Why wellbeing?

The Schools Advisory Service explain why wellbeing is important for your school

Just for a minute I’d like you to treat yourself to a break and a coffee and examine why we send our staff on professional development training. Usually there is a need to skill up or develop an understanding not previously there.

The intention is that the member of staff comes back into school more effective in discharging their responsibilities but also with a greater sense of fulfilment knowing that they are likely to be more effective. Schools actually spend a large amount of cash and valuable time on professional development and it is really important to keep developing so that we can offer the best of ourselves to those we work for and to know that we make a difference.

As human beings we all need to feel that we are adding value and training allows us to be better equipped to be the best version of ourselves that we can be in our roles. However, the day-to-day factor that allows us to be our best selves is often seen as a luxury. I’m talking about wellbeing or being well.

Schools are being encouraged to foster wellbeing but, in many cases, other than it being a good thing to do morally, it has a significant impact on your ability to be the best version of yourselves and from there on overall school effectiveness.

Indeed, at a recent conference I attended, headteacher at Kensington Primary School in Newham, Ben Levinson put things far more eloquently than I could…

“There’s a moral imperative to support staff wellbeing but beyond that, it is THE most effective way to improve teaching and learning and pupil outcomes.”

As a system we have got to get better at supporting the wellbeing of those who are the engine room of our schools. We’ve got to cut down on the unnecessary workload and things that drain wellbeing and build support for wellbeing so that the children in our schools get the best deal possible. They can’t get this if our staff are on their knees.

This is why Schools Advisory Service have repositioned themselves as a business primarily concerned about building strong wellbeing but who protect your budgets from unforeseen absence. As a company we invest in services to keep staff at work and help them to be the best version of themselves possible. The evidence of this is that we now have 50% more staff in client schools who are receiving support whilst at work rather than from home because they’ve been signed off work. Support in the workplace is good for staff mental health and wellbeing and it is good for pupil outcomes. It’s also good for employers.

I would therefore urge you to think wellbeing when you receive a quote from SAS. Buying a policy from SAS is an investment in your staff to be the best version of themselves that they can be so that they and the children in your school flourish and achieve great things. Let’s work together to support your staff to be the very best that they can be, every step of the way.

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