Principle 5: Staff development

A group of people sitting in chairs in lines enjoying a presentation.

How training and development can help staff build inclusive practice.

All staff play an important role in building positive relationships and supporting pupils' emotional wellbeing. Everyone in school helps create a safe, supportive environment for children.

Staff need to understand relational approaches and the factors that affect relationships and behaviour. This helps them recognise children's needs and respond in the right way. Schools should provide a structured training programme that gives staff the knowledge, skills and confidence to use relational approaches well.

Training should include everyone who works in the school. Receptionists, meal supervisors, teachers and teaching assistants all help shape the school's culture and values.

Staff wellbeing

Schools also need to support staff wellbeing as part of a whole-school approach. Staff can support pupils more effectively when they feel supported themselves. Without this support, staff face a greater risk of stress and burnout, which can affect their ability to help children and young people.

Research shows that good staff wellbeing improves teacher-pupil relationships. It can boost teacher performance and reduce presenteeism, where teachers continue to work despite poor wellbeing or mental health. Studies have also found links between high teacher wellbeing, high pupil wellbeing and lower levels of psychological difficulties among pupils (Harding et al., 2019). Researchers have identified positive teacher-pupil relationships as an important factor in improving both pupil learning and staff wellbeing (Roffey, 2012).

Schools need a whole-school approach to create and maintain a sustainable relational culture. School culture plays a major role in staff wellbeing. Leaders should create an environment where staff feel safe, trusted and able to speak openly. Senior leaders should model openness, recognise that mistakes happen and encourage learning from them. Clear communication, shared learning and a focus on psychological wellbeing can help build a strong sense of collective responsibility and confidence (Yurt, 2022).

The what works in wellbeing framework

The what works in wellbeing (2023) framework helps schools understand and address the factors that affect staff wellbeing. These factors include:

health
relationships
security
environment
purpose
workload

The framework also provides ways to measure staff wellbeing and develop an action plan. Schools can use it to support implementation of the DfE Staff Wellbeing Charter.

Peer support and supervision can strengthen staff wellbeing. They give staff time and space to solve problems, share ideas, reflect on their practice and consider the emotional impact of their work.

Schools should also promote personal wellbeing, build resilience and provide different levels of support to meet different needs. These actions form important parts of a whole-school approach to staff wellbeing.

Schools should provide ongoing professional development that covers:

attachment
trauma and trauma-sensitive approaches
vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue
resilience
positive psychology
neuroscience
neurophysiology
polyvagal theory

Further training

Staff wellbeing

West Sussex Virtual School training offer

You will need to give consideration to staff's existing knowledge, experience and confidence to identify any themes for the whole staff team, as well as any enhanced training required by specific staff members. You will need to cascade learning and embed it in reflective practice.

See West Sussex Virtual School training.