WTF
My first step was to setup a Wellbeing Task Force. The makeup of this group was key. As a large primary school we have 17 class teachers with at least 30 TAs and LSAs, it was important to get a mix of staff, Key Stage and interests. Our first meeting was great, we had about 20 ideas for activities with the WTF group offering to take the lead on most of them. This was great because our budget for the afternoon was minimal. As leader, our first meeting was really important as I learnt two things: wellbeing for most staff meant getting to other staff members and feeling comfortable at work, secondly, staff were not prepared to do something well out of their comfort zone in the name of wellbeing.
Afternoon to Day
I took these ideas to leadership team. It was quickly decided that an afternoon wasn't enough so a full day was granted!
Future planning sessions honed in on the activities that we could run. All members of my group offered to lead a session bringing forward their skills. We had massage, reiki, singing, knitting, ukulele, roller skating and cooking all on our agenda. As a bonus, we were able to get a qualified Yoga instructor to come in (we did pay for this) and a personal trainer interested in working within the school.
The next stage was to organise lunch. Although invited, our kitchen staff weren't able to take part in the day but we're happy to provide us lunch. We planned a picnic, with the emphasis on mixing staff up so they weren't sat in their year group teams.
The week before, I put a sheet in the staff room listing the morning activities and afternoon activities. Staff were asked to sign up for the activity they would be interested in doing so that I could see which activities were popular and which ones could be dropped.
The Day
A few days before the INSET, I put a timetable for staff to sign up to. We planned two hour long sessions in the morning followed by lunch and an hour session in the afternoon followed by whole staff rounders and cocktails and cream teas. I arranged the day so that those who offered to help had a chance to try another activity and were only constrained to one hour of leading.
Session One: Staff could choose- circuit training, badminton, crochet and knitting, massage, reiki or a walk to the local park.
Session Two: Roller Skating, pampering, bike ride, singing (with the school singing teacher), walk to the woods nearby or you could relax in the meditation room.
Session Three: Yoga, ukulele, reading group, badminton, scone baking or relaxing.
It was important to get a balance of non-physical and physical activities, with a range of abilities catered for.
The day stared well, the buzz around school was tangible. I shared the concept of wellbeing and teacher 5a day based on the 5 fundamentals: connect, volunteer, exercise, learn and notice.
I used this Haiku Deck http://www.haikudeck.com/p/wlePXLDUA2
and shared this excellent video from Edward Monkton http://youtu.be/uoiIYlww8M4
We discussed how the day was to promote Happy Pigs and to continue being Happy Pigs by organising further activities together. We also discussed the children as being the happy sheep and the parents as happy chickens.
I then explained Wellbeing Buddies and asked staff to complete a 'likes' form. I then collected all of the forms, mixed them up and assigned a buddy with the mission to go forth and spread happiness.
Suitably enthused, staff left and had a great day!
Throughout the day, I observed staff relaxing, forming new friendships and above all, having a great time. At lunch, the mixture of staff was amazing as groupings had followed on from their previous activities. Rounders at the end of the day was a great ice breaker and the cocktails were a lovely way to end. An impromptu outing to the pub also occurred!
The day was an overwhelming success, lots of chatter and a great atmosphere. The real test will be whether or not activities continue on a more social level and for staff to make a positive change to improve their own wellbeing. I hope to have a board in the staff room to share positive changes and to thank wellbeing buddies.
Next Time:
If we have this opportunity again or you have been inspired to run a similar day I would change a few things.
- From the outset, make it clear that the activities on the day are a means to an end and that being together in a relaxed atmosphere is the main point.
- Staffing Issues: ideally I wanted all of our staff to take part, cleaners, kitchen staff and part time staff. We couldn't pay everyone to take part in the day but the offer was to come in for your contracted hours and then you could stay all day unpaid if you wanted too. Some staff had specific jobs to do so that ruled them out and the amount of different contracts people were on was bamboozling. A bit of a minefield which I tried to steer clear of.
- It was an INSET day: Some staff had ideas about meeting at the park, bringing in dogs etc. it all got a bit too much. This was still an INSET day, parents were sorting out childcare and whilst we were having a fun day, the benefits to the children need to be visible.
Finally, I would love to have included pictures in this post, however, I may not have been the most popular person at school, particularly after the circuit training. Look out for more posts as I examine the effect and legacy of the day.
If you want more information comment below or get in touch via @mistercollard
