Teacher wellbeing is really important. Staff who are well are likely to teach better, support pupils to get better outcomes and stay in the profession for longer. In recognition of this, school leaders across the country have been addressing the teacher wellbeing agenda.

My PhD research, which looks into teachers’ working conditions in England, reveals the measures that school leaders are taking to support this wellbeing.

I found that school leaders tend to adopt strategies on a scale, with “sticking plasters” at one end and “transformational approaches” at the other end. 

Sticking plaster strategies often involve offering teachers “extras” above and beyond their usual pay and benefits. These extras, aimed at enhancing physical and psychological health, include mindfulness apps, exercise classes, massages, tea and coffee in the staffroom, private health insurance and staff social events.

All these things are to be commended. After all, it is the little things - the tea, the coffee, a kind word, the free fruit in the staffroom - that can genuinely lift morale and make employees feel appreciated.

However, a more worrying trend cropped up: teachers were being press-ganged into compulsory “wellbeing measures”. Ofsted now asks staff about workload and can comment on wellbeing across the school. Consequently, some school leaders implemented obligatory wellbeing sessions, in the hope that this will tick the box for Ofsted and offer evidence of their commitment to ensuring teacher wellbeing.

Teachers reported a range of sessions, all of which - by virtue of being compulsory - missed the mark completely. One teacher detailed the Friday night bake-off, whereby staff were compelled to stay back at school and bake, all in the name of wellbeing.

Give teachers trust and support

Another disgruntled interviewee explained that, after returning from maternity leave, she found that she had been assigned to an obligatory staff jogging group. She could choose between colouring in, cooking, or jogging. Like our baking competitors, this teacher wanted to spend her own time with her family.

Unsurprisingly, the teachers typically regarded the obligatory wellbeing sessions with cynicism. They described them as disingenuous and aimed at pleasing Ofsted. Even when their schools had put aside time for these activities, they were not well received. The teachers were frustrated because compulsory wellbeing exacerbates the conditions that allow poor wellbeing in the first place. It can create an additional time burden and restrict autonomy over how the teachers spent their time. 

The teachers were very clear about what would improve their wellbeing: a manageable workload, reasonable assessment, marking and reporting policies, feeling trusted and supported by senior leaders, and time to collaborate. 

Those who were happiest worked in environments that were convivial and genuinely collaborative. Such schools had straightforward marking and assessment policies that did not over-burden teachers. These policies were developed through consultation with teachers and pupils. This reduced unnecessary workload and gave space for more meaningful collaborations. 

Other teachers reported being discouraged from taking books home to mark, and, in tandem, their schools had ceased unhelpful practices such as unannounced book looks. School buildings were inaccessible at weekends and half-terms, and teachers were never asked to run weekend or holiday intervention classes. Leaders enabled a flexible approach to work by allowing staff to go home when they had completed their work. There was no obligation to sit in an empty classroom until 6pm.

Transformational approaches create the conditions that enable wellbeing. They also foster trust that is conducive to good colleague relations, and professional development. The teachers in my study explained that they would be happy to see the back of climate walks and learning walks in favour of more meaningful and developmental feedback methods, such as full ungraded lesson observations with extended follow-up professional conversations.

Clearly, the most effective way to support wellbeing is to create positive school cultures that reinforce a sense of community and build the social trust necessary for school improvement.

It’s not surprising that research evidence shows that schools with such school cultures are also linked to increased teacher retention. Maybe then participation in voluntary (and they must be voluntary) groups or clubs might actually enhance the quality of teachers’ working lives.

Jude Brady is a PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge