Staff Wellbeing at WHA

Staff Wellbeing at Western House Academy

Intent: Why Staff Wellbeing is Our Priority

At Western House Academy, we firmly believe that a healthy, happy, and supported staff is the cornerstone of a successful educational environment. Our intent is to embed a culture where the mental health and wellbeing of every staff member is actively valued, protected, and championed by all levels of leadership.

This commitment is driven by a desire to:

• Protect and Promote Staff Health: Ensure every employee feels psychologically safe, respected, and equipped to manage the inherent pressures of the education profession.

• Improve Retention and Morale: Create an attractive, positive, and supportive working environment that encourages the retention of highly skilled and dedicated professionals.

• Enhance School Effectiveness: Recognise that staff wellbeing directly impacts pupil outcomes, engagement, and the overall positive ethos of the school.

• Reduce Workload-Related Stress: Proactively identify and address key drivers of stress, particularly excessive workload, to establish a sustainable work-life balance for all.

Implementation: Our Wellbeing Initiatives

Our strategy adopts a Whole School Approach to staff wellbeing, focusing on three key areas: Culture & Leadership, Practical Support, and Proactive Workload Reduction.

1. Culture & Leadership

Open-Door Policy, Check-ins & Tailored Support

Senior Leaders maintain an accessible, non-judgmental open-door policy. Beyond this, leadership conducts regular, informal general check-ins to monitor staff morale. Where required, tailored pastoral support is put in place for staff navigating complex personal or professional circumstances. Structured, confidential supervision is also offered, particularly for staff managing emotionally demanding roles or complex pupil behaviours.

Culture of Appreciation & The Federation "Hall of Fame"

We believe in regular, sincere recognition of staff effort that moves beyond token gestures to genuine acknowledgment of hard work. As part of this culture, we celebrate our Federation Hall of Fame, where two members of staff, each term, are publicly recognised and celebrated for their notable, inspiring contributions to the school community.

Jessie the Therapy Dog: Staff Check-ins

Jessie, our school therapy dog, does just as much to support staff wellbeing as she does for our pupils. Many staff members deeply appreciate and benefit from a "Jessie check-in" when they arrive in the morning, providing a vital moment of comfort, stress relief, and psychological decompression before the school day begins.

"Right to Switch Off"

Clear guidance from Senior Leaders models and advocates for a healthy work-life balance. This includes strict expectations around communication, ensuring staff are not expected to read or respond to emails outside of directed working hours.

Personal Wellbeing Day

Recognising that effective self-care is highly individual, all staff are allocated one Personal Wellbeing Day per academic year. This day is specifically for staff to dedicate time to an activity, event, or rest that they personally feel will most significantly improve their mental health and resilience. Staff provide reasonable advance notice to ensure appropriate cover.

Dress Down Friday

To encourage a relaxed and informal end to the working week, all staff are invited to participate in 'Dress Down Friday.' This small, weekly shift in routine is designed to reduce the mental burden of formal dressing and signal a transition toward rest and personal time, helping to foster a collegial atmosphere.

2. Practical Support

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

A confidential, 24/7 external service providing counselling, financial advice, legal signposting, and practical support to all employees and their immediate families.

Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA)

A dedicated network of trained staff who act as a first point of contact for colleagues seeking support, promoting mental health literacy and confidential early intervention across the school.

Our Certified Mental Health First Aiders are:

• Mrs Costelloe (Vice Principal for Inclusion and Safeguarding)

• Mrs Reid (Receptionist & Key Worker)

• Mrs Gregory (Child & Family Support Officer)

3. Workload Reduction Measures

Ongoing Workload Research & Reflection

We do not view workload reduction as a one-time task. Leadership engages in regular, proactive reflection and reviews current educational research to find innovative, sustainable ways to further reduce teacher workload while maintaining high standards of education.

Curriculum Review & Streamlining

A regular review of data collection, marking policies, and formal assessment cycles to eliminate unnecessary tasks and ensure all processes are high-impact for pupils but low-burden for teachers.

Protected Time

Scheduled, non-contact time is intentionally built into the school day or week specifically for collaborative planning, moderation, or deep work, drastically reducing the need for out-of-hours work.

Technology & AI Policy

Clear guidance on the appropriate, efficient, and ethical use of technology (including AI tools) to aid in lesson planning, resource creation, and administrative tasks to save staff valuable time.

Impact: Measuring Our Success

The success of our mental health and wellbeing strategy is not measured solely by the presence of initiatives, but by the tangible, positive effect on the lives of our staff and the performance of our school.

Key Indicator	Success Measure
Staff Feedback & Culture	Increase: Year-on-year positive responses in the annual Staff Wellbeing Audit regarding psychological safety, line manager support, and work-life balance.
Retention & Recruitment	Decrease: Staff turnover rates, particularly within the first five years of service, moving closer to or performing better than the national average for the education sector.
Staff Attendance & Absence	Decrease: The number of short-term and long-term absences attributed to stress and mental ill-health. Increase: The percentage of staff who feel comfortable accessing EAP/MHFA support.
Workload Perception	Decrease: The percentage of staff who report their workload is "unmanageable" due to targeted interventions and streamlined policies.

 

Through a relentless focus on our staff's mental health, we strive to transform Western House Academy into a model workplace. Our goal is to cultivate a resilient, dedicated, and highly effective workforce where every member feels valued, heard, and supported to thrive both professionally and personally.

By prioritising staff wellbeing, we ensure we have the best people, giving their best, every day—thereby securing the best outcomes for our entire school community.