Think about a typical school day. You see teachers rushing around, preparing lessons and classrooms and dealing with all sorts of classroom challenges. But behind the scenes, many of these teachers are struggling. They’re tired, overworked, and often feel like their own wellbeing is being ignored.

Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin, once said, “Clients don’t come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” This idea holds true in schools too. Teachers and teaching assistants are the heart of any school community. They work hard to educate and support children, but they need support too.

When teachers are stressed and exhausted, it affects everything in the school. They may not be able to teach as effectively, and children may not learn as much. Plus, it’s just not fair to expect teachers to give their all without taking care of them in return.

So, what can schools do to help? It starts with recognising that teachers are more than just employees—they’re people with feelings, needs and lives outside of school. Schools can make things easier for teachers by reducing unnecessary paperwork, giving them time for training and development and making sure they feel heard and respected.

Taking care of teachers isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also smart. Research shows that when teachers are happy, students do better in school. So, by investing in teacher wellbeing, schools can create a better learning environment for everyone.

In the end, it’s simple: if we want schools to be healthy and happy places for students to learn, we need to start by putting teachers first. By supporting and valuing teachers, we can build stronger, more successful schools for everyone.