Staff wellbeing and reducing workplace stress

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Recognise the signs of stress and that your wellbeing might be slipping
• Take a practical step to look after your own wellbeing and reduce stress
• Ask for the right support when you need it, and know where to find it
• If you manage other staff, notice if someone in your team might be struggling, and start a supportive conversation

This course is about awareness and everyday support: recognising the signs, looking after yourself, knowing where to ask for help and, if you manage staff, starting a supportive conversation.

It doesn’t cover diagnosing or treating mental health conditions, managing complex or severe cases, or formal human resources (HR) or occupational health processes for absence or performance. Those stay with your school’s own procedures, so look up your school’s staff wellbeing policy and check what support it offers.

With thanks to the following experts for their help with this course:

Bex Howe is a senior consultant and director of Howe To Consultancy, working nationally with schools, trusts and governing boards to strengthen inclusion, leadership, and whole‑school development. With over 30 years’ experience across all phases, she specialises in building confident teams and supporting leaders to embed sustainable approaches to SEND, safeguarding, behaviour, mental health, and curriculum design.  Bex is the creator of the Roots, Leaves & Wings curriculum, hosts the Roots, Leaves & Wings Parent POD, writes parent support books, and delivers careers mentoring training and a full careers curriculum for schools.

Emma Kell is director of Those That Can Ltd. She has 27 years of experience as a teacher and leader in UK secondary schools, currently teaches in alternative provision and is a qualified performance coach. She has completed a doctorate on teacher wellbeing and parenting at Middlesex University and is author of How To Survive in Teaching (Bloomsbury, 2018) and A Little Guide For Teachers: Wellbeing and Self-Care and A Little Guide for Teachers: Engaging Parents and Carers. Her fourth book, Real Lives of Teachers (Sage) was published in January 2026 and she has co-edited Questions on Teacher Wellbeing, a book written for ECTs, published in June 2026. She can be found at https://www.those-that-can.com/.