How To Use A Staff Wellbeing Survey To Support A 'School Scan'

Conducting an Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey is the most effective way to pinpoint exactly where your staff stressors lie and which school focuses and wellbeing initiatives will make the biggest difference to their wellbeing.?

Before implementing any new initiatives designed to support staff and teacher wellbeing, it’s important that leaders assess their school and gather relevant data to understand how their people are doing at work, uncover any underlying issues, and determine what initiatives may be most helpful for their school.??

The process of gathering and reviewing multiple sets of data is called a school scan and one way to collect this data is by running a school-wide anonymous staff wellbeing survey.

The simplest way to understand what teachers and school staff need to support their mental health is to ask them.

A confidential staff survey helps measure and monitor progress and enables a school to focus on the tangible and practical actions they can take to support a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• Why schools should run an anonymous staff wellbeing survey
• Benefits of anonymous staff wellbeing surveys
• How to effectively survey your staff

Why Schools Should Run an Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Survey

Anonymous staff wellbeing surveys can help leaders collect valuable feedback which will aid them in creating a Wellbeing Action Plan that directly addresses the needs most reported through the survey.

Schools should carry out wellbeing surveys at least once a year in order to better understand:

• How teachers and school staff are feeling mentally and physically
• What stressors are impacting staff wellbeing
• How staff feel about work practices, engagement, morale and management
• How supported teachers and school staff feel
• Feedback on leaderships processes, models, and approaches to staff wellbeing and mental health
• Any additional support they need for their mental health and wellbeing.

There is plenty of evidence to highlight that teaching staff and education professionals have some of the highest rates of work-related stress, depression, and anxiety in Australia. Research has also found that teacher stress directly impacts children’s learning and whole school outcomes.

The challenge many schools face is knowing which wellbeing initiatives to implement, try and embed in their school. Many schools might ask questions such as: Is Positive Psycholgy’s PERMA Model an approach worth trying? Do staff need resilience or Mental Health First Aid Training? Will leadership professional development be effective for middle leaders??

One of the key steps I suggest schools complete before considering any wellbeing initiatives for their school is a whole school scan of staff wellbeing– a review of multiple sets of data, including observations, surveys, and staff voice.

A confidential staff survey provides insightful and targeted data for your school scan process.? They measure and monitor progress and enables a school to focus on the tangible and practical actions they can take to support a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

When their wellbeing is a priority, staff feel better equipped to support the wellbeing and learning of the children and young people they work with and build trust and motivation, which is crucial for a well-functioning school setting.

Benefits Of Well-Designed Anonymous Staff Wellbeing Surveys

As discussed, anonymous staff wellbeing surveys provide leaders with important insights that allow them to make better-informed decisions on how to support staff’s wellbeing.??

When done properly, these surveys can help leaders identify the overall sentiment towards the school culture, quantify how many staff are struggling and equip them with knowledge of ongoing stressors. Further, surveys are a useful way to gather insights into which initiatives staff would find most helpful in order to support their wellbeing at work.?

But it doesn’t end there.?

For a survey to be truly effective, there needs to be a considered review process of the results alongside staff, and actions need to be taken that directly respond to the concerns raised in the survey.?

Our Staff Wellbeing Surveys are complete with instructions to guide you through each of these steps so that this survey doesn’t just end up buried in a pile on your desk.

Here are some of the other benefits of using wellbeing surveys at your school:

• Reduced staff stress and burnout: Identifying and addressing stressors through surveys can reduce staff stress and burnout, leading to healthier and happier educators.
• Enhanced job satisfaction: Addressing wellbeing concerns identified through surveys can lead to increased job satisfaction among staff, which, in turn, positively impacts their commitment to the school.?
• Boosted engagement: When you give your staff a voice, they’re more likely to feel engaged when given opportunities to provide feedback and be heard. Involving them in the process of change helps them feel like valued members of the team.
• Improved staff retention: Wellbeing surveys can help identify and address factors contributing to staff stress and burnout, which, in turn, can improve teacher retention rates.
• Informed decision-making: Wellbeing surveys provide valuable data that can inform strategic decisions in school management, resource allocation, professional development and policy development.?
• Promotes early interventions: Surveys can help identify emerging wellbeing issues among staff, enabling schools to intervene early, prevent problems from escalating, and provide necessary support.?
• Fosters a positive school climate: Staff wellbeing surveys can help create a positive school climate, which, in turn, contributes to a more conducive learning environment for both educators and students.
• Enhanced school reputation: Schools that prioritise staff wellbeing tend to have a positive reputation, which can aid in attracting top-quality educators and students.
• Increased student achievement: Wellbeing surveys can help schools create a supportive environment for staff to excel. When mentally well, they can provide better instruction and support to students, leading to improved student achievement.

Three Steps to Survey Success?

As mentioned earlier, surveying your staff is only the first step of a successful survey process. In order to carry out a survey effectively, you must also review and respond to the results.?

That’s where our 3-step framework comes in:

1. Survey: Empower your staff to voice their concerns and needs with an anonymous survey. Our survey helps you uncover the unique stressors affecting their wellbeing and the initiatives they believe will provide essential support. Their insights are the foundation for your strategic plans for positive change, shaping a thriving school environment.
2. Review: Dive into the results and facilitate timely discussions with leaders. Identify what’s working well and areas that require strategic attention. Engage staff to empower them in the change process, improving school culture and setting the stage for enhanced performance. This step ensures your decisions are informed by real staff experiences, driving targeted improvements. Our survey guide provides you with tips, instructions and template forms to use during the review process so you’re confident you don’t overlook any of the priority themes that emerge.?
3. Respond: Keep your people in the loop by reporting back your findings to leaders, teachers and staff. Clarify what feedback and suggestions can be actioned now and in the future. Be transparent about any limitations, ensuring a realistic and collaborative path forward. Addressing their feedback, whether immediate or future-focused, strengthens trust, motivation, and a sense of belonging within your school community.?

Following through with these steps ensures that you translate your results into effective actions.?

Conclusion

As you’ve learned, well-designed staff wellbeing surveys can be a valuable tool for collecting data and feedback regarding the culture and perceived support at your school.??

When reviewed properly, they help leaders make better decisions about wellbeing initiatives, and when done regularly, they’re a helpful tool for tracking change and progress over time.?

Additionally,? when following our 3-step framework, wellbeing surveys provide staff with an opportunity to voice their thoughts and be involved in the process of change.??

Our Staff Wellbeing Surveys

Our editable Staff Wellbeing Survey is grouped into five sections to provide expert and targeted insights into your staff's views, opinions, and wellbeing needs.?

Section 1: Uncover Staff Health and Wellbeing Insights: Gain essential insights into your staff's wellbeing, enabling you to proactively address health, mental wellbeing and resilience.

Section 2: Identify Staff Burnout Risk: Recognise burnout risks within your staff and take action to reduce burnout rates withtargeted support.

Section 3: Assess workplace wellbeing, school culture, and staff attitudes: Swiftly identify top workplace stressors and pinpoint wellbeing initiatives that staff believe will offer the most support.?

Section 4: Reveal perceptions of school and leadership processes: Explore the impact and effectiveness of your current processes and strategies to support staff wellbeing and improve school culture. This section equips you with data to enhance leadership and wellbeing approaches.?

Section 5: Gather reflections and suggestions: Offer your staff the opportunity to have their voices heard and participate in shaping the school's culture. Gathering their reflections and recommendations helps you make meaningful changes, ultimately strengthening your school culture.

Further, with each survey package, you receive instructions that guide you through our 3-step framework designed to ensure that you actually know what to do with your survey results so that you can take meaningful actions that will allow staff to feel heard, and ultimately lead to improved wellbeing and school culture.?

Explore our three survey packages here to learn more!

Adrienne Hornby

School Wellbeing Consultant

adriennehornby.com.au

Passionate about supporting schools to build positive working environments, Adrienne Hornby is a dedicated health and wellbeing consultant for schools. With a focus on addressing teacher burnout, Adrienne collaborates with school leaders and staff, leveraging over a decade of teaching and leadership experience.

Adrienne has been guiding schools through the development and implementation of tailored 'Staff Wellbeing Action Plans,' using their unique '6 Steps to Becoming a Well Led School' model. This integrated approach combines Positive Psychology, cutting-edge educational leadership research, and insights from leading wellbeing organisations.