School staff wellbeing
Resources for governors
Wellbeing governors champion mental health and wellbeing for the whole school. They keep mental health and wellbeing on the agenda by asking questions about the school’s provision and support.
We’re here to support you as a wellbeing governor so that school staff’s mental health is looked after at school.
Guidance for governors on finding a suitable coach for school leaders to support their wellbeing
Schools have experienced extraordinary turbulence over the past couple of years, with both staff and pupils facing a range of unprecedented challenges. School leaders have confronted particularly intense mental, logistical, and economic burdens, which they will continue to carry for the foreseeable future.
Eteach Education Advisers Operations Directors Éamonn Whelan and Tony Markowski have created this guide for Governors for Schools to help governors appoint external coaches to support school leaders during this difficult time.
Wellbeing webinars
How and why school governors should support staff mental health and wellbeing
Our first webinar of the term explored the wellbeing and mental health challenges school staff face, what the duties and expectations of governors are in addressing these, and how best to go about improving staff mental health and wellbeing from a strategic perspective. We were joined by an expert panel who shared their knowledge and experience in this area.
Watch the webinarWhat is staff mental health and wellbeing in a school setting?
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. Read this article to gain an understanding of the issues and terminology around staff mental health in a school setting.
Read the articleWhy should governors care about school staff's mental health and wellbeing?
Teachers have an inherently stressful job, and school governors should understand their role to help mitigate these aspects. In return, governors can help create more positive working lives for teachers – and deliver better outcomes for pupils. So why is it important that governors take an interest in their school’s policies and culture concerning staff wellbeing?
Read the articleQuestions for governors to introduce the topic of staff wellbeing and mental health
Asking questions is a key part of a governor’s role, so we’ve put together a list of questions governors can bring up in discussion with senior leadership at their school. While these questions are suggestions and are not exhaustive, the answers will enable governors to begin to understand what the school is doing now and potential areas for improvement.
Read the articleDesigning a staff wellbeing strategy
An effective staff wellbeing strategy is built upon the specific requirements of your staff, and the feedback gathered from surveying staff knowledge and opinion. Read this article for tips on how to design an effective staff wellbeing strategy.
Read the articleSchool leadership and governors: improving staff wellbeing together
Governors are best able to provide support around mental health and wellbeing and work with them to ensure policies and culture are delivering for all staff, including leadership. Read this article for practical tips about how your governing board can prioritise staff wellbeing.
Read the articlePractical changes to improve staff wellbeing
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. Read this article for ideas of simple and often low-cost ways to improve wellbeing culture at your school.
Read the articleMeasuring Wellbeing: Mental Health Audits and Surveys
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.
Read the articleExample staff wellbeing survey
We’ve put together an example survey for you to edit and make specific to your school. Use the template as a starting point for the kinds of questions and areas you should consider to improve staff wellbeing.
Embedding staff mental health and wellbeing in your school’s culture
Any school’s approach to staff mental health and wellbeing should be at the heart of the agenda. It should become integral to the school’s ethos and management culture. Read the article for the key things governors should address.
Read the articleMinimising the effects of traumatic incidents on school staff
While thankfully rare, it’s still important that schools have done the necessary contingency planning and have sufficient support in place to deal with the psychological and social repercussions of a traumatic incident, for both pupils and staff.
Read the articleStaff wellbeing and parental engagement
Schools need policies in place and a culture that minimises friction between staff and parents, whilst maximising the power of an engaged and supportive parent community. Read the article to learn how best to achieve this, and how it leads to improved educational outcomes.
Read the articleSchool staff wellbeing - Impact report
Read about the impact the second term of the campaign, focusing on school staff’s mental health and wellbeing, has had on schools and volunteers.
Free mental health support for school leaders from Education Support
School leaders have done a heroic job over the past 18 months and now is the time for them to prioritise their own wellbeing. Education Support is happy to announce continued mental health support for school leaders:
- Facilitated peer support to safely reflect with other leaders
- Individual telephone support to get emotional support on any issue
Apply now for free wellbeing support, these services are provided thanks to funding from DfE.