New feedback tool launched to identify and improve teacher wellbeing
Developed by leading education specialists and psychologists, this edtech tool is specifically tailored to understand and improve staff wellbeing and retention
In a drive to improve engagement and address teacher wellbeing, a new edtech tool for teachers has been launched to provide continual feedback loops which can be used to identify the pressures school staff may be facing, develop tailored action plans and transform school culture and teachers’ working lives.
Developed by the world’s largest community of teachers, Tes Global, in partnership with an educational psychologist and UK and international schools, Staff Pulse gives schools the ability to gather anonymous, real-time data and insights from staff across 21 different categories, including workload, support, communication and enjoyment.
Supporting the Government’s edtech strategy as well as addressing teacher recruitment and retention, Staff Pulse has been specifically designed for schools to deliver a positive work environment and ensure staff are happy in their school and career. Using the data-driven feedback and insights, schools can better understand the evolving views of their staff, identify key pressure points and continually refine responsive action plans tailored to their needs.
In scoring and commenting on given statements, staff can be completely honest about how they feel without fear of judgement or repercussions, and senior leaders can gather and analyse insights to track success and improve areas for development. Responses and scores in the centralised dashboard can also be compared to the national average, giving school leaders their own benchmarks as well as a guide to how other schools are performing.
Carla Bennett, Headteacher of Sherford Vale School in Plymouth has been using Staff Pulse over the last few months. She said:
“I send the pulse to my staff every Wednesday. I read the results as part of SLT and note down any action points. We set up an action plan for ‘communication’ which was rated the least effective and gave staff chance to comment upon improvements. As a result, staff feel like they are listened to and have a say and we are actioning or providing reasons why some of their suggestions are not possible. As a result, this has increased staff morale and the pulse rating for the school has increased. Staff and leaders like using the pulse and have recommended it to another MAT who are in the process of setting it up.”
According to the Health and Safety Executive, teaching staff and education professionals report the highest rates of work-related stress, depression and anxiety in Britain. Subsequently, Ofsted has increased its emphasis on teacher wellbeing and its impact on the wellbeing of students in schools in its latest Inspection Framework. As part of this, edtech can play a powerful role, not only in facilitating a more streamlined approach to lesson planning and delivery, but also in being able to provide senior leaders with complete visibility across the school and tracking and responding to teachers’ needs.
The different categories which can be tailored for staff, identify key drivers of satisfaction and allow for a granular response to build and measure the impact of responsive action plans. This regular feedback empowers school leaders to build an inclusive and transparent culture that attracts, engages and retains the best staff, without adding to their workloads.
Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA said:
“Teacher wellbeing is something that should concern us all. If teachers are anxious or stressed, this effects their ability to prepare, which severely hinders children’s education. Schools need to be supported to monitor how their teachers feel and take action quickly, in order to maintain a confident positive staffroom.”
Tes Global Product Director, Funmi Alassan, involved with Staff Pulse since its inception, said:
“We developed Staff Pulse after listening to schools across the world. Senior Leadership Teams at schools want to know what their staff are thinking and how they are feeling so they can provide the right level of support and promote their wellbeing. Staff Pulse provides schools with regular robust anonymous feedback that can translate directly into action plans. It’s a key part of Tes’s mission to support teachers to have time to do what they do best – teach.”
