Leading Well on Staff Wellbeing

The things that wear staff down are often tiny: a briefing that clashes with nursery drop-off, a staff room with no teaspoons. Few people will tell the head about them, so they never get fixed.

Often the best person to lead on staff wellbeing is a middle leader rather than someone on the senior team. They're around, people talk to them, and criticism of a policy doesn't land as personal. You'll see how to build a working group that includes support, admin and site staff as well as teachers. You'll also see why the staff survey has to be properly anonymous, and how to keep it going after the first burst of posters and postcards.

The advice comes from someone who runs staff wellbeing surveys for schools, and it ends with a question for whoever takes the job on: how will you stay well while you do it?