Prioritising staff wellbeing in international schools

Staff who are satisfied, feeling supported and valued give far more than those who are tired, stressed or feeling undervalued - wellbeing directly impacts any organisation.

The past two years have been challenging. The continuing uncertainty that has accompanied the pandemic and the unforeseen changes to a previously guaranteed calendar of milestones in every student’s academic career, have all contributed to increased stress levels. Now more than ever we need to provide a supportive environment in which our staff and students can thrive.

Schools may provide an umbrella ‘wellbeing scheme’ with confidential counselling and referral services for more serious situations. This is important and we must provide support for our staff, however it’s a reactive solution in response to a problem, rather than a proactive approach to address ongoing sources of stress.

Often proactive wellbeing takes the form of one-off initiatives – a wellbeing day or activity, such as yoga, showing appreciation by providing occasional cakes at meetings or recognising individuals for participation in projects with a shout out. It is understandable as these are often easy to organise. The challenge is that if a staff member is unhappy or does not feel valued, once the activity has been undertaken or the cake eaten, the situation remains the same.

There is nothing wrong with cake and yoga, but they are not the place to start, it’s like trying to build a house from the roof down on shaky ground. However, if you ensure staff wellbeing is an integral part of the school culture, you create firm and strong foundations and wellbeing becomes something that simply happens each and every day.