their school’s approach to mental health and wellbeing in this Q&A. 1. Should schools…
This guest blog from Stonewall discusses why it’s important that schools have a particular focus on LGBT pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, and the role governors can play in ensuring this happens. In the context of the Coronavirus pandemic, schools and colleges have had to find new ways of…
Wellbeing has been a big issue in schools for a long time, and rightly so. But the events of 2020 have put mental health and wellbeing at the forefront in schools, with lockdown, grief, uncertainty, and changes to our way of life all taking a toll on…
Governors have a strategic role, so they’re crucial in helping a school focus on mental health and wellbeing when it really matters. While governors can’t offer hands-on support, the governing board can make sure there are structures in place so that children’s and staff’s mental…
Link governors for wellbeing – or wellbeing governors – are the dedicated point of contact on a school governing board about mental health and wellbeing provision.  While it’s not a statutory role, many schools recognise the importance of having link governors for wellbeing,…
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in April, 46.6% of adults in employment in the UK were doing some work from home. This figure is expected to rise in the coming years as more workplaces adapt and see the benefits that a flexible approach to the traditional 9-5 can…
Hatton Special School is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Find out how Headteacher Adrienne Wright depends on her governing board for the school’s continued success. “Hatton Special School is a large primary maintained special school in outer London with 191 pupils with complex needs. We had our…