At a recent Chairs forum via TEAMS. David Walton (co-chair at St Michael’s CE School) shared his school’s well-being strategy with fellow Chairs. It was an excellent, effective session and there were some great talking points with lots of tips and best practice on how to approach wellbeing.
Why focus on Staff well-being?
- Staff juggle a multitude of different tasks and demands that can place unexpected pressure on them.
- There is a growing nationwide concern and awareness of Mental Health challenges arising from the workplace.
- Staff are more inclined to focus on their pupils’ well-being than their own
- Evidence indicates multiple benefits such as;
OFSTED’s new education inspection framework (EIF) requires schools to consider staff well-being.
Strategy examples
St Michael’s board of Governors worked on a Well-being strategy collaboratively with the senior leadership team to launch initiatives such as;
- forming a Well-being steering committee (x2 SLT, x3 staff and x2 Governors)
- drafting a new Well-being policy
- signing up to the DfE’s Staff Well-being Charter
- establishing a Mental Health and Well-being Governor role
- creating a comprehensive focus and a strong plan of action
- support with regular drop-in sessions to support staff who have concerns
- Inset days were dedicated time to increasing Well-being knowledge (including Keynote speakers)
- Well-being surveys for staff, pupils & parents (Examples of survey questions are available from Governor Services)
Key learnings
A Well-being strategy
- becomes a strong declaration that both Board of Governors & senior leadership team are keenly interested in and committed to staff’s welfare.
- makes both parents and the broader school community aware of the school’s approach to well-being
Success requires continued engagement and commitment in their own well-being. Ultimately when a school involves the whole school community in developing a culture of well-being it brings the greatest benefits possible for pupils and staff.
