Staff Wellbeing Policies and Charters, What Works, What Doesn’t? What Next?

Most schools have a wellbeing policy somewhere. Far fewer have one staff could quote, or one that's changed anything about their week.

The advice comes from an assistant head and mental health lead who helped schools across a whole local authority agree a shared staff charter and survey. A policy is a formal document you'll be held to, so promise only what you can deliver. A charter is a one-page poster that people sign and see every day. Either way, start with a staff survey and repeat it two or three times a year, so you can tell whether things are getting better. In his school the answers pointed at data entry, email and unclear deadlines, so that's what the charter tackles.

You'll also see why the work belongs with a working party that includes cleaners, caretakers and office staff, not only senior leaders.