VIEWS
BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)
How edtech can help schools support student and staff members suffering poor mental health
It has never been more important to help protect the mental health of students and staff. This month, BESA has invited JON FORD, Founder & CEO, Life on Time, to offer his thoughts on wellbeing in schools and to explain how technology can help.
After attending the recent British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Curriculum Conference, I was left feeling more motivated than ever with our mission to change the way schools care for their people. From first-hand experience, it is hard to ignore the overwhelming statistics being uncovered around student and teacher mental health. When we initially created the concept of
our digital school wellbeing platform, it was very much focused on unravelling student mental health statistics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in recent times, our development has become increasingly attentive to the worrying data concerning teacher mental health and its effect on teacher retention. One statistic from a recent NEU survey found that ‘44% of England’s state-school teachers plan to quit by 2027’. That’s almost half of the participating teachers planning to leave within 5 years.
There are valid reasons as to why teachers are leaving, but in this article, I want to highlight the effect this could have on school pastoral systems already at breaking point and offer our view on possible solutions. I work with pastoral leads and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) on a daily basis. I’ve found that there isn’t a shortage of expertise in mental health. Nor is there a lack of willingness to help young people. The overriding issue is a lack of time for staff. If this is the scenario now, what will it look like in 2027? We also keep hearing about GPs referring parents to schools to support serious mental health concerns. DSLs are becoming counsellors to parents. If the Government’s approach to the declining standard of children’s mental health is to direct them to schools, then schools need more support, especially if the number of teachers is going to reduce dramatically.
In my opinion, Government needs to invest in onboarding more teachers and giving specific pastoral investment to schools - so they can employ more designated counsellors, train all NQTs in mental first aid, and invest in systems to monitor and support children. Whilst we are waiting for government action to improve teacher shortages, pay and workload, what can schools do to make sure they are proactively supporting the mental health of staff and students whilst not overloading their workforce?
This is where EdTech has a vital role to play. Although there is no silver bullet (there never is), EdTech solutions can help schools manage concerns, whilst offering targeted therapeutic self- care resources. Emerging technologies are enabling pastoral leads to measure and monitor whole-school wellbeing.
14
www.education-today.co.uk LEADERSHIP WITH CHARLOTTE ROWLEY
The power of empathy
In her regular column on leadership CHARLOTTE ROWLEY, Acting Principal, St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy, this month takes a look at empathy and its importance to good leaders.
Perhaps some words in leadership are overrated or over-used. Some initiatives are perhaps merely a trend or phase … but empathy is certainly NOT one! In fact, I would go as far to say that empathy is a key ingredient in any type of leadership role, but somehow within education it means even more. I have written many times about the importance of tackling all issues with compassion and modelling this at all times for the young people in our care. Empathy and emotional intelligence are crucial. Simply put, being aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings and knowing how to respond to them is paramount.
Being an educational leader is complex. Every day we often have to make time critical operational decisions, as well as have an overarching view and impact on strategic thinking and planning within our setting. What adds to our complex days is that we deal with so many people, so many individual personalities and so many emotions, including both pupils and staff - we are all only human.
If a member of staff suddenly appears to be underperforming then of course, this needs tackling. We must ensure however, that conversations are handled with care - there might be a reason for this, there may be personal struggles. It may be that the member of staff in question needs help and support. It’s important to step back and look from the outside inwardly, put ourselves in other people’s shoes when resolving such issues. People respect you more for it. After all, we take this approach with pupils, so should ensure that we take this approach with one another.
Some helpful points to consider when striving for empathetic leadership:
• I made it a priority as a new Acting Principal to get to know the whole school community. Being visible helps with this. It was important to me to get to know all members of staff and met with them when I started my new role. This enabled me to know about them and not just their position in school and reflected a collaborative approach, which people value.
• Make a point of asking how people are, how their weekend was and what they did over half term shows that you care. Not simply engaging in conversation about work also models a culture of healthy work-life balance.
• Recognise when the school calendar is extra busy and if deadlines can be adjusted to support staff then do this. Appreciating how hard staff work is vital and knowing when work load is increasing and swiftly acting on it is vital.
• Ensuring that feedback is fair and constructive and give people time to act on this. Someone said to me that ‘feedback is a gift … when given well.’ How true! Completely destroying someone’s confidence will never get the best out of them. Empowering them to make change or encouraging them through helpful actions, clear, smart targets and next steps WILL!
• Overall, never underestimate the power of compassion and empathy and how they contribute to strong leadership. They are certainly not weakness.
Learning about people, valuing them and investing in them will never NOT be worth it.
May 2023
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