Wellbeing

Wellbeing Statement
Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

At Montem Academy, we believe that staff need to be happy, have a manageable workload and the right support at all levels in order to thrive in a school. 

Our intent is to ensure that we use well thought out systems and strategies are in place to ensure that when challenging times arise, staff are healthy and resilient and can be directed to extra support if and when needed.

At Montem we make great efforts to foster a culture of happiness and wellness, and are totally committed to ensuring staff stay happy and well, as this will lead to them providing the best possible education for our pupils.
 

Implementation

In order to achieve our aim of reducing teacher workload and positively impacting on mental health and well-being, school leaders have worked closely with the teaching staff to identify and improve areas that they felt were onerous, time-consuming or had little impact on pupils’ outcome.  Solutions to the issues that arose, along with some additional ideas, have been implemented in an attempt to improve happiness and well-being and make the role more manageable,  whilst still having the maximum impact on pupil’s learning and progress.

The following strategies have been put in place to achieve this objective:
 

Planning:

• Additional weekly PPA time (30 mins) for planning and preparation
• Support provided by SLT
• No expectation of detailed lesson plans
• Year and Subject leaders given additional time to monitor and assess their area of responsibility
• Teachers permitted to have their PPA time at home once per term
• Extensive resources purchased to help with planning process (Maths No Problem, Snap Science, Curriculum Visions, Jigsaw, Rtime etc)

Photocopying

• We have employed a reprographics assistant in order to reduce workload and time spent on administrative roles

Communication

• A ‘no emails after 7pm’ rule has been imposed across the school
• Minutes from weekly YTL meetings relayed 
• Shared school calendar so that the whole school has access and can plan trips etc accordingly
• School App and website updated regularly with news and events
• Good notice given with regards to any type of monitoring

Meetings

• Meetings are kept to a minimum, with CPD sessions take place weekly during the first half term of the year.  From then on, only the first 2 sessions per half term are dedicated to training
• Termly well-being meetings (optional) arranged with line managers

New Staff

• Comprehensive training packages delivered to all new members staff
• New staff members provided with a ‘buddy’ to offer support as and where needed
• NQTs are well supported and provided with an extensive training package

Social

• Dress-down Friday
• Termly staff events, alternating between physical activities and social gatherings
• Improved and updated staffroom with vending machines installed

Additional

• Supportive on-site school well-being team available for staff to approach and confide in as and where required

Impact

Through our commitment to staff staff wellbeing, we believe the impact will be:

• Happy and content staff that enjoy working at Montem.
• Engaging, lively and effective lessons.
• Happy and content pupils that enjoy coming to school
• Staff retention is strong, providing consistent high quality education to pupils.  
• Time saved and workload reduced for teachers.
• Onerous tasks or tasks that produced little impact eradicated.