One of the joys I have as a Happiness Expert is meeting people from many varied places of work. From financial industries to advertising. Construction to the NHS. As well (of course) as universities and schools. 

In fact, between you and me, some of my best sessions have been with school teams. Everyone laughs that little bit more readily and easily and is always open and up for a challenge. I’m convinced it’s because these are the skills all school staff require to manage the challenges they face on a daily basis. Challenges that definitely require a good sense of humour. 

Nearly all of the sessions I have facilitated for schools have been around boosting resilience, mental health, and wellbeing. It’s the one thing that has never changed in the last six years of my career. It’s not surprising, of course, considering that the demands upon teachers are increasing and there is no ‘quick solution’. 

You will have read many blogs, I’m sure, about these challenges. Recently, one of my fellow Happiness Experts wrote about the biggest challenge of all: school culture - and the impact it can have on teacher retention if it’s not done right. But where does communication fit into the conversation, and whose responsibility is it to drive the team forward?

Who drives a positive school culture? 

It’s down to the Senior Leadership Team to lead in creating a positive school culture … and it’s no mean feat! When speaking to my bestie about this, a school leader herself, she referred to the different roles a leader has to take on - “caregiver, teacher, mediator, dealing with builders, social workers, parents, local authorities, all whilst trying to raise standards and maintain the wellbeing of staff and children.” And this is by no means an inexhaustive list, especially when you take into account the workload driven by the Government and Ofsted! 

So how can leaders navigate all of this whilst creating a positive culture?

Recent research by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has shown that managing workload strategies and work-life balance are key to retaining your teacher, but with all of the aforementioned, how are you supposed to do that? For me, it’s workload strategies.

Of course, I’m not suggesting that applying some quick-fix model will be the solution to this age-long problem. …and it’s a problem not to be laughed at.

Indeed, a recent article in ‘School’s Week’ highlighted that lots of teachers take their work home with them after school hours, and it’s masking the true nature of their ‘workload challenge.’ 

So, where to begin?

Positive school culture comes down to great communication. But what does that look like in reality? What makes a good chat?

• Being open and curious
• Listening without judgement
• Leading with curiosity and a willingness to understand
• Demonstrating understanding 

Communication is so important for a leader because in order to understand which strategies work for whom and how you can support your team, staff, children, parents, etc, you need to build relationships with each individual. Effective communication is crucial to the success of relationship building. 

When done well, it:

• Builds psychological safety
• Creates connection
• Gives people confidence that their ideas matter
• Helps your teams and children help themselves
• Taps into a wealth of creativity and potential ideas, etc.

Positive school culture in action

And it’s not just me that feels this way. Back in October, I was fortunate enough to deliver a session for aspiring assistant and deputy headteachers. Whilst there, I had the opportunity to hear Halil Tamgamus (Mr T) speak - the Headteacher of Braunstone Community Primary School. What an inspiring and engaging talk it was by an incredible leader!

From the first moment, his passion for his entire school and everyone within it was palpable. He became Headteacher at Braunstone back in 2019. A school which (according to statistics) is the most deprived in Leicester. Less than three years later, however, it was awarded School of the Year 2021/2022.

During his slot, Mr T described his experience of being Headteacher at Braunton and how he wanted to make big changes and create a school where everyone felt they belonged. He spoke about the school’s vision (one word – EVERYTHING), about their values (Belong, Care, Persevere and Succeed) and the way he wanted those values to permeate everything that they did in the school. The School of the Year award demonstrates how successful he was in creating a positive school culture where his vision and values could grow. 

However, part way into his session, he described how his big dream didn’t start off so well. In his desire to demonstrate his enthusiasm and drive for positive change, he lost connection with his team. It was only when he was warned by one of his leadership team that he took a step back and realised he needed to convince everyone he was up to the task. 

Only when he was able to demonstrate that he could be trusted, show that he was prepared to listen and do what needed to be done did things start to change. He was an inspiring communicator at the conference, and I’ve no doubt he’s the same every day in his leadership role. 

And finally…

What Halil Tamgamus, my bestie, and many of the other inspiring school leaders I’ve had the privilege of meeting have in common is a good sense of humour - something we cannot promote enough here at HCS. After all, it brings with it the ability to step back from stressful situations, look at them from a different perspective, and (when done successfully) provide a stress-relieving chuckle.

So, if school leaders can lead with a smile, as well as possess great communication skills, a positive school culture is almost guaranteed.

If you’re interested in how we can help your school culture, check out our Top of the League workshop for school leaders or contact Doug - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he can talk you through your options.

Laura Drury is as spirited and determined as she is short. A leading facilitator for HCS, she is also warm and intuitive and constantly updating her knowledge of neuroscience. Inspired and motivated by positive psychology, Laura brings her own positivity and Welsh bubbliness to all sessions.