“The support staff really enjoyed your CPD session – it had learning, reflection and various ideas for implementing strategies.”
Fiona Brindley, Headteacher, St Brendan’s Primary School, Bolton
As teacher workload hits an all-time high and with pressures on schools growing, it is inevitable that this is now beginning to impact on school support staff.
Many TAs describe how the role has become increasingly demanding resulting in a negative impact on their health and wellbeing.
“Excessive workloads” and growing financial pressures on education staff were among the reasons given for the problems.
Investment in TA Wellbeing
Often overlooked in the delivery of a busy and comprehensive curriculum, is the well-being of the school support staff. Teaching assistants often work closely with the most challenging of pupils. Constantly dealing with sometimes extreme pupil behaviour proved to be very stressful for many. Often it takes a breaking point issue to really grasp the importance of initiating, developing and maintaining qualitative and quantitative staff well-being.
An investment in TA wellbeing development raises awareness of the importance of staff, and upskills them to take even more control over their own well-being in an emotionally secure school setting. If staff are more at ease with their well-being this has a very positive impact on pupil engagement and achievement.
“People are so exhausted it’s crazy…my health is suffering so much. I am often in tears from sheer exhaustion.”
Seema, TA in Ilford
INSET Outcomes:
By the end of the INSET, delegates will have:
• Identified and defined what stress is
• Identified different types of stress i.e. panic attacks, depression, anxiety
• Measured stress through a stress audit
• Identified stress triggers
• Reviewed current coping and preventative mechanisms
• Identified additional coping and preventative mechanisms
• Introduced strategies for coping for life enhancement and enjoyment
Who is this INSET for?
• All TA’s, LSAs & other school support staff
See also our online course: Mental Health Awareness
only 25!
INSET Outline
What is Positive Mental Wellbeing and what can we learn from the evidence?
This course introduces the key aspects of developing positive mental health and well-being for support staff. It looks at current statistics from Mental Health England, NHS and national media sources and clearly defines the current stress landscape within education.
Identifying and Measure Stress in the workplace
Practical activities are introduced which identify the different types of stress, along with a personal stress audit which yields individual stress ratings. There is an additional questionnaire that identifies stress triggers and through individual and anonymous group work, potential solutions are discussed.
Development of Emotional Competencies and Stress Coping Strategies.
The course then looks at developing the emotional competency rating of staff, as well as introducing simple and more complex stress coping and well-being strategies.