Roberts Primary School: breaking down barriers to staff wellbeing

Roberts Primary School is a large three-form entry primary in the West Midlands. With a dedicated leadership team and impressive facilities, the school prides itself on creating an environment where both children and staff can thrive. Here, Connor Lawrence, School Business Manager and part of the Senior Leadership Team, shares why they introduced Education Support’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and the difference it’s made.

As the School Business Manager, I oversee finance and operations and am part of the Senior leadership team here. We are dedicated to both our staff and students' wellbeing which is why we believed it was so important to provide our staff with an EAP.

We wanted to break barriers for our staff, who have had the courage to ask for support. From talking to colleagues, services from their own GP's or the local authority aren't always readily available, and they can often take quite a while to receive support and the issues they're facing then snowball due not getting that instant help. This can lead to a deterioration in their mental health and periods of time off from work.

When choosing an EAP supplier, what stood out about Education Support’s EAP was how well it mirrored our values as a school. It wasn’t just a generic service, it was tailored to the education workforce. We also liked how accessible it was for all staff whatever their role.

The launch of the EAP went smoothly. We began conversations with our Senior Leadership team and school governors who we onboarded instantly. We then launched to all staff, handing out printed materials with all the contacts details. We've put the poster up all round school including the staffroom, toilets, offices and common areas. We also forward resources to staff via email throughout the term.

The feedback has been really positive. Staff appreciate that we’ve put something meaningful in place to support them. They know that if they’re facing a challenge, whether personal or professional, there’s somewhere they can turn. Having that understanding and awareness is then the first step of signposting staff to all the services that are available via the EAP but also understanding that not everyone is comfortable about talking to colleagues about some of the issues they face and sometimes having that private, external, professional and anonymous support is exactly what people need.

For us, it’s about creating an ‘open door’ culture where wellbeing is prioritised, and no one feels like they have to struggle alone. The EAP has become a key part of that, and I’d encourage any school thinking about it to take that step. It really is a simple way to show your staff that their wellbeing matters.