New £200,000 initiative aims to help underpressure Scottish schools staff

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has hailed the impact of coaching on school staff as a new £200,000 programme focuses on wellbeing.

The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by Edinburgh-based social enterprise Know You More, aims to help people cope with mental health pressures. The free-to-access coaching has been arranged in collaboration with Education Scotland and will be available to all staff, from teaching assistants to head teachers.

The programme has been funded to provide a total of 1,250 hours of coaching to more than 500 people. It follows a similar scheme that provided guidance and leadership coaching to senior staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The funding comes as more school staff are reported to be turning their backs on education, amid the strain of rising classroom violence, high workloads and insecure jobs. Ms Gilruth said: “We value our teachers and education professionals and are committed to understanding their needs and providing them with the right support. This coaching will help provide a safe and confidential place for them to focus on their own wellbeing and we know from their feedback how helpful it can be.”

Gillian Jones, principal teacher at Banchory Primary

School and a previous participant of Know You More’s coaching, said: “On the back of my own coaching experience, having the opportunity to support newly qualified teachers has been inspirational. Even when I’m in the classroom I’m using the techniques I learned throughout the course, so it really is having a profound effect.”

Tim Mart, co-founder of Know You More, said: “We’ve seen the benefits that coaching focused on wellbeing brings to employees and employers, and we are looking forward to working with teaching staff.

“Employers are beginning to recognise that personalised support is most effective when it comes to wellbeing in the workplace. Offering things like meditation apps and free fruit is nice, but unfortunately doesn’t scratch the surface, so it is important to support our key workers with the tools they need to feel empowered to manage their own wellbeing.”