The Wellbeing Toolkit

Book excerpt: The Wellbeing Toolkit is an invaluable resource for promoting wellbeing and resilience among all school staff, thereby improving staff attendance and retention, and helping all teachers fall back in love with teaching. In this thought-provoking book, Andrew Cowley, co-founder of Healthy Toolkit (@HealthyToolkit), draws on his own experiences as a school leader to unpick the myths around wellbeing and set out a practical, authentic and values-driven model that will enable leaders to foster a positive atmosphere for the benefit of the whole-school community. With a focus on developing a culture of positivity and self-care, effectively enabling all staff members to take ownership of the wellbeing strategy and supporting and promoting healthy lifestyles, this practical guide also considers scenarios arising from potentially more stressful incidents such as a bereavement. Staff wellbeing needs to be a strategic consideration for all primary and secondary school leaders, not something delivered on an ad hoc basis. Emphasis must be placed on really knowing staff, what motivates them and what may affect their confidence. The Wellbeing Toolkit offers effective strategies for addressing staff wellbeing from a whole-school perspective with particular reference to reducing workload, managing stress and supporting teachers in challenging circumstances.