Why Schools Should Stop Putting Pupils First

Schools expect teachers to put pupils first. This expectation features in the school prospectus, in the school motto, in job descriptions, in recruitment interviews. It is in the very DNA of schools, an unspoken assumption that underpins the academic targets teachers are set for their pupils to attain and in the daily care they take of them.

In Ofsted inspections, there is not a single mention of the quality of care and well-being provided for the staff by the school. Not surprising: Ofsted are not required to report on this fundamental aspect of the school's leadership and management.

And yet the school depends on its teachers and support staff of the school to deliver the highest quality of care and educational attainment to its pupils.

So, what’s wrong with this? Isn’t doing the best for pupils why teachers went into teaching in the first place? Why should schools stop putting pupils first?

When we’re on a plane, the cabin crew take us through the safety checks. If the cabin should lose pressure, they advise that oxygen masks will drop from the panels above our heads. They instruct us what we should do next:

‘If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your own mask first, and then assist the other person.’ 

This is essential advice. If we are unable to breathe ourselves, we are of no use to our children or other members of our family on that plane who depend on us to keep them safe.

And so it is with our pupils. If we don’t take care of ourselves, of our mental health as well as our physical health, we will be unable to help our pupils. We will be in need of help ourselves. A recent heart-rending article in the TES online by a teacher who is considering leaving the profession after 12 years produced over 150 responses in five days from teachers who said they felt the same. You can read her article, and their comments, here:

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/i-went-back-my-beautiful-pinterest-perfect-classroom-and-sobbed-my

Schools say that ‘putting pupils first’ doesn’t mean that the well-being of teachers is not important. But the problem with this statement of intent is that, by definition, it implies that, if pupils come first, teachers have to come second.

Teachers themselves often feel that they should put their pupils’ emotional and physical health above that of their pupils and feel guilty if they are unable to do so. Guilt and a feeling of failure are significant contributory emotions to the rise in stress in schools.

In March 2016, the teaching union the NAS/UWT conducted a survey of 5000 teachers – the largest of its kind. 47% had seen a doctor in the previous 12 months with a work-related physical or mental health problem. 79% of those who saw their GP said they were suffering from anxiety. 22% said that they were drinking more alcohol. Disturbingly, 2% - 100 teachers - said they had self-harmed.

And it is not only in schools Requiring Improvement or in Special Measures that the well-being of teachers is not considered. I have known schools which are Outstanding (in Ofsted terms) and very poor at looking after their staff.

So, how should schools ensure that the well-being of their teachers is given equal priority as the well-being of the pupils? Here are my top tips for the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team:

1. Drop the ‘putting pupils first’ language. Replace it with phrases like ‘Everyone a learner’ or ‘Everyone matters’ or ‘Proud to be a learning community’.
2. Include mental health in the pastoral/core/PHSE curriculum. When teachers talk to their pupils about mental health, the culture of the school changes. Mental health is discussed in the staff room, amongst teachers and its stigma is eroded.
3. Teachers should never have to pretend that they are physically ill to cover being mentally unwell, but many do so. Mental ill-health is not a weakness. If, as is often the case, it is a product of the stress teachers are under, the school should be prepared to explore organisational causes, not attribute blame or wonder if the teacher is ‘up to it’.
4. Create a protocol of support when a teacher's absence lasts longer than the self-reporting period. Ensure that teachers know that this protocol will be triggered. This should include avoiding contacting the teacher at home with school-related requests. I have known teachers on long-term sickness leave being asked if they would mind completing reports. However inconvenient to the school, putting more pressure on teachers to work while ill is unlikely to bring them back any sooner. As it is, the majority of teachers return too early after illness and battle through their recovery at work.
5. Create a staff 'Well-Being' group. Give it teeth by giving it the remit to send recommendations for improving staff well-being, including mental health, to Senior Leadership.
6. Organise a stress-reduction session for teachers. Even 20 minutes one lunch-time/after school each week is beneficial. Provide training for someone on the staff to run it or pay for someone to come in to do it. Include it as part of staff development. Replace another meeting to make it happen. Google has been running a Mindfulness drop-in session at its headquarters for employees called 'Search Inside Yourself' for years. Although it is headed up by a Mindfulness practitioner, it is largely self-running, with employees sharing strategies to reduce stress.

As a retired teacher who now works with teachers in schools, I have seen stress and anxiety rise inexorably over the last 5 years. As a result, I have developed an online course ‘Mindfulness Stress Reduction for Teachers’. One of the techniques which teachers have found helpful takes only 3 minutes and can be used anywhere and at any time.

If you would like a free copy of this technique, please add a comment and I will send you a link via LinkedIn.