Supporting staff wellbeing in schools and colleges
The intensity of school environments can take a toll on staff members. Here are some resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of school and college staff.
Wellbeing support for school and college staff
In education settings, wellbeing initiatives often focus on young people - but staff mental health is just as important. Work in schools and colleges is often demanding, and it’s important for education staff to get the support they need.
Resources for teacher and staff mental health
Here are three resources to help you manage your wellbeing.
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Ten ways to support school staff wellbeing
This resource for school and college leaders helps you develop and implement an action plan to support staff wellbeing.
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Self-care summer: advice for education staff
In term time, we often feel too busy to take time for ourselves. Our guide helps you develop a self-care toolkit you can use when you’re finding things difficult.
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Five tips to prioritise wellbeing for education staff
We know it can be tough to prioritise your own wellbeing when you’re trying to help others. We've put together some advice and resources to help staff members manage their wellbeing.
Why is staff wellbeing important in education settings?
Education staff often have high workloads and stretched resources, while still being under pressure to get results – maintaining strong mental wellbeing makes you more resilient and better able to manage these demands.
Supporting staff wellbeing in schools and colleges can improve morale across the whole community. Teachers and staff who are happy and supported can in turn better support students, helping them thrive emotionally and academically.
Training to support school and college staff wellbeing
Workplace culture takes time to change. But by putting your wellbeing first, you can kickstart that change – and we’re here to help you take the first step. Sign up for our ‘Staff wellbeing: looking after yourself and others’ training to:
better understand your wellbeing needs and how to manage them
identify the impact of workplace culture on wellbeing
develop communication systems with employers to facilitate appropriate support.
Education leaders: how can managers create a supportive environment for education staff?
In our 2024 Annual Schools Survey, two in five staff members surveyed said they lack supportive supervision, but would like it. Ensuring your staff feel supported at work is essential – here are a few ways you can embed that in your setting.
Measure and monitor staff wellbeing
To effectively tackle issues your staff are facing, you need to understand them. Implementing a staff wellbeing measurement, such as a survey, will help you recognise how staff members are doing and where they may need extra support.
Provide training for staff with responsibilities for mental health and wellbeing
Empowering staff with the skills and knowledge to support colleague and student wellbeing not only benefits those they are supporting, but also the staff members themselves. It's important that your staff feel confident and happy to support others.
Promote staff mental health and wellbeing
Setting leaders promoting wellbeing sets a positive example for colleagues as well as students, and creates a culture where everyone feels accepted, supported, and that they belong.
Identify and signpost support structures
Your staff’s wellbeing needs may vary – not everyone is the same. It's important to have different support options available, and to clearly communicate these to staff, so they can choose the right route for their needs.
Embedding wellbeing in your setting
These tips have been adapted from our 5 Steps to Mental Health and Wellbeing, an evidence-based framework that helps you implement a whole-school or college approach to mental health. Use our action planning tool to guide you through the steps to supporting your whole-school or college community.
Read the 5 steps to mental healthAll staff: resources to support your students’ wellbeing
We know students' wellbeing issues often have a knock-on effect on you. But as one of the trusted adults in your students’ lives, you play a significant role in helping them navigate these challenges.
Our resources for supporting children and young people are designed to help you nurture wellbeing in and out of the classroom.
See our resources