Embedding wellbeing into your school’s CPD offer isn’t just an extra; it’s essential. Staff who feel supported, valued, and resilient are the foundation of a thriving school. Prioritising wellbeing within professional development strengthens retention, boosts morale, and improves outcomes for everyone.
If you’re serious about embedding wellbeing into your CPD plan, start by asking: how visible is wellbeing currently? Is it woven into your INSET days, twilight sessions, and leadership development, or does it sit on the sidelines?
Key Actions for Embedding Wellbeing into CPD:
Make it explicit – Don’t leave wellbeing as an implied benefit. Build it into the language and outcomes of your CPD sessions and help staff believe that their wellbeing is important to SLT too.
Model it from the top – Senior leaders must live the values they promote. Staff notice when leaders protect their own wellbeing and when they don’t. If your leadership team doesn’t know how to set boundaries themselves, it implies that this is the expectation – whether that’s true or not!
Offer choice and autonomy – Wellbeing improves when teachers feel trusted. Include CPD opportunities that allow for individual professional growth and training, not just whole-school initiatives.
Review workload impact – Effective wellbeing strategies involve questioning whether new initiatives add strain. If CPD demands more marking, planning, or meetings, it may undermine your goal.
Evaluate and adapt – Staff feedback is crucial. Create regular, low-pressure ways to check whether CPD is supporting or stretching staff wellbeing.
Embedding wellbeing isn’t about one-off workshops on ‘self-care’ or rewarding staff for overcoming that difficult marking bottleneck. It’s about shaping a culture where development and sustainability go hand in hand. Encourage line managers to ask about wellbeing holistically, not just in terms of whether staff are ok at work.
Quick Leadership Check
Does every CPD event take staff wellbeing into account?
Are line managers equipped to support their teams’ resilience?
Is feedback about wellbeing acted on, not just gathered?
If not, this is your opportunity. Embedding wellbeing now will reap benefits far beyond this academic year.
True leadership means investing in people, not just performance. Embedding wellbeing into your CPD plan is one of the smartest, most sustainable moves your SLT can make. If you’re struggling with how you can implement these ideas or how you can make them work alongside the other unique features of your institution, get in touch: rachel@concentriccoaching.co.uk
