The hero head model is discredited and dangerous. Julian Stanley urges school leaders to adopt a ‘first among equals’ approach and safeguard their own wellbeing

In our recently published YouGov UK Health Survey – Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Education Profession – three quarters (74 per cent) of the 1,250 respondents told us that the physical symptoms they had experienced relating to stress and pressure were down to their workload and lack of work/life balance. Among senior leaders who reported symptoms, almost all (98 per cent) said this had been the case.

We know these problems are increasingly cited as major factors affecting recruitment and retention across the sector. The effects of poor mental health and wellbeing can have a far-reaching impact on a person and many aspects of their life. More than half of the school leaders we surveyed (53 per cent) reported their personal relationships had suffered as a result of the pressures they were experiencing, including anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia.

The substantial sacrifices that school staff and leaders make are well documented and in the current context in particular, the concept of any sort of work/life balance may seem almost laughable to many.

In the most recent Department for Education (DfE) teacher workload survey, published in the spring, 85 per cent of the respondents disagreed with the statement “overall I achieve a good balance between my work life and my private life”.

But given the very real consequences and a growing recognition that staff effectiveness and satisfaction are essential to happy, successful schools, the need to find a better medium that will go some way to helping those of you striving to cope in difficult circumstances has never been more of a priority.

So how can struggling leaders begin to turn this around, to show that some positive change is possible, to improve their own experience and that of their teams? A quarter (24 per cent) of school leaders told us in our survey that they were actively working on improving their resilience. Start by looking at where you might be able to adjust your own approach.

Taking decisive action is key to improvement. Talking to peers, to those who may be experiencing or have experienced similar issues, may seem like a simplistic approach, but it is crucial to finding what could be lasting improvement.

Focus on ways to create boundaries, improve communication and work towards a better balance. If you don’t already, be honest in sharing the challenges you face with governors and colleagues you can trust.

Drew Povey, head of Harrop Fold School, featured in Channel 4’s current show Educating Manchester, echoes the advice of many that it doesn’t need to be lonely at the top: “Remember that you’re not standing above your staff but alongside them, willing them on,” he says. Adopt a “first among equals” approach. Heads should make it clear that they don’t have all the answers. “It’s almost never the case that you will be the best person to solve a problem,” he adds.

Keeping this in mind, finding the courage to share your success, your frustrations and concerns in a straightforward manner is an important component to building a healthier balance for yourself and your teams. Establishing the space to talk to peers in a constructive way will go a long way towards delivering effective change. Leaders are accountable but the responsibility and means to deliver is a collective and collaborative endeavour.

Hilary Berry, chair of the Association of Headteachers at Cheshire West and Chester local authority, has been involved with running our Headspace programme in recent years. She says participants speak of the confidence they feel after this shared peer-to-peer experience, “learning to look after themselves for the good of the job, their staff and pupils”.

Make time to think about how the input of others can help you create change for the better, no matter how small, as a first step.

As Geoff Barton, leader of the Association of School and College Leaders said following Theresa May’s recent ill-fated party conference speech: “It is surely time for a change of mind-set, for a recognition that leadership isn’t an act of heroism. We’re all human beings, most of us doing our best in often difficult circumstances.”

  • Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Education Support Partnership. For help or advice contact the Education Support Partnership’s free 24-hour helpline on 08000 562 561 and for details of other support services, including the Headspace and Yourspace leadership support programmes, visit www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk

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