Measure and monitor staff wellbeing

Steps for supporting staff wellbeing in schools and colleges

On this page you can find information about:

• the role of surveys in improving staff wellbeing

• suggestions of what to include in a staff wellbeing survey

• ideas about effective implementation of regular surveys.

Staff wellbeing in schools and colleges

Staff wellbeing is a crucial part of a whole-school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Working in education can be stressful. Research by the Health and Safety Executive reports that education professionals had the third highest rates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety of any industry in the UK.

Research has also found that teacher stress has an impact on children and young people’s learning. Given this, it is important that schools and colleges measure and monitor staff wellbeing in order to provide staff with the support that they need.

Measuring staff wellbeing

The Department for Education staff wellbeing charter emphasises the importance of routinely measuring and monitoring the wellbeing of staff.

This can help senior leaders to better understand their staff’s needs, effectively monitor changes in wellbeing levels, and provide them with effective support.

Staff wellbeing surveys

The best way to find out how staff feel is to ask them. An effective way to do this is through carrying out a staff wellbeing survey.

Surveys can help to:

• understand how staff are feeling

• identify areas for improvement

• monitor changes over time

• compare results with other schools or colleges (if using standardised surveys).

Planning a survey

Some key considerations when creating and planning a survey are:

• consistency: use the same questions each time to track changes.

• anonymity: ensure staff can respond honestly without fear of identification.

• regularity: conduct surveys annually or termly for ongoing monitoring.

What to ask

The questions you include in a survey will depend on your school or college’s specific needs. It can be useful to include questions about:

• overall staff wellbeing

• factors affecting mental health (including work practices, culture, management)

• perceived levels of support

• confidence in supporting students’ mental health

• additional support needs.

Carrying out a survey

When carrying out a survey, it can be helpful to:

• choose a convenient time, such as an INSET day or staff meeting

• avoid busy periods in the school calendar and ensure staff have enough time to respond

• clearly communicate the survey's importance and how results will be used

• make the survey accessible through multiple channels (e.g., online and paper versions)

• ensure confidentiality to encourage honest responses

• monitor response rates and send reminders to maximize participation.

Wellbeing Measurement for school staff survey

This resource provides survey questions and guidance to help school and college leadership teams better understand their staff and provide them with the support they need.

It was developed by the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC) at Anna Freud in consultation with school and college staff.

Download the resource

Responding to survey results

Allowing time for safe reflection and encouraging contributions from staff can help to identify both problems and solutions. It can be helpful to discuss:

• what's working well

• what needs improvement

• potential solutions and next steps

• areas requiring further exploration.

Working with staff, you should decide how new insights will be incorporated into your setting’s planning process and policies. This might include:

• developing a staff mental health and wellbeing plan

• embedding staff mental wellbeing in your mental health and wellbeing policy.

Additional measurement tools

As well as surveys, other measurement tools can help to gain a more comprehensive understanding of staff wellbeing:

1. Wellbeing check-ins: brief, regular check-ins (e.g., monthly) to understand staff mood and stress levels.

2. Focus groups: small group discussions to explore survey results in more depth or gather insights on specific topics.

3. One-on-one interviews: individual conversations with a sample of staff to gain deeper insights into personal experiences and suggestions.

4. Observational data: track relevant indicators such as staff absenteeism rates, turnover, or participation in wellbeing initiatives.

5. External benchmarking: Compare your results with similar schools or colleges or national averages, where possible.

This information can be combined with survey data to provide a more holistic picture of the mental wellbeing of school and college staff.