In the current educational environment, where schools are trying to increase student attainment with a diminishing budget, teacher wellbeing may be overlooked as a ‘nice to have’ rather than as essential.
But, from an organisational perspective, employee wellbeing is an important factor in quality, performance and productivity. Wellbeing is strongly related to work stress, a key player in employee absence. Demotivated staff are often disengaged, do not enjoy their jobs and eventually leave.
The education sector are currently facing a recruitment and retention crisis. Many teachers feel overworked, under-appreciated and stressed. Many teachers’ work-life balance is non-existent, their relationships outside of work are suffering, and their passion for the profession is waning.
It’s therefore never been more important to focus on and ensure the wellbeing of teaching staff. As well as greater staff retention levels, less sick leave, and lower supply teacher costs, research has shown that a teacher’s happiness levels has a knock on effect for students.
A teacher with low health and wellbeing, experiencing high levels of stress or who is ill at work, will not perform to the best of their ability.
This could be as a result of different factors. For example, a teacher with low health and wellbeing may lack the energy required to deliver a lesson which effectively pushes children to succeed.
A teacher who is ill but at work may find it more difficult to manage poor pupil behaviour, leading to higher levels of disruption for the rest of the class. Additionally, a teacher who is struggling to cope with stress is more likely to be absent from work.
Teachers are one of the many factors that may be associated with a student’s educational attainment. Other factors are the student’s home and family life, the school as a whole, their peers and the classes they are placed in.
Research has shown that having a good teacher has a big difference on student exam results. A 2009 study found that this finding is especially pertinent in terms of redressing the inequalities in attainment between students from ‘poor’ and ‘non-poor’ socioeconomic groups, finding that if a poor student had effective teachers and a non-poor student had ineffective teachers for their GCSEs, then their gap in GCSE outcomes would reduce.
It would therefore seem likely that higher levels of teacher health and wellbeing would result in improved student educational outcomes. A teacher with high job satisfaction, positive morale and who is healthy should be more likely to teach lessons which are creative, challenging and effective, leading to students doing better in exams.
Past research has identified six aspects of work which, if managed poorly, could create stress in the workplace:
An employer’s attitude to workplace health is likely to depend on the culture of the organisation and their motivation. Evidence has shown that being in good quality work is good for your physical and mental health, resulting in better self-esteem and quality of life.
The main factors influencing good quality of work are:
It is a good idea to measure staff wellbeing on an annual basis. We offer an online Positive Workplace Survey service, which includes a diagnostic report and detailed analysis of your staff’s responses.
However, it is possible to put together your own survey, providing there is a way for staff to answer questions anonymously and without fear of reprisals. You may also want to instil a suggestion box in the staff room so that teachers can provide feedback throughout the year.
Explain to staff the purpose of the survey and seek their support for the process. Be clear that you are happy to make necessary changes, depending on what the results show.
Think about including questions such as the below, and ask staff to scale how happy they are on a scale of 1-5 (where appropriate). Using a scale helps make the results quantifiable:
Past research has identified six aspects of work which, if managed poorly, could create stress in the workplace:
An employer’s attitude to workplace health is likely to depend on the culture of the organisation and their motivation. Evidence has shown that being in good quality work is good for your physical and mental health, resulting in better self-esteem and quality of life.
The main factors influencing good quality of work are:
The results of the survey should be shared with staff and the governors. Anonymity must be maintained, but staff should be consulted on the findings and given the chance to suggest improvements to the school culture and environment.
Workload
If workload has been highlighted as an issue, consider:
Support
If staff have expressed that they do not feel supported, it may help to ask:
Structure
Control
All staff should be satisfied that they have some say in the way that they work. Consider:
Relationships
Creating a positive workplace means that professional relationships and conflict management need to be addressed:
Change
If there are changes happening at the school, management need to engage staff during this period. Is/are there:
Following the meeting to present the results and consider changes that need to be made, an action plan will need to be put in place to address issues in the school. It is essential that the effort of the staff to complete the survey and give feedback is not wasted. Concrete action to reduce stress, support employees and provide ongoing opportunities for reflection and further suggestions is essential.
“I would wholeheartedly recommend the programme. It has served as a timely reminder of the importance of investing in the engagement and resilience of the staff who represent our most valuable resource”
Headteacher
Our Positive Workplace Programme can provide ongoing support over an initial two years, aimed at maximising the overall potential and performance of the school.
It concludes with an assessment for the Positive Workplace Award, which recognises the positive culture, which has been achieved through the active engagement of the school’s staff.
“I think the programme gives people a personal responsibility… helps people to think about how they can improve their situation within the constraints of the working environment, and gets them to take more responsibility”
Middle manager