The Impact and Benefits of Investing in School Staff Wellbeing

Sadly, education staff wellbeing is consistently reported as being poor, with school and college staff having a lower overall wellbeing score than the general UK population. This has a significant impact on many areas of school life, including retention, with the Teacher Wellbeing Index showing that 59% of school staff had considered leaving the sector due to the impact on their wellbeing.

In 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) put together an Expert Advisory Group on Education Staff Wellbeing and tasked it with investigating the issue further. The group defined wellbeing as, "A state of complete physical and mental health that is characterised by high-quality social relationships."

The results of many studies add to the body of data that validates what most educators already know: school staff wellbeing has a significant impact throughout educational settings.

6 benefits of investing in school staff wellbeing

Here are six key benefits of investing in school staff wellbeing:

1. Staff are less stressed

Stress drastically affects wellbeing. In 2022, three-quarters of all education staff reported feeling stressed at work, but just 37% said they feel confident discussing unmanageable stress or mental health issues with their employer.

Investing in school staff wellbeing and creating an environment that prioritises mental health and wellbeing, and where leaders and staff are aware of actively combat the risk factors for workplace stress can therefore significantly reduce stress levels and reduce the risk of burnout.

2. Improved job satisfaction

Despite the evidence confirming that teachers love teaching, take great pleasure in interacting with pupils, and enjoy making a difference, only 14% of teaching staff would recommend it as a career.

A recent review of five teacher wellbeing studies highlighted the significant impact stress has on job satisfaction a. Self-reported data from UK educators also suggest that prioritising wellbeing helps to cultivate a positive team culture which in turn helps to increase teacher satisfaction. Leaders may be able to further develop job satisfaction by:

• Promoting collaboration
• Cultivating a culture of appreciation
• Providing opportunities for professional growth
• Fostering teacher autonomy

3. Increased retention

Improved education staff retention is an advantage of investing in school staff wellbeing that can reap economic benefits. Many of the reasons that make school staff consider leaving are to do with workplace culture with 60% giving not feeling valued as a reason they were considering leaving. Making genuine investments in teacher wellbeing and maintaining a healthy and supportive school environment can mitigate such feelings and improve retention.

There is also some truth in the often-repeated cliche that 'people leave managers, not jobs.' Fewer than half of all education staff feel fully trusted by their line manager, making the importance of equipping school leaders with the skills to lead in a way that supports the wellbeing of those they lead vital.

4. Improved staff performance

The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter includes 11 actions for schools and colleges to commit to, and commitment 9 highlights the need to support the professional growth of school staff.

Research conducted in the US indicates a link between the opportunities and support schools provide and an increase in teaching capability and peformance. Much like their pupils, teachers benefit from quality learning opportunities and access to support mechanisms. Another indication that investing in wellbeing improves staff performance stems from Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. This indicates that teachers' cognitive wellbeing is closely associated with their belief in their ability to succeed.

5. Better pupil outcomes

A review of 30 research papers undertaken by the Teacher Development Trust to learn whether, and if so, to what extent teachers’ working conditions affect pupil academic attainment. The results confirm that teacher wellbeing can have a substantial effect on pupil outcomes. Of particular interest to school leaders are evidence that the role school leaders play in fostering workplace conditions is crucial.

Following the study, the Teacher Development Trust specified 5 aspects that are most closely linked to improved student learning outcomes:

• Creating opportunities for effective teacher collaboration
• Involving teachers in whole-school planning, decision-making and improvement
• Creating a culture of mutual trust and respect, in which communication is open and honest
• Building the sense of a shared mission, with shared goals, clear priorities and high expectations of professional behaviours and of pupils’ learning
• Facilitating classroom safety and teachers feel strongly supported by senior leaders in their efforts to maintain this classroom environment

6. Improved pupil behaviour

The fifth aspect that the Teacher Development Trust identified related to pupil behaviour in relation to teacher wellbeing. Classroom management can be a challenge for teachers of all ages at all stages of their careers, but when wellbeing is low and staff are at risk of burnout, it becomes even more difficult. Many people only need to think back to their own school days to appreciate the effect a teacher's mindset can have on behaviour.

The characteristics of burnout read like a recipe for ineffective teacher-student relationships:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
• Reduced professional efficacy

Because investing in school staff wellbeing helps combat teacher burnout, it can lead to better teacher-pupil relationships and facilitate environments that are more conducive to learning. Further support of this comes from the authors of the 2014 book, Resilient Teachers, Resilient Schools who found that resilience enables teachers to remain effective, even in difficult circumstances. Having established this, they continue to explain that resilience is a trait that can be developed within organisational environments.

So, schools that invest in teacher wellbeing can benefit from less stressed, more resilient teachers that are able to effectively manage pupils and nurture positive teacher-pupil relationships.

What are the challenges of investing in school staff wellbeing?

School staff wellbeing is complex. It doesn't lend itself to a one-size-fits-all approach, it can be challenging to get the whole school on board, and it takes time to see results. But even small changes can make a big difference.

Support from colleagues is one of the most frequently reported positive elements of teaching, but just 50% of teachers that took part in the 2022 Big Question survey either agreed or strongly agreed that they're made to feel they are to blame for poor pupil behaviour.

If a large proportion of teachers in a school feel this way, the relationship between teachers and their line managers is likely to be strained. It may be that teachers don't feel able to request the help they need, or that managers are ill-equipped to provide support. In such circumstances, conducting some focused training for teachers and leaders can have a powerful impact.

How can trusts and schools improve in staff wellbeing?

At Welbee we're experts in helping trust and school leaders systemize and improve staff wellbeing through 'The Welbee Way' which helps you:

1. Measuring staff wellbeing  using our evidence-based, totally anonymous survey that allows you to benchmark your results and and track your progress across your school or trust.
2. Taking action through your school or trust overview which helps you see where to focus your energy and effort, for example by school or job role. Each school also gets recommended actions based on their results, so that they can quickly move to action and make any changes that are needed. 
3. Supporting staff and leader wellbeing with access to the Welbee Toolkit which provides personalised support to leaders and staff, to help embed wellbeing into the culture, and to all staff to help them better manage their own wellbeing. 150 high-quality resources, with unique features that encourage use, including NebulaAi — the world's first wellbeing assistant for educators.

You can click here to learn more or sign up for a free conversation about wellbeing in your trust or school and how Welbee can help you improve wellbeing in your school.