It was four years ago this week that the Head of HR, Sharon Coles and I began our deep dive into staff health and wellbeing. We wanted to do more than put up posters and position a fruit bowl in the staff room. We wanted a plan. We wanted lasting and meaningful change. We believed the benefits would be felt across the school community.

We started our journey by learning from the experts. We visited Dr Challoner’s Grammar School in Buckinghamshire who had received Mind charity’s top award and Berkhamsted School, holders of the Investors in People Gold Award. These conversations led to early partnership with Mind and Bamboo Mental Health. Staff surveys and focus groups followed as we sought to work collaboratively on this exciting venture.

Although we’d initially focused on staff health and wellbeing, we increasingly understood that our pupil wellbeing initiatives would have greater impact if colleagues fully bought into the ideas they were promoting. We recognised there were clear synergies between our work with pupils and staff; for example, by adopting a common mental health framework. Mind’s Five Ways to Wellbeing was subsequently adopted and we set about to integrate its principles into our plans as well as staff and pupil curriculums.

Our initial wellbeing review was concluded in December 2019. Little did we realise that Covid-19 was around the corner, and the health and wellbeing of all members of our community would be thrust front and centre. Amongst other things, over the past two years, we have:

• Created a new senior role whose responsibilities include staff health and wellbeing
• Supported staff with training and resources whilst working remotely
• Continued to critically review our staff policies and practices
• Improved staff awareness of and access to mental and physical health professionals
• Created a Staff Health and Wellbeing Group
• Developed social activities and events for staff and their families
• Launched the Staff Community Fund to support staff initiatives underpinned by the Five Ways to Wellbeing

Having said we’ve tried to avoid ‘fruit bowl’ gestures, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reminds us that meeting basic human needs can often make a big difference to motivation. We’ve therefore partnered with Break charity and The Feed charity to provide ‘treats’ for staff, such as hot drinks and mince pies, at pinch points during the term. 

Whilst it feels like we have a long way to go with our staff health and wellbeing journey, it has been helpful to reflect and to see how far we have come as a community. Here’s to the next four years!

By Andrew Rowlandson, Assistant Head (Staff Development) / Geography