In our Wellbeing Around the World series, we speak to school leaders across the globe to see how they’re nurturing positive staff wellbeing, whatever challenges they may face.

In this article, we talk to Ruth Burke, principal/CEO of Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD), and Mark Swaine, a teacher at the school and the chair of its wellbeing committee, to hear about why they give staff an extra day off each year.

Protecting teacher wellbeing in schools

Why does staff wellbeing matter to you as an international head? 

Teaching is the best job in the world - watching children develop and grow and staff thrive and achieve great results together is truly uplifting.

This is our lifeblood but often - and certainly recently - that lifeblood is being squeezed out of teaching; something all heads are aware of.

The pressure of targets, league tables and exam results, overlaid with the stress of managing a pandemic, has diluted the “magic” that is the very nature of a great teacher.

We all know that stressed or burnt-out teachers have poorer relationships with students, and their teaching quality decreases. 

As such, we always want to prioritise teacher wellbeing, to create an environment where teachers can flourish.

This will ensure that our students benefit from a better classroom climate and more productive learning, which inevitably translates into higher-quality teaching and staff retention.

Are there any wellbeing issues unique to your region?

Dubai has always attracted young UK and European teachers who want to travel but ultimately still want the flexibility of returning to their home country whenever they choose.

In the UAE, we have not been as impacted in the workplace by the pandemic as some of the worst-hit countries, but it still has been tough with various travel restrictions that have impacted on teacher wellbeing as that sense of travel freedom has been taken away.

Grappling with new ways of working has also been tough.

Last year, for instance, staff juggled a new hybrid model of in-class and online teaching, embraced new ways of working and new technology, and endeavoured to continue teaching and supporting children in the midst of the pandemic.

The return to full-time, in-class schooling has been welcomed by all this year, as our teachers adapt to life more akin to pre-Covid times.

This has notably helped staff wellbeing but the senior leadership team have certainly recognised how difficult and lonely the past 20 months have been for some staff. 

What wellbeing initiatives have you introduced to combat this issue?

One of the key things we have done is to simplify our recruitment process and focus on making sure new hires feel welcome and part of the community from the start.

This is the new process we put in place that outlines how we ensure that a new teacher should be able to settle in quickly and happily: 

• A buddy system provides new staff with the opportunity to connect with a current member of staff who acts as a guide and mentor and reveals the ropes of life of SISD.
• Incorporating wellness-themed sessions in the introductory week allows existing and new staff to connect, share common ground and establish positive relationships. 
• A hamper awaits new members of staff who reside in the staff accommodation.
• The HR department ensures that the resident visa application process is smooth and easy for new staff members.
• New staff are also collected from the airport by one of our team, and escorted to their respective medical check-ups if required.

Then, for all staff, we have introduced several ideas that are aimed at ensuring that staff are happy as their time with us continues, including:

• Encouraging staff to use our facilities, including an Olympic-sized pool and gym.
• We have a café and deli providing organic food for staff at a low cost. Staff can opt for breakfast and lunch on site in our dedicated café, where the school kitchens prepare all food fresh on site every day.
• Be Good to Yourself Day encourages staff to take a mental break by providing an extra day off . 
• A wellness committee of 12 members has been set up to focus on staff wellbeing.
• We deliver little “thank you’ gestures from the senior leadership team, including free coffees, cakes, ice cream days, doughnut day and fruit lunches. 
• We conduct regular Pulse surveys to allow staff to provide details about their wellbeing status anonymously.
• We provide staff voice opportunities to encourage staff to share ideas and discuss pinch points and wellbeing.

How did some of these ideas come about?

As the school has grown significantly, we have many new staff this year.

Most have moved to Dubai from overseas, which can be a daunting experience, especially when relocating to a new country and school alone. 

Feedback from staff who have moved to Dubai and joined the school recently helped to shape the induction plans for new joiners.

In addition, we are very aware of the implications, challenges and often daunting elements of moving overseas to a new school, so our team wanted to support staff throughout their move - settling in, furniture buying, welcome goodie packs, airport transfers, medicals, visas and general settling in requirements.

Then with our Be Good to Yourself Day, there is an additional day of leave to be taken whenever staff choose.

This was instigated with the desire to support staff with general life admin or to enjoy celebration days outside the usual peak school holiday time.

How involved were staff in this work?

Our new staff wellbeing committee, comprising 12 staff from all areas of the school, has contributed to the plan and continually evolves the programme. 

Feedback from new staff is helping to shape the programme, and we plan to evolve it further over the next year for subsequent new starters.

Ideas currently under discussion include places to chill out, events to promote connection, opportunities to contribute, gratitude promotion, yoga, exercise and breathing.

How was this initiative rolled out on a practical level?

Staff book their Be Good to Yourself Day in advance with their line manager. Provided it doesn’t fall on a critical day - for example, exam day, inspection day, etc - then the day off is approved by the senior team.

Cover from the cover team is then booked and organised in advance and all parties are aware that the teacher will be absent that day.

We encourage staff to share what they did on their additional day off, as an incentive/motivator for others in the team to follow.

Communication was, and is, key in every aspect of the programme.

For example, we hold regular wellbeing committee meetings, deliver surveys to staff for helpful feedback and ensure a clear, constant communication flow in all HR and management meetings.   

What was the impact and how did you measure this?

Our findings reveal improved staff morale and retention, higher engagement in the wellbeing Pulse surveys and an enhanced workplace culture, where talking honestly about wellbeing is encouraged and normal.  

Did you have to allocate financial resources to cover this? 

The wellbeing initiatives for staff required collegiate approaches rather than significant budgets.

The Be Good to Yourself Day, for example, is about good systems, sharing planning, communicating with cover teachers and bringing joy back to the workplace in return for time for self-care. 

The overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff demonstrates how successful this initiative is. Our surveys indicate the positive impact it’s having on both individual wellbeing and collective morale, too. 

Thank-you cards, shout outs, coffee tokens, pizza events and “15 minutes with senior leader” approaches further support an ethos of appreciation, sharing gratitude and mutual care and support.

What advice would you suggest to others thinking of doing something similar? 

To genuinely create a staff wellbeing culture, it needs to be embedded throughout the organisation. 

Leaders must be seen to lead by example and to show they genuinely care about wellbeing. As an organisation, we need to create an environment where staff feel comfortable expressing their wellbeing status and concerns. We also need to be able to openly discuss wellness, mental health and general wellbeing issues. 

Recruitment processes must ensure that employees genuinely care about wellbeing and that barriers to wellness are eliminated within the school environment. 

At SISD, we now offer a regular Pulse survey to anonymously garner staff thoughts on wellbeing. We can provide support in any areas where common themes are identified.

Our senior leadership team reviews this regularly, adjusting our approach to reflect survey outcomes. 

How do you look after your own wellbeing? 

It’s important to take time for yourself and ensure that your cup is always full - whether that means taking quality time to spend with family and friends or finding time to enjoy your passions and learn new things.

It’s crucial to stay connected with people and things that really matter to you, and, finally, make sure you engage with positive people who enjoy a good laugh.

Ruth Burke is principal/CEO of Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai and Mark Swaine is a teacher and wellbeing committee chair in the school