Staff Wellbeing in Academies
Staff Wellbeing in Academies
New insights into the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff working in England
New insights into the wellbeing of
teachers and education staff
New national research (May 2024):
School staff and stress, workload and wellness
Our “Staff Wellbeing in Academies” report reveals important contrasts in the wellbeing of different groups of staff working in England’s schools and features expert commentary from Black Men Teach, Diverse Educators, Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher, Neuroteachers, Pride and Progress and Sufian Sadiq.
Key findings:
- Teachers are far worse than leaders in terms of stress, workload, and wellness, with 32% reporting poor mental or physical health compared to 15% of leaders
- Disabled staff reported significantly lower wellbeing (21%) compared to non-disabled staff (43%), with higher stress levels (56% vs. 44%).
- LGBTQ+ staff faced more stress (54%) and lower overall wellbeing (33%) compared to heterosexual staff (46% and 24%, respectively).
- Women reported more stress (47%) and lower feelings of wellbeing (39%) than men (42% and 46%, respectively).
Despite these challenges, there is a silver lining: over half of the teachers (54%) often feel excited about their work, showcasing their passion and dedication. Leadership staff were the most positive about their work, with 77% feeling excited.
Understanding these insights is crucial for fostering a supportive and healthy working environment in our schools. Let's use this data to drive positive changes and enhance staff wellbeing across the board.
Download the full report for free by completing the form.
Introduction
The staff at schools and multi-academy trusts are at the heart of delivering quality education to young people across England. Despite that, staff retention and recruitment are currently significant challenges for the education sector.
We've found that when staff report a strong sense of wellbeing, they are more likely to recommend their school or trust to others. With the current recruitment and retention crisis in mind, getting staff wellbeing in schools right could help solve this issue.
The Staff Wellbeing in Academies report uncovers essential findings to inform strategies for enhancing staff wellbeing and fostering inclusive environments within English schools. We recommend that trust and school leaders read this report to understand the latest trends around staff wellbeing in schools to create a supportive and conducive working environment that benefits both staff and pupils alike.
Methodology
The report draws on insights from a dataset created based on the Edurio Staff Experience and Wellbeing Survey, consisting of over 11,000 staff responses captured between September 2023 and March 2024.
The Edurio Staff Experience and Wellbeing Survey comprehensively examines key elements of work life for staff, enabling school and trust leaders to understand the needs and priorities of their staff. The survey covers 18 modules from communication to workload, professional support and general job satisfaction.
This report is mainly based on a new module introduced in the 2023/2024 academic year: Health and emotional
wellbeing, along with two questions from the Workload module, and is augmented by demographic data to help understand how the experience differs for staff of different roles, and various protected characteristics.
The report draws on insights from a dataset created based on the Edurio Staff Experience and Wellbeing Survey, consisting of over 11,000 staff responses captured between September 2023 and March 2024.
The Edurio Staff Experience and Wellbeing Survey comprehensively examines key elements of work life for staff, enabling school and trust leaders to understand the needs and priorities of their staff. The survey covers 18 modules from communication to workload, professional support and general job satisfaction.
This report is mainly based on a new module introduced in the 2023/2024 academic year: Health and emotional
wellbeing, along with two questions from the Workload module, and is augmented by demographic data to help understand how the experience differs for staff of different roles, and various protected characteristics.
Would your school or trust benefit from participating in the Edurio Staff Experience and Wellbeing survey? Take part and compare your results with the national benchmark!
