The Well-Being Programme

Hendon Secondary School, London

When headteacher Kevin McKellar joined Hendon Secondary School in North London in 2006 morale was very low. The school had recently come out of special measures and staff had worked under four different head teachers in almost as many years. Clearly, wellbeing wasnt a word heard often in the schools corridors.
McKellar was keen to turn things around and recognised that the Well-Being Programme offered a structured approach to restoring staff confidence and self-esteem, reducing staff absence and ultimately raising pupil attainment.

Working environment
Improving the school environment was a key priority for Mr McKellar. The peeling white paint in the corridors was replaced by vibrant pinks and purples and the staffroom refurbished with modern furniture, fixtures and fittings. The reception area and headteachers office, previously tucked away in the bowels of the building, were moved from the basement to the ground floor. Now the contemporary-looking reception area, dominated by glass and lime green Perspex, could easily belong to a smart City firm.

Key achievements
Achievements since adopting the Well-Being Programme have been pretty remarkable: The school introduced a comprehensive return to work policy and sickness rates fell by 15%

The Well-Being Programme

The programme offered a structured approach to achieving this turnaround. A Well-Being team was established and was led by assistant headteacher Tom Mann, together with a group of colleagues from across the school. The programme began with a rigorous self-evaluation, including the online Well-Being survey which was completed by every member of staff. The survey results highlighted that the working environment, communication and work-life balance were the key areas for improvement.

Within four years pupil achievement of 5 or more GCSEs (A*to C) leapt from just 48% to 82%

It shows we mean business. Even the smallest of changes to the physical environment can help raise morale and create a more positive atmosphere.
Kevin McKellar, Headteacher

A dramatic increase in staff retention with only 2 or 3 staff leaving a year down from a high of 15-20.

Case Study

Communication
Relocating the headteachers office and reception area was not just about creating a more pleasant working environment. It also sent a powerful message about relationships and communication. McKellar had already introduced an open door policy, making it clear that staff were welcome to approach him directly (or indeed any member of the leadership team) to discuss any issues they might have. Having his office at the heart of the school reinforced that message. The Well-Being survey also highlighted that staff didnt always feel listened to, so this was a key area of focus for both the Well-Being and leadership teams. All members of staff are now invited to weekly briefing meetings, held on Friday mornings with INSET time allocated for discussion of whole-staff issues. Termly meetings have been introduced for faculty members. The head teacher and middle managers from different faculties and year groups now also meet on a regular basis. To minimise the impact of workload, the school now closes early on Friday afternoons, giving staff the opportunity to meet with colleagues and take part in training activities. In response to staff feedback, an online reporting system has been introduced, dramatically reducing the time teachers spend on assessment and reporting.

To encourage healthy and active lifestyles and help reduce stress, the school now runs a range of sport and exercise activities for staff on Friday afternoons. Activities, delivered by sixth formers with sports leaders awards, include aerobics, netball, yoga and badminton. A member of the cleaning staff, who is also a trained masseuse, is available to provide massage sessions.

The benefits
Hendon Schools commitment to wellbeing has clearly paid off. The second, follow-on Well-Being survey showed staff felt far more positive in many of the areas, with notable improvements in the school culture and more positive feelings about the way change was managed. This is reflected in the sickness and absence rates, which have fallen since the school joined the Well-Being Programme. Between the first and followon survey, during which time the school introduced a comprehensive return to work policy, sickness rates fell by 15% and staff retention has also improved. The leadership team is much more proactive now, says Head of PE Donna Sheehan. Its very clear to staff what everyones roles are, which makes for better communication. You really do feel listened to.

The future
What has been achieved so far is only green shoots, says McKellar. The Well-Being team is currently considering an early closing day of 5pm once a week, to remind staff of the need to maintain a healthy work-life balance, vital for sustaining creativity and performance. The group is also looking at communication, particularly how email is used in the school and how it affects workload. There are also plans to review the school marking policy, to see if any changes could be made to ease the pressure on teachers. What is clear is that Well-Being is now firmly embedded in the school.

Worklife Support for you

One of the biggest successes of the Well-Being Programme for Mr McKellar, has been the introduction of Worklife Support for you. This is an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) specifically designed for staff working in schools and which provides professional resources and support from trained counsellors and advisors. Several staff have called the EAP for advice on work-related and personal issues whilst others have made use of the face-toface counselling sessions available to programme members, including McKellar himself.

Work-life balance
Before the Well-Being Programme was introduced Mr McKellar described his staff as very fragmented, very angry and not working together at all. As a result the Well-Being team has worked hard to encourage staff in different roles and departments to mix with one other.

People talk about wellbeing all the time now. Its part of everything we do.
Donna Sheehan, Head of PE

What we do
We work with schools and other organisations to help achieve their full potential. We do this by taking a structured approach focusing on the wellbeing and effectiveness of staff. Our many years experience working both at an organisational level and with individual employees puts us in a unique position to enable effective change.

Get in touch
Worklife Support Ltd Suite G, Maples Business Centre, 144 Liverpool Road, London N1 1LA T: 0845 873 5680 (office hours 8.30 to 5.00) F: 0845 873 5685 E: info@worklifesupport.com
Company registered in England and Wales 03840751. Registered for VAT GB-752664907.

Find out more at www.worklifesupport.com