Is your school toxic? Find out with Andrew Cowley.
When I first began researching staff wellbeing, I was expecting the major issues to be about workload, time management and job satisfaction. One term however became a constant theme: ‘toxic schools’. This terminology frequently appears in educator social media groups and is becoming such an embedded part of education vocabulary that we need a serious conversation about addressing and recognising the impact toxic schools have on the future of teaching.
What is a toxic school?
A toxic school is a dysfunctional school culture or environment that negatively impacts the performance, health and wellbeing of staff – and, by extension, that of pupils. This can include factors such as unchallenged behaviours, questionable professionalism, poor communication, lack of trust and respect, and an overemphasis on performance over wellbeing.
Whilst performance and accountability are key drivers in schools, they should never be at the cost of a holistic approach.
A school should consider the whole child and, more widely, the whole school; valuing teachers as the shapers of our future young citizens, not as mere cogs in an examination machine.
Is my school toxic?
The indicators that a school is a toxic workplace may include:
Poor communication and relationships
- A toxic communication culture typified by intrusive emailing and WhatsApp messaging out of school hours. An unhealthy volume of emails and poor, unprofessional and passive-aggressive language within these communications.
- Sub-groups (such as on WhatsApp etc.) used for malicious discussion about colleagues, staff or parents. Where screenshots of these conversations are made public, the consequences can be devastating.
- Staffrooms being empty, used only for the making of a hot drink before teachers quickly disappear to their rooms.
- Alternatively, the staffroom may have an atmosphere dominated by gossip and negativity.
- A lack of smiles, laughter or interaction between colleagues, often driven by a culture of fear. Colleagues seen leaving the headteacher’s office in tears is a sure indicator of this kind of culture.
Poor behaviour
- Staff with links to the local community, governors and parents who may share confidential information such as classes for the next year, staff departures or more sensitive concerns.
- A culture of tale-telling or whistleblowing, not out of genuine concern but to protect one’s own position and reputation whilst harming that of another colleague, potentially at the cost of their job. This can include snooping around teachers’ social media posts and sharing them out of context.
- Perceptions of favouritism, especially involving cliques, friendships outside of school and social events which mistakenly or deliberately exclude others. There is a big difference between ECTs having a drink after school as a bonding exercise, and a night out where invitees are hand-picked. Alcohol loosens tongues and inhibitions, and such evenings can change the balance of relationships in a school.
- Individuals who can kill the mood in a staff meeting or training day with just one comment. Some staff may be negative because change is worrying or threatening, but others can make these comments to impact the mindset of other teachers against leadership or other colleagues.
- Staff who try to influence the answers given in staff wellbeing surveys. If too many answers are identical, this has certainly taken place.
- Workplace bullying, which can come from anywhere in the school.
Poor mental health support
- High levels of stress-related and long-term absences. One person absent may be an indicator of something in their life outside of school; several colleagues absent (either together or consecutively) suggests the school and its culture is the trigger of poor mental health.
- A high turnover of staff, unrelated to promotion, retirement, relocation or new parenthood.
- Language such as ‘going the extra mile’ which may indicate an unhealthy pressure to overwork. This can generate cognitive overload, with a multitude of tasks to complete in a given time, putting stresses on time and being a longer term cause of burnout.
- Lack of empathy and compassion for staff struggles.
- Paying lip-service to mental health and wellbeing (e.g. tick-box exercises for wellbeing rather than an authentic culture of support)
The consequences of toxicity
The obvious consequence is on individuals. Levels of stress can lead to poor mental health, disrupted sleep, anxiety, rapid weight loss or gain, extended absences due to work-related stress, and even dependence on alcohol or prescription and recreational drugs. A further consequence is staff in fear of losing their jobs and the impact on their future in education, particularly with a culture of tale-telling and disciplinary procedures. The impact here is not only upon colleagues but on their families and relationships.
The consequence for schools is the loss of staff. There isn’t an endless production line of new teachers and teaching assistants, and a high turnover doesn’t encourage new applicants who will be seeking a safe psychological space as well as a workplace where they can thrive. For the profession as a whole, for schools across the UK, we cannot afford to lose our staff, our most valuable and precious resource.
Solutions
The best solutions recognise that a holistic approach to staff wellbeing and workplace relationships is the best way to address issues that arise through staff turnover, exit interviews and staff wellbeing surveys. This approach should be strategic, deliberately planned for and proactive – recognising that the picture will be ever-changing as each term and year progresses, and as the balance of personnel changes.
There are a number of strategies that schools can try:
- Establish a climate in schools which enables staff to thrive. Listen to your staff, don’t punish mistakes and recognise the daily realities in school are challenging but not to the extent that these challenges are insurmountable.
- Give the staff wellbeing survey priority and encourage staff to complete it. Have the survey online and allow staff to complete it anonymously. In the survey have staff give scores and provide text boxes for comments. Assure confidentiality and that no attempt will be made to identify anonymous comments.
- Involve governors in the discussion around staff relationships. A governor with a background in workplace relationships or working in the public sector can be an invaluable ally in challenging negative behaviours.
- Consider the language behind high expectations. Don’t hide behind a buzz-phrase such as ‘You only get out what you put in’ or ‘Be the best that you can be’. These phrases are empty, meaningless and even harmful without a proper context.
- Frame your expectations in terms of compassion, empathy and collective responsibility for each other and the children.
- Challenge perceived negativity, stand up to workplace bullying and, as a leader, communicate your sense of ‘why’ at all times.
- Take a forensic look at relationships in a school. Look at how sociograms are used to examine relationships within a group. This can allow a proactive response to support a colleague who is being marginalised or unfairly pressured by other members of staff.
- Use your findings from observations and any analyses as a development opportunity. Support staff in difficulty and professionally challenge the mindset of those whose behaviour and language may be contributing to a toxic environment.
- Be active and never be passive on any issue that may be unsettling for your colleagues.
Let us make toxic schools history!
Author
Andrew Cowley is an experienced former primary school teacher and DHT. He now coaches mental health leaders for Carnegie Centre of Excellence at Leeds Beckett University and is the author of 'The Wellbeing Toolkit', 'The Wellbeing Curriculum' and the forthcoming 'The School Mental Health Toolkit'.
