Monitoring and supporting staff workload and wellbeing

Find out how you can promote a healthy staff work-life balance without stepping on the toes of the day-to-day running of the school.

Last reviewed on 5 May 2022
See updates
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 32059
Contents
  1. Be clear on your role
  2. Question your headteacher
  3. Check your own practices
  4. Review school policies
  5. Request staff feedback

Be clear on your role

Unlike how the chair supports headteacher wellbeing, the way you support staff wellbeing is more hands-off.

As a board, you need to make sure that:

  • Relevant policies and processes are in place which:
    • Facilitate a healthy work-life balance among your staff
    • Don't put undue pressure on workload
  • The school adheres to the working time limits set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998
  • You don't make unreasonable demands on the time of school staff, including the headteacher
  • You support your headteacher and teachers to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance. This is a requirement for maintained schools, but good practice for all school types (see pages 24 and 98 of the Governance Handbook)
  • You provide appropriate challenge and support to the headteacher, including:
    • Asking probing questions
    • Setting targets for improvement where feedback shows there are staff wellbeing issues 

Take a look at our questions below. Don't ask your headteacher all of them (there are