How Can Schools Improve Mental Wellbeing?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as different schools will have different needs and resources.  However, there are some general principles that can guide efforts to improve staff wellbeing in schools.  

Creating a positive school environment is one important step.

This means ensuring that the physical environment is safe and welcoming, and that social interactions among staff are supportive and respectful.

Mental Wellbeing

Schools can promote mental wellbeing by teaching and training staff about mental health and helping them develop skills that are personal to them, to manage stress and deal with difficult emotions such as depression, anxiety and their own mental health feelings in general.

Schools should make sure that they have systems in place to identify teachers and support workers, who may be struggling with mental health problems and connect them with resources and support.

This is where the mySchoolWellbeing platform comes in…

Mental Health And Wellbeing

The mySchoolWellbeing platform is a cloud-based, web-based software that seeks input from your members of staff on a regular basis, and provides an easy-to-understand wellbeing analysis straight to your inbox.

The report provides a monthly wellbeing score and additional information in four categories (Engagement, Culture, Development and Leadership) allowing you to create an effective wellness strategy moving forward.

Visit our website or download our free sample wellbeing report example from our mySchoolWellbeing platform to get an idea of the types of questions that are asked and how scores are calculated and summarised for easy access, viewing and tracking.

Benefits / Advantages

Employers and Head Teachers who utilise the mySchoolWellbeing platform in their educational environment, can assist employees by:

  • Understanding their wellbeing
  • Assist in the detection of mental health problems
  • Offer support when staff need it
  • Allow each employee to communicate openly with senior management
  • Reduce stress
  • Valuing and supporting each employee
  • Taking action to address wellbeing concerns
  • Encouraging conversation

As a result of this, you will see:

  • Increased employee retention
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • A sense of and increased staff morale
  • Better work-life balance
  • Lower workplace stress
  • Increased educational success for students / young people
  • Improved support systems

Support Mental Health & Physical Health

The type of support and advice available to staff within a school environment can vary considerably. It may be financial, emotional, or practical.

Practical support might include help with childcare, transport, or accommodation. 

Emotional support could come from colleagues, friends, or family.

Financial support might take the form of salary advances or loans, or help with living costs such as utility bills.

The mySchoolWellbeing platform can provide you with the data you need to understand which areas of support your employees may need.

It’s important to remember that not all employees will need or want the same type of support, so it’s important to tailor your approach to meet the needs of individuals.

mySchoolWellbeing can help you do this by providing you with data that you can use to identify trends and target your support where it’s needed most.

 

Pupils

Allowing teachers and teaching staff enough time to understand their own mental health in the present moment, has many benefits for the children and pupils they are taking responsibility for.

For example:

“When teachers are more attuned to their own stressors and how they show up in the classroom, they can be more patient with students, create a calmer environment and be more present.”

It is also beneficial for pupils to understand that their teachers are human too, and sometimes need looking after as well. This creates a sense of empathy and understanding between the two groups that can only be positive for educational outcomes.

In order to make sure that all members of the school community are supported, it is important to have a comprehensive wellbeing strategy in place.

The mySchoolWellbeing platform can help you develop a bespoke wellbeing strategy for your school, based on the data you collect from employees

Good To Know

Trusts can use the portal to access ALL their mySchoolWellbeing reports.

Our ratings have been measured against the Ofsted criteria and are perfect for demonstrating how you handle wellbeing issues in a timely and effective manner, while also engaging with all staff.

Summary

There is no one answer to the question of how schools can improve mental wellbeing.

However, by creating a positive school environment with the mySchoolWellbeing platform and teaching staff about mental health and providing support for those who need it, schools can make a difference in the lives of their employees.

Contact Us

If you are a school employee who can often feel overwhelmed or feel that your school leaders do not promote wellbeing, focus on or offer staff wellbeing guidance or doesn’t understand the impact your mental health problem is having on your job, talk to us here at mySchoolWellbeing.

Published: 24th June 2022

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