W is for Wellbeing

Why wellbeing is rarely solved by wellbeing initiatives...

Wellbeing is discussed a lot in education, and for good reason. Schools are complex places and the work carries real responsibility.

But wellbeing rarely improves because of a single initiative or programme.

More often, it reflects how the school operates day to day — the clarity of expectations, the consistency of routines, and the sense that people feel supported in their roles.

Under the Education Inspection Framework, inspectors don’t grade wellbeing directly.

Instead, they look at the wider conditions around it: how you manage systems, how behaviour is supported, and whether everyone feels able to do their job effectively.

When people talk about wellbeing in schools, the conversation often focuses on initiatives or programmes. In reality, it’s usually shaped by much smaller things: how clearly expectations are set, how behaviour is supported, how decisions are communicated, and whether staff feel backed when challenges arise.

Five Simple Changes to Improve Wellbeing in School

1. Make Behaviour Expectations Impossible to Misinterpret

Instead of telling staff to “follow the behaviour policy,” show exactly what it looks like.

Script the first response to low-level disruption.

For example: a quiet reminder → a clear warning → a recorded consequence. Everyone follows the same sequence so pupils experience consistency across classrooms.

Use the same language across the school.

Phrases like “You’ve had your reminder, this is the warning” or “We reset and start again” mean pupils know exactly where they stand.

Model it during briefings or CPD.

Instead of explaining the behaviour system again, leaders act out typical scenarios: refusal, calling out, corridor behaviour. Staff see the system in action rather than reading about it.

Back staff publicly when they apply the system.

If a pupil challenges a consequence, the leader reinforces the staff member’s decision first and reviews it later if needed. Staff quickly learn whether the system actually supports them.

2. Make CPD Immediately Usable in the Classroom

Training improves wellbeing when staff can use it the next day.

Here's a few practical ways you can do this:

Ask every training session to produce one classroom strategy and staff will leave with something they can try the next morning, not just the theory.

Use brief follow-ups rather than more training.

Two weeks later, ask staff: “What did you try?” and “What worked?” This reinforces learning without scheduling another session.

Connect CPD to current priorities.

If the focus is behaviour, training should address behaviour. If the focus is literacy, training should strengthen literacy teaching.

Inspectors often ask staff about their professional development. Staff should be able to explain how it helps them teach more effectively, not just that they attended it.

3. Keep School Priorities Visible Every Week

Many schools have clear improvement plans. The issue is whether staff still remember the priorities in February.

Simple practices help keep them visible:

Start staff briefings by linking updates to a priority.

For example: “This relates to our behaviour focus.”

Limit priorities to a small number.

Three or four clear priorities are easier for staff to hold in mind than a long list.

Refer to them in everyday conversations.

When visiting lessons or giving feedback, connect observations back to those priorities.

If staff are asked about the school’s focus areas, they should be able to explain them easily. That clarity reduces confusion and helps people see how their work fits into the bigger picture.

4. Gather Staff and Pupil Voice Through Everyday Conversations

You don’t need new surveys to understand how things are working.

Schools often gather insight through routines that already exist:

During learning walks: Ask pupils two simple questions:“What are you learning?” and “What do you do if you’re stuck?”

During staff meetings: Ask one quick question such as “What’s working well with the behaviour system?”

Through pupil leadership groups: Discuss current priorities rather than general school issues.

Inspectors often speak with staff and pupils informally. When their answers reflect the same expectations leaders describe, it shows systems are consistent.

5. Fix One Small System Each Half Term

Wellbeing often improves when small frustrations are removed.

Examples worth mentioning:

• Duplicated data entry across two systems.

• Behaviour logs that take too long to complete.

• Emails replacing short conversations when a quick clarification would solve the issue.

Some schools review one process every half term and simplify it. Small adjustments like this can reduce unnecessary friction in the school day.

Earlier articles in this series — such as Return on Time and Time Traps — explore this idea further. Take a look and let me know if you have anything you'd like to add!

If you’re reviewing how behaviour, professional development or school priorities connect to staff experience, it can be helpful to step back and look at the bigger picture.

You can download our Smart Steps Guide to the New EIF, which outlines the key areas inspectors are focusing on and how schools are aligning training and development around them.

And if you’d find it helpful to talk through your current priorities, our Training Partnership Managers are always happy to explore how schools are using flexible CPD models such as SkillsBridge CPD Select to support staff development in a way that fits their setting.

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