Teaching is tough at times. Stress levels can start to build without a strategy to protect teachers well-being. Under excessive pressure, teachers can quickly become less effective in their roles, take more sick leave and become less engaged. When teachers struggle, it impacts the whole school community.
On the other hand, happy teachers make for happy students. Making teacher well-being a priority makes a school a great place to work. And when a school is a great place to work, other positive things – like improved learning outcomes and staff retention – tend to follow! It’s an effect we’ve noticed time and time again for schools in Croydon, the South London area and beyond.
We’ll delve into what the research says about teacher stress, and highlight practical strategies to improve teacher well-being that schools can adopt to build a healthier workplace.
Schools face a range of pressures – limited resources, workloads, classroom behaviour and inspection stress, to name a few! Teachers often feel the squeeze with little space for downtime, which risks leading to burnout. It’s a cycle that schools need to break to support their staff and create a sustainable teaching environment.
Research findings bear this out. Education Support’s Teacher Wellbeing Index reports that 78% of education staff in early, primary and secondary teaching levels reported high stress levels in 2023, a 3% increase from the year prior. Significantly, 55% of education staff feel their school’s organisational culture had a negative impact on their wellbeing, an increase of 13% from the previous survey.
Could more be done to tackle these issues, even with limited resources? As our teams talk to school leaders, we believe so.believe With care and diligence, we’ve seen schools implement teacher well-being strategies that have positive knock-on effects for everyone.
The key areas to address for improving teacher well-being will naturally differ depending on your school's size and structure. That said, as specialists in education recruitment, we’ve noticed common areas that schools can focus on to make a meaningful difference, no matter their setup.
Encourage Flexibility
Resources can limit flexible work arrangements to an extent, but it’s important to remember teachers have a life outside of work too! Allowing teachers to share responsibilities or work more flexibly helps balance workloads when someone needs cover for a few hours or a day.
Make Time for Downtime
Create opportunities for teachers to schedule downtime throughout the week, to give them space for recharging their mental and physical batteries. This could involve implementing ‘protected’ time, where teachers aren’t expected to attend meetings or do admin tasks. Many schools offer flexible time slots for lesson prep and admin that helps teachers manage their schedules better.
Create a Sociable Workplace
With 26% of teachers reporting feelings of isolation and loneliness at work, the importance of social connections can’t be overstated. It helps to make the staff room a comfortable and welcoming place where teachers can unwind with their colleagues over a cuppa. Organising regular get-togethers for teaching staff is another way to help everyone build relationships outside of the classroom and avoid feeling left out.
Offer Mental Health Support and Resources
Can your team confidently identify the signs of depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges in others? It’s wise to get staff trained on how to recognise symptoms of poor mental health in their colleagues, so they can take timely action when they spot red flags.
Giving teachers access to external mental health support or counselling is just as essential. Sometimes, we worry we might be judged when we vent about our challenges at work. Having an impartial person to confide in can help teachers address their concerns without feeling like they’re being judged.
Aim for a Balanced Curriculum
A well-rounded curriculum benefits everyone, giving teachers more manageable workloads and students breathing room for creativity and personal growth. The key is to help teachers avoid getting bogged down in creating detailed individual lesson plans. Instead, allow teachers to plan sequences of lessons over time.
Create a sense of Belonging and Autonomy
In one Ofsted survey, teachers reported feeling less autonomy (being de-professionalised) when their input in school policy decisions was ignored, particularly for policy changes that negatively impact their workloads. Simply allowing teachers to be heard and seeking their feedback on policies before they’re implemented can improve teachers’ sense of belonging and being listened to at work.
If you’re managing teachers, it’s likely you need to put on your own oxygen mask, so to speak. Having a self-care routine is crucial for managing your well-being and being able to support others when they need it, too.
Regularly Switch Off from Work
… No guilt allowed! Guarding the time you have for healthy routines is essential for your long-term well-being, no matter your profession. Whether it’s a long walk with your favourite podcast, a weekly yoga class, or a regular creative outlet, protecting your ‘me time’ allows you to reset and recharge.
Ask for Help When You Need It
Reaching out for support when you're struggling is not a sign of weakness. Educators are no strangers to challenges at work – they are more willing to help than you might expect! Whether it’s help with managing your workload, guidance with a tough classroom situation, or simply someone to talk to, speaking up encourages others to do the same. Seeking help early can prevent a small stress from escalating into a major one.
Contingency staffing plays a huge role in managing workloads and teacher well-being. As Ofsted’s research found, current teaching staff are at risk of added stress by filling the gaps created by unexpected absences such as illness. Having a plan for accessing supply teachers is vital for managing teacher absences without burdening your existing staff.
By making teacher well-being a priority, schools find it easier to recruit teachers and retain them. Word tends to get around about schools with a supportive workplace, so if you’re struggling to hire teachers, consider how well-being policies can be used to grow your teaching team!
When sickness strikes or your school is facing teacher shortages, minimising disruption can be difficult. That’s where Future Education comes in. As education recruitment specialists with deep roots in Croydon and South London, we provide reliable short-term cover with supply teachers and longer-term staffing solutions. Let us help you manage the unexpected, so you can focus on supporting your teachers’ well-being. Get in touch with us today!
