Workload and wellbeing

Find out how other schools are reducing workload and improving work-life balance for their staff. Use their ideas to retain great people, save on recruitment and make your school a happier place.

It’s up to you to decide whether staff can drink alcohol at social events such as Christmas parties. Take a look at some of the things to consider, and see how other schools approach this issue.

Learn how to use peer mentoring effectively and what peer-to-peer sessions might look like, to create a supportive and collaborative culture in your school.

Barr Beacon School cut down teachers' marking time to less than an hour a day by banning detailed written marking and improving the way staff give feedback to pupils. Read on and download this school's marking policy and other resources to learn how you can make this happen too.

Know what good staff mental health and wellbeing looks like and get advice on achieving it. Learn ways to check in on your staff as a first step towards creating a staff mental health and wellbeing action plan, and use our template to help you put together a plan that meets the needs of your setting.

As a line manager, find out how and when to escalate wellbeing concerns about your staff, so you can effectively support them at school.

There's no silver bullet to improving mental health and wellbeing across your trust. The needs in one school will be different to another, so it's important you help your schools tailor an approach to their context. Find out what's worked for 5 leaders we spoke to and how you can make it work for you.

Be clear on how you can monitor your headteachers' wellbeing and make sure they feel supported. Use our audit tool to identify any stressors and agree actions to manage them.

Get advice on how to set up and run a working group to improve staff wellbeing and workload in your school.

Know how to conduct wellbeing checks with your staff so you can effectively provide support and respond to any problems they have. Download our list of discussion questions to help you prepare.

As a line manager or senior leader, read expert advice on understanding your school business manager (SBM)'s role. Get to grips with how you can support training and a review of school processes to improve their workload and wellbeing.

Separate fact from fiction around marking and reduce your staff's workload. Learn the truth about what Ofsted expects to see, and understand what effective marking looks like.

Find out how to introduce yourself to staff for the first time and get advice on what you should cover to help you set the groundwork for building good relationships.

Understand what non-financial rewards and incentives you can give staff, so you can show your appreciation and stay compliant.

Find practical advice on how to reduce meetings in your school.

Everything you need to create your staff survey – a statement bank covering a range of topics, plus a survey template and a letter to staff. See examples of staff questionnaires used by schools.

With an open and honest wellbeing culture in place, you may be able to spot problems early. Get advice on what to look for and what to do if you have concerns.

Find out if individual action plans are right for your school, so you can help support your staff's wellbeing. Download our template and see an example plan to help you confidently create your own.

See examples of questionnaires and find guidance on how to analyse the results.

Use these resources to help you look after the wellbeing of your staff. Feel equipped to spot wellbeing challenges, take the appropriate next steps, and support a whole-school focus on wellbeing.

Cultivate a trans-inclusive atmosphere in your school. Use our action plan to guide you while supporting any staff member through transition, and find advice on communicating with pupils and parents.

Use our teacher workload audit tool to spot workload issues and cut down on time wasted on ineffective or unproductive tasks.

Understand your legal responsibilities around supporting staff who identify as trans in the workplace and learn how to make informed decisions around the arrangements you put in place.

Find out how a 4-school trust developed a trust-wide approach to staff wellbeing, and how you can do it too.