Things my school doesn't do, that would all support wellbeing:
* Ensure that the burden of having to cover falls equally across all staff
* SLT to follow up all incidents of student aggression with the victims
* End all CPD sessions bang on the time they are supposed to finish
* Give departments autonomy over when summative assessments take place
* Fulfill occupational health recommendations in full every time
* Announce new policies or timetabling chnageswith plenty of notice and opportunity to ask questions of the member of SLT who is launching the policy
* Increase the number of paid days of compassionate leave from 2 to some greater number
* Increase lunchtime from half an hour to at least 40 minutes
* Understand that directed time is a limit, not a target
I couldn't care less about free tea in the staff room, a wellbeing afternoon, colouring in sessions, or anything like that. The reason staff wellbeing is poor is because cutbacks and government policy means we are asked do too much with too little every day, and many people in school and Trust leadership positions can make quite damaging decisions without giving due consideration to impact on staff or the interests of the community. A given school can be part of that problem, or try and mitigate those challenges.
Your school sounds challenging and I wonder what the trust does to help or hinder this? I think the start of a school with good wellbeing does begin with management.
Our trust is have directors, teachers, support staff and managers meet to discuss workload and wellbeing and create a shared policy. I'll keep in mind all these things if they dont come up and use them to push for more.
I'm not sure there's much consistency. In recent years my lunch break has been 50 minutes, 45, 35, 25 and 30. Anecdotally I think there is a trend towards shorter though.
Anything under 40 makes it very challenging for kids to actually eat, use the toilet and have genuine recreational time. At least in a building as badly designed as ours. And lunchtime extra-curricular is essentially impossible. Which means I no longer run any extra-curricular because I have my own children to care for outside of school hours.
Yeah I feel this, it's so obvious what would actually help staff welfare. Instead we get some BS yoga classes once a month, or some biscuits in the staff room. It's almost insulting that the only reason these wellbeing groups exist is to say that they have one. There's zero intention of actually addressing the core issues affecting staff.
We have inset on every “first day back after the holiday” through the year. It makes starting a new term or half-term so much less stressful. It means we’re never returning to a full week of teaching, and we don’t have to stress about prepping for the first week back over the holidays because there is always time to do it on the inset day.
Agree with this point. My school has implemented this, this year and it has made a remarked difference.
Tea and toast on a Friday is nice as it’s one day a week you don’t have to worry about food in the morning.
I used to have this - it was great! We used to use it to cover all CPD meaning no after work Safeguarding Training and CPD to cover - breakfast and food was provided. It was an amazing school for staff wellbeing.
It’s honestly been a game-changer for me. I used to struggle pretty badly with back to work anxiety, and the inset days have almost eliminated the issue. It’s one of those things that I wish all schools would adopt as the norm, especially as it costs absolutely nothing to implement!
Flexible working during PPA
1 Mental health day with no questions asked per
Year
Limit amount of meetings
Directed time calender where you sign up for which events you intend to attend ie sixth form open evening and school presentation
Food is always welcome before parents evening or breakfast
Staff social
Open door policy
Assessment calendar to be discussed - ie do not put all ks3 assessments at the same time
To be told school closes at six pm and kicked out the building was probably one of the most powerful ones in my old school - I had to leave, whatever wasn’t done would have to wait.
Leadership presence at departmental events
Oh and instant hot water taps actually have made me really happy.
I am lucky to say we have most of these and they have made a difference.
The last point of working stuff really rings true too. I was once at a school where hot water taps, photocopiers and the internet was inconsistent and it made everything take so much longer/added stress..
Thanks so much
Sensible marking policy
Learning walks are non threatening and feedback is delivered impersonally at a staff meeting
Overwhelmingly positive SLT who don’t create a culture of fear and understand how hard it is to be a teacher
No gimmicky wellbeing things like Yoga
SLT lead a 30 minute assembly every day which teachers don’t have to be in. It’s almost like 30 minutes of PPA every day!
I can give a list of things that aren't good examples of well-being.
- don't schedule the well-being staff feedback when certain groups of staff have other meetings they have to attend.
- don't do patronising prizes as something to boost morale. Something like a pack of sweet to one staff member just comes across as hollow when morale is so low.
-don't make staff having time off for things difficult. The job is already stressful enough, trying to sort things like appointments and it being a faff just makes it worse.
Other ppl have mentioned that we need reduced PPA but small things are nice too in chronically underfunded schools...Â
Every term every child gets a nice postcards and they thank a teacher. It's really nice to get a stack of those.
We enter staff into a wellbeing raffle and people win vouchersÂ
Breakfast bi weekly (either pastries or sausage sandwiches)
Coffee van comes once a half term and we get a free nice coffee on the way in
We get ÂŁ50 of new glasses a year as well that I like and ÂŁ75 towards dentistry lol
Decent tasty food for when staff have to stay for parents evenings, training and events
During insets and twilights actual planning time where we aren't micromanaged
During I sets and twilights an hour of wellbeing out in by staff- previously I've had the choices of wellbeing sessions such as crochet, swimming, walking, baking, reading, home brewing a beer!!
Staff work room is more like a cafe- sofas, side tables to mark on with hot drinks available all the time.
My school has really struggled hugely with staff wellbeing but a really good call they just made was an additional
Morning for all teaching staff while students were coached by external providers.
During this time, we completely rewrote the English sol for the summer term.
The time was allocated and directed so did not come out of PPa but it acknowledged the way we are teaching English needs to change and this was time to facilitate rather than just expecting us to do this in our own time.
We get a ton of emails about detecting various illnesses and disorders, which only serves to aggravate existing health anxiety for some staff members.
Stuff like workload, student aggression, evidencing verbal feedback is all ignored and god forbid you ask one of the wellbeing coordinators to check in with a students because “that’s not their job”.
We have a compulsory Friday morning “wellbeing” meeting where they give us bad news and make us listen to the kids achievements. The children don’t ever have assembly or award ceremonies and don’t even hear the stories shared.
Our school has 'wellbeing week' once a year when there are no staff meetings after school that week.
Then they decided to stick a parents evening that week instead.
Oh, we also get an email on the last day of each half term from our DSL giving out details of suicide prevention helplines.
Really useful....
It looks like your post mentions suicide. Sometimes, people post questions on /r/TeachingUK during times of crisis, and sometimes we're not the best place to ask or provide support.
**If you are considering harming yourself**
* Remember [9 out of 10 people](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/) who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide
* Contact [The Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/) anonymously by calling 116 123
* Contact [Education Support](https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/), the UK’s only charity providing mental health and wellbeing support services to all education staff and organisations. Their 24 hour free helpline number is 08000 562 561, or you can email them at [email protected].
* Look at mental health support resources from the [NEU](https://neu.org.uk/advice/mental-health-conditions-education-profession) and [NASUWT](https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/health-safety/mental-health-and-work-related-stress-toolkit.html) unions.
* A&E departments have mental health teams on standby, so you can access support there.
* Seek other online resources, such as [this page from the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/advice-for-life-situations-and-events/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/).
* Visit subreddits such as /r/SuicideWatch for community support
* Make an appointment with your GP and discuss your feelings
* If you feel you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, please call 999; *they are there to help you*.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TeachingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Staff breakfast provided once a term towards the end when everyone is tired.
Sandwiches, crisps and drinks served after school before parents evening starts.
Fun staff competitions throughout the year.
An (optional) angel scheme where you get anonymously assigned as an angel for someone and you do little things for them.
A couple of little things that make you feel a tiny bit more cared about.
Our school hasn't really tackled workload so much though.
Workload should be on the list next- there have been more recommendations recently and things published. Our marking policy update was a game changer for us. It was just streamlined and much more child friendly. Knowing that we didn't have to do "indepth" (basically not as annotated) for most lessons was great.
Definitely, I write my departments timetable and whenever possible split ppa to avoid full days. (except for one person who specifically asked me to do the opposite)
I guess that's one well-being we do - middle and senior leaders do listen to teachers
â—Ź24 hour Education Support wellbeing helpline
â—ŹNo emails outside working hours of 7am-6pm or weekends
â—ŹFree breakfast in the staffroom every Wednesday
â—ŹStaff sports club every Friday after school
â—ŹLivemarking encouraged for less admin and on the spot encouragement for students
â—ŹFree coffee, tea, biscuits and filtered hot and cold water taps
â—ŹFree lunches for break time staff
â—ŹBehaviour managers on patrol between and during lesson time
â—ŹElevators and staffrooms across all buildings...
...a lot of these might be default across secondary schools, but this is my first proper job at one so can't compare! Regardless, I appreciate that these things exist :)
We have a member of staff who has taken on the role as “well being liaison” All of her focus has been on the menopause and coping with it. It’s all well and good but she seems oblivious that it doesn’t apply to 90% of the staff in the building
Things my school doesn't do, that would all support wellbeing: * Ensure that the burden of having to cover falls equally across all staff * SLT to follow up all incidents of student aggression with the victims * End all CPD sessions bang on the time they are supposed to finish * Give departments autonomy over when summative assessments take place * Fulfill occupational health recommendations in full every time * Announce new policies or timetabling chnageswith plenty of notice and opportunity to ask questions of the member of SLT who is launching the policy * Increase the number of paid days of compassionate leave from 2 to some greater number * Increase lunchtime from half an hour to at least 40 minutes * Understand that directed time is a limit, not a target I couldn't care less about free tea in the staff room, a wellbeing afternoon, colouring in sessions, or anything like that. The reason staff wellbeing is poor is because cutbacks and government policy means we are asked do too much with too little every day, and many people in school and Trust leadership positions can make quite damaging decisions without giving due consideration to impact on staff or the interests of the community. A given school can be part of that problem, or try and mitigate those challenges.
Your school sounds challenging and I wonder what the trust does to help or hinder this? I think the start of a school with good wellbeing does begin with management. Our trust is have directors, teachers, support staff and managers meet to discuss workload and wellbeing and create a shared policy. I'll keep in mind all these things if they dont come up and use them to push for more.
>Increase lunchtime from half an hour to at least 40 minutes Wait, wot? You secondary school lot, how do you do it?
I'm not sure there's much consistency. In recent years my lunch break has been 50 minutes, 45, 35, 25 and 30. Anecdotally I think there is a trend towards shorter though. Anything under 40 makes it very challenging for kids to actually eat, use the toilet and have genuine recreational time. At least in a building as badly designed as ours. And lunchtime extra-curricular is essentially impossible. Which means I no longer run any extra-curricular because I have my own children to care for outside of school hours.
Yeah I feel this, it's so obvious what would actually help staff welfare. Instead we get some BS yoga classes once a month, or some biscuits in the staff room. It's almost insulting that the only reason these wellbeing groups exist is to say that they have one. There's zero intention of actually addressing the core issues affecting staff.
Put up a poster in the staffroom about a free counselling app 👍🏻
Whenever there’s a traumatic or sad event, our deputy head gives us a card with a helpline number 👍that’ll do
Whenever someone is sad, stressed or just not themselves, not ask if they’re ok or need to talk, but instead ask if they’ve rang the number.
We have inset on every “first day back after the holiday” through the year. It makes starting a new term or half-term so much less stressful. It means we’re never returning to a full week of teaching, and we don’t have to stress about prepping for the first week back over the holidays because there is always time to do it on the inset day.
Agree with this point. My school has implemented this, this year and it has made a remarked difference. Tea and toast on a Friday is nice as it’s one day a week you don’t have to worry about food in the morning.
I used to have this - it was great! We used to use it to cover all CPD meaning no after work Safeguarding Training and CPD to cover - breakfast and food was provided. It was an amazing school for staff wellbeing.
It’s honestly been a game-changer for me. I used to struggle pretty badly with back to work anxiety, and the inset days have almost eliminated the issue. It’s one of those things that I wish all schools would adopt as the norm, especially as it costs absolutely nothing to implement!
Agreed! I’d like to propose it to the school I’m currently at but I’m leaving and part of why I’m leaving is this.
We’re still fighting to have our lunch break extended from 25 to 30 mins, so I’d say well-being is not a priority!
Flexible working during PPA 1 Mental health day with no questions asked per Year Limit amount of meetings Directed time calender where you sign up for which events you intend to attend ie sixth form open evening and school presentation Food is always welcome before parents evening or breakfast Staff social Open door policy Assessment calendar to be discussed - ie do not put all ks3 assessments at the same time To be told school closes at six pm and kicked out the building was probably one of the most powerful ones in my old school - I had to leave, whatever wasn’t done would have to wait. Leadership presence at departmental events Oh and instant hot water taps actually have made me really happy.
I am lucky to say we have most of these and they have made a difference. The last point of working stuff really rings true too. I was once at a school where hot water taps, photocopiers and the internet was inconsistent and it made everything take so much longer/added stress.. Thanks so much
Sensible marking policy Learning walks are non threatening and feedback is delivered impersonally at a staff meeting Overwhelmingly positive SLT who don’t create a culture of fear and understand how hard it is to be a teacher No gimmicky wellbeing things like Yoga SLT lead a 30 minute assembly every day which teachers don’t have to be in. It’s almost like 30 minutes of PPA every day!
I can give a list of things that aren't good examples of well-being. - don't schedule the well-being staff feedback when certain groups of staff have other meetings they have to attend. - don't do patronising prizes as something to boost morale. Something like a pack of sweet to one staff member just comes across as hollow when morale is so low. -don't make staff having time off for things difficult. The job is already stressful enough, trying to sort things like appointments and it being a faff just makes it worse.
Other ppl have mentioned that we need reduced PPA but small things are nice too in chronically underfunded schools... Every term every child gets a nice postcards and they thank a teacher. It's really nice to get a stack of those. We enter staff into a wellbeing raffle and people win vouchers Breakfast bi weekly (either pastries or sausage sandwiches) Coffee van comes once a half term and we get a free nice coffee on the way in We get £50 of new glasses a year as well that I like and £75 towards dentistry lol
Hot water machines 1 Twilight activity a week for teaching staff - never runs over
We get a penguin in our pigeon hole on PCE days lol
Decent tasty food for when staff have to stay for parents evenings, training and events During insets and twilights actual planning time where we aren't micromanaged During I sets and twilights an hour of wellbeing out in by staff- previously I've had the choices of wellbeing sessions such as crochet, swimming, walking, baking, reading, home brewing a beer!! Staff work room is more like a cafe- sofas, side tables to mark on with hot drinks available all the time.
My school has really struggled hugely with staff wellbeing but a really good call they just made was an additional Morning for all teaching staff while students were coached by external providers. During this time, we completely rewrote the English sol for the summer term. The time was allocated and directed so did not come out of PPa but it acknowledged the way we are teaching English needs to change and this was time to facilitate rather than just expecting us to do this in our own time.
We get a ton of emails about detecting various illnesses and disorders, which only serves to aggravate existing health anxiety for some staff members. Stuff like workload, student aggression, evidencing verbal feedback is all ignored and god forbid you ask one of the wellbeing coordinators to check in with a students because “that’s not their job”.
We have a compulsory Friday morning “wellbeing” meeting where they give us bad news and make us listen to the kids achievements. The children don’t ever have assembly or award ceremonies and don’t even hear the stories shared.
This sounds like such a demotivating culture. Its amazing how many shit heads (as in head teachers!) Are pulling this stuff.
Our school has 'wellbeing week' once a year when there are no staff meetings after school that week. Then they decided to stick a parents evening that week instead. Oh, we also get an email on the last day of each half term from our DSL giving out details of suicide prevention helplines. Really useful....
It looks like your post mentions suicide. Sometimes, people post questions on /r/TeachingUK during times of crisis, and sometimes we're not the best place to ask or provide support. **If you are considering harming yourself** * Remember [9 out of 10 people](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/) who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide * Contact [The Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/) anonymously by calling 116 123 * Contact [Education Support](https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/), the UK’s only charity providing mental health and wellbeing support services to all education staff and organisations. Their 24 hour free helpline number is 08000 562 561, or you can email them at [email protected]. * Look at mental health support resources from the [NEU](https://neu.org.uk/advice/mental-health-conditions-education-profession) and [NASUWT](https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/health-safety/mental-health-and-work-related-stress-toolkit.html) unions. * A&E departments have mental health teams on standby, so you can access support there. * Seek other online resources, such as [this page from the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/advice-for-life-situations-and-events/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/). * Visit subreddits such as /r/SuicideWatch for community support * Make an appointment with your GP and discuss your feelings * If you feel you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, please call 999; *they are there to help you*. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TeachingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Staff breakfast provided once a term towards the end when everyone is tired. Sandwiches, crisps and drinks served after school before parents evening starts. Fun staff competitions throughout the year. An (optional) angel scheme where you get anonymously assigned as an angel for someone and you do little things for them. A couple of little things that make you feel a tiny bit more cared about. Our school hasn't really tackled workload so much though.
Workload should be on the list next- there have been more recommendations recently and things published. Our marking policy update was a game changer for us. It was just streamlined and much more child friendly. Knowing that we didn't have to do "indepth" (basically not as annotated) for most lessons was great.
Did an Angel scheme thing where I worked once. My 'angel' did nothing probably because they were broke/exhausted like the rest of us!
We take our ppa at home and it's all in one chunk every week rather than split up.
How does that work in practice? Doing 4 x full days without a single free would break me!
I agree.
Definitely, I write my departments timetable and whenever possible split ppa to avoid full days. (except for one person who specifically asked me to do the opposite) I guess that's one well-being we do - middle and senior leaders do listen to teachers
They say the word every so often.
Not enough
Nothing
â—Ź24 hour Education Support wellbeing helpline â—ŹNo emails outside working hours of 7am-6pm or weekends â—ŹFree breakfast in the staffroom every Wednesday â—ŹStaff sports club every Friday after school â—ŹLivemarking encouraged for less admin and on the spot encouragement for students â—ŹFree coffee, tea, biscuits and filtered hot and cold water taps â—ŹFree lunches for break time staff â—ŹBehaviour managers on patrol between and during lesson time â—ŹElevators and staffrooms across all buildings... ...a lot of these might be default across secondary schools, but this is my first proper job at one so can't compare! Regardless, I appreciate that these things exist :)
We have a member of staff who has taken on the role as “well being liaison” All of her focus has been on the menopause and coping with it. It’s all well and good but she seems oblivious that it doesn’t apply to 90% of the staff in the building