Late February saw the launch of Welbee’s UK school staff wellbeing survey – a flagship investigation designed to change the conversation around staff wellbeing in schools and encourage real change in the industry.
The survey received a massive response from across the UK, with over 7500 educational staff providing answers to over 280,000 questions in just a few weeks. Primary, secondary, academy, SEN and independent schools were all included.
The sizeable response, including over 8000 staff comments, is taking time to analyse and we will soon be able to publish the key findings.
The game-changing survey covers a wide variety of staff wellbeing issues, from workload pressures, expectation management and the level of management and peer support, to problems such as bullying and harassment – matters of enduring importance which have taken on a new intensity in the age of Covid-19.
The findings of the survey, which will be shared with the Secretary of State for Education, devolved education ministers, unions, and the press, are set to steer the course of debate around school staff wellbeing in a timely new direction that places greater emphasis on the need for sympathetic and strong support being part of the culture across the sector. When the results are in, Welbee will harness the data to shape its own efforts to effect real change in the nation’s schools.
Welbee founder Mark Solomons says responses have so far proven “highly illuminating.”
“When we launched our school staff wellbeing survey, we already knew that the findings would be of national importance,” says Mark.
“Anecdotal evidence, the surveys we run for schools and our own extensive research tells us that wellbeing at work has long been a key concern for teachers and other school workers. What we’re seeing now as the results flood in is a validation of that, but also the recognition of a clear need for change.
Staff are facing unprecedented pressures as they negotiate their way through the pandemic, and this has thrown a fresh spotlight on the need for greater wellbeing support as well as innovative approaches to delivering it.
The starting point for effecting any meaningful change is listening to staff, which is what our survey was designed to do. At Welbee, we believe the voices of educational staff should be at the centre of efforts to improve wellbeing in schools. The results of our survey will change the national conversation around staff wellbeing for years to come.”
