Why Is Wellbeing In Schools Important?

To understand why staff wellbeing is so important within a school setting and other educational environment(s), we first need to have a clear understanding of what staff wellbeing means.

Staff Wellbeing

The state of being comfortable, healthy and or joyful, is known as wellbeing.

It entails having excellent mental health, a sense of meaning or purpose in life, and the ability to cope with stress.

When looking at staff wellbeing in schools specifically, it is important to consider the mental health of staff that work within the school environment, on a daily basis.

This is because staff play an integral role in providing care, support and education to young people, that their mental health wellbeing can have a significant impact on the children they interact with regularly.

Importance Of Staff Wellbeing

Let’s take a look at a couple of reasons why staff wellbeing and mental health is so important in schools.

Mental Health

To begin with, when teachers are happy and engaged in their work, they are more likely to be effective educators.

Furthermore, teachers who report high levels of satisfaction with their job tend to stay in their positions for longer periods of time, which can lead to increased stability and continuity within a school.

 

Concerns

On the flip side, teachers who are unhappy in their jobs are more likely to leave their positions, which can lead to higher turnover rates and decreased stability within a school.

Additionally, teachers who are struggling with their mental health are more likely to take sick days, which can disrupt the continuity of instruction for students.

Consideration

It is important to consider the fact that children spend a significant amount of time in school each day. For many children, their teacher is one of the most important adults in their life.

As such, it is essential that teachers be able to model and encourage positive mental health for their students.

When teachers are struggling with their mental health, it can send a message to children that it is okay to struggle with mental health problems, when in fact this is not the case.

This can lead to pupils feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their own mental health problem(s), which can prevent them from seeking the help they need.

Improve Staff Wellbeing

The mySchoolWellbeing platform seeks input from staff on a regular basis, relying on a library of tried and true questions, and delivering you with an easy-to-understand wellbeing assessment, straight to your inbox.

The report offers a monthly wellbeing score, as well as additional analysis in four areas..engagement, culture, development and leadership, allowing you to devise an effective wellness plan.

Download our free sample wellbeing report which is produced automatically by our mySchoolWellbeing platform

Our scores have been calculated against the Ofsted framework and are ideal for demonstrating how you are effectively engaging with all staff and addressing wellbeing concerns in a timely and meaningful manner.

Benefits

By incorporating the mySchoolWellbeing platform into your educational setting, as an employer you will help staff to:

  • Understand their own wellbeing
  • Help to identify mental health difficulties in young people and other employees
  • Access support when they need it
  • Allow each staff member to talk openly with senior leaders
  • Reduce stress
  • Feel valued and supported by their employer
  • Feel that their employer is taking action to address wellbeing concerns

As a result of this, you will see:

  • Increased staff retention
  • Reduced sick days
  • Improved staff morale
  • Better work life balance
  • Reduced workplace stress
  • Improved educational outcomes for students
  • Better support systems

Summary

Staff wellbeing is an important factor to consider within a childcare and teaching organisation, as it can have a negative influence on school children’s development and their emotional mental health and wellbeing.

Listening and offering guidance to employees will help to create a more positive and productive workforce, as well as provide essential support for staff who may be experiencing difficulties.

Contact Us

Contact mySchoolWellbeing to learn more about how our revolutionary platform can promote wellbeing, increase productivity and recognise staff wellbeing and mental health, within your school.

Book a brief overview webinar here

Published: 11th May 2022

Back to blog