Supporting staff wellbeing in schools can help create a healthier, more positive workplace where teachers and support staff feel valued, listened to and able to do their best work. Looking after the people who keep a school running should be a priority all year round.
Often, practical changes to workload, communication, recognition and everyday support can make a meaningful difference.
Why staff wellbeing in schools matters
School staff have to balance demanding workloads with the needs of pupils, parents and colleagues. For teachers in particular, lesson planning, marking, behaviour management and admin all add pressure to an already busy working day.
Too much pressure for too long, without sufficient support, can lead to stress, burnout, sick days, extended sick leave and employee churn, which makes teacher wellbeing an important part of creating a sustainable school environment. Wellbeing shouldn’t be treated as a perk or occasional initiative – it needs to be considered alongside workload, working practices, management and staff culture.
The Department for Education provides resources specifically designed to help schools reduce workload and promote staff wellbeing, including practical tools created by school leaders for school leaders.
6 practical ideas for improving staff wellbeing in schools
Teacher wellbeing vs wider school staff wellbeing
Teacher wellbeing is only part of the picture – teaching assistants, office teams, caretakers, cleaners, supervisors, technicians and other staff all contribute to the school experience.
Because of this, a wellbeing strategy should consider school colleague wellbeing as a whole. The DfE’s Education Staff Wellbeing Charter specifically covers everyone working in education, including temporary and support staff.
How to measure staff wellbeing in schools
It’s difficult to improve what you don’t understand, so getting a sense of your colleagues’ wellbeing and an idea of what “good” looks like goes a long way. A school staff wellbeing survey can provide useful insight into workload, morale, communication, management and access to support.
Keep surveys straightforward and, where appropriate, anonymous. Most importantly: act on what you learn.
Once you’ve started making changes, have regular check-ins with your colleagues, both formally and informally, and using the staff feedback to assess whether changes are working, or if further changes are needed.
Mental health support in schools: charters, frameworks and resources
Schools in England can use the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter (linked above) as a framework for developing a wellbeing strategy and demonstrating a commitment to protecting and promoting colleague mental health.
The DfE also provides dedicated wellbeing, workload reduction and flexible working resources, giving schools practical starting points rather than expecting them to start from scratch.
How staff rewards and gift cards support wellbeing initiatives in schools
Rewards aren’t a replacement for sensible workloads or proper mental health support, but they can complement a wider wellbeing programme. Used thoughtfully, they provide a tangible way to recognise effort and say thank you.
Asda Gift Cards can be used on a wide range of products, including groceries, homeware, clothing, tech and more, giving recipients the freedom to choose something useful or enjoyable. Business gift cards are available in physical and digital formats, with values from £1 to £1,000.
That flexibility makes gift cards useful for recognising staff achievements, celebrating milestones, supporting wellbeing initiatives or simply giving teams a well-earned boost.