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Publications including "wellbeing"

Why Staff Wellbeing Initiatives Fail in Schools (and How to Build Approaches That Work)
Sep 2025

Why Staff Wellbeing Initiatives Fail in Schools (and How to Build Approaches That Work)

Many teacher wellbeing initiatives fail because they are one-size-fits-all, quick fixes, or top-down. Learn how to build a contextualised, strategic, and collaborative staff wellbeing strategy in schools that improves retention, reduces burnout, and drive
Strategic Staff Wellbeing in Schools: Six Steps to Boost Retention and Reduce Burnout
Jun 2025

Strategic Staff Wellbeing in Schools: Six Steps to Boost Retention and Reduce Burnout

How schools can take a simple, 6-step strategic approach to make a meaningful difference to staf wellbeing.
5 Reasons Schools Should Prioritise Staff Wellbeing
Jun 2025

5 Reasons Schools Should Prioritise Staff Wellbeing

Investing in staff wellbeing in schools delivers benefits that extend far beyond individual staff members.
Healthy school leaders know how to switch off
May 2025
School Management Plus

Healthy school leaders know how to switch off

Why is is important that school leaders switch off in non-work time and effective switching off strategies.
Building a positive workplace culture in schools
Jan 2025
The International Educator

Building a positive workplace culture in schools

How do schools maximise the quality of the workplace culture for their leaders and staff?
How schools can avoid wasting money on ineffective wellbeing schemes
Nov 2024
School Management Plus

How schools can avoid wasting money on ineffective wellbeing schemes

How being strategic about staff wellbeing ensures money is invested wisely and not wasted.
What schools get wrong about workplace culture
Sep 2024
School Management Plus

What schools get wrong about workplace culture

Why workplace culture is key to maximising staff wellbeing and the key pitfalls for schools.
Educator Wellbeing and Burnout
Jun 2023
The Edusalon

Educator Wellbeing and Burnout

Deborah Netolicky talks with Dr Helen Kelly about educator wellbeing and burnout.
How to Avoid Burnout
May 2023
ISLECIS Loft Live

How to Avoid Burnout

Discussing what educators can do to maximise their workplace wellbeing and avoid burnout.
Helping Leaders Improve Wellbeing
Apr 2023
Principal Matters

Helping Leaders Improve Wellbeing

Talking with Will parker about the importance of taking care of oneself as a school leader
Causes of Educator Burnout
Feb 2023
International Schools Podcast

Causes of Educator Burnout

Talking with John Mikton about the causes of educator burnout
Teacher Burnout
Feb 2023
Flourishing at School

Teacher Burnout

Discussing educator burnout with Jason van Schie and Tamara Lechner
Being Strategic About Wellbeing
Jan 2023
The Wonders of Wellbeing

Being Strategic About Wellbeing

Talking about the importance of taking a strategic approach to bring meaningful improvement to staff and student wellbeing.
Improving Workplace Culture in Schools Part 2: Belonging
Nov 2022

Improving Workplace Culture in Schools Part 2: Belonging

Workplace belonging is a key component of a positive workplace culture. Schools foster belonging when they unite staff around a shared purpose and create an environment where everyone feels accepted, respected and recognised.
Teacher Burnout: Is Workload the Elephant in the Room or Just a Tick Box?
Oct 2022

Teacher Burnout: Is Workload the Elephant in the Room or Just a Tick Box?

Studies show that workload is the single biggest contributor to the burnout of teaching staff in schools.  Yet despite increasing interest in improving the wellbeing of staff, many schools seem reluctant to address workload effectively.
Why Schools Should do More to Improve Workplace Culture
Sep 2022

Why Schools Should do More to Improve Workplace Culture

Research from around the world shows that staff working in schools have lower levels of wellbeing and higher levels of burnout than the general population.
A conversation with Dr. Helen Kelly Researcher, writer, speaker, consultant on school wellbeing
Jul 2022
International Schools Podcast

A conversation with Dr. Helen Kelly Researcher, writer, speaker, consultant on school wellbeing

Helen shares learnings from her research on the demands of the school leader's role and how schools can support leaders better. She also discusses the impact of the pandemic on International school teachers and leaders.
Why Schools Should Take Teacher Burnout More Seriously
Aug 2021

Why Schools Should Take Teacher Burnout More Seriously

As we start another school year in the northern hemisphere I reflect back on the hundreds of conversations I have had over the last twelve months with educators...
Covid’s troubling impact on international school teacher wellbeing
Apr 2021
School Management Plus

Covid’s troubling impact on international school teacher wellbeing

International school leaders need to 'take heed' of staff who say they need more support, writes Dr Helen Kelly.
International School Teacher Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Crisis 2020-21
Apr 2021

International School Teacher Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Crisis 2020-21

A report on the wellbeing of 275 international school teachers during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Teaching Through the Pandemic – What Has Been Most Challenging For International School Teachers?
Mar 2021

Teaching Through the Pandemic – What Has Been Most Challenging For International School Teachers?

This is the third article in my series on international school teacher wellbeing during the COVID 19 crisis, based upon a survey which I conducted in January and February 2021....
International School Teacher Wellbeing – How Can Schools Support Teachers More Effectively?
Mar 2021

International School Teacher Wellbeing – How Can Schools Support Teachers More Effectively?

Earlier this week, I published the main findings from my research into  International School Teacher Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Crisis 2020-21. It is important to give teachers a voice and...
Should Schools be Responsible for Addressing the Child Mental Health Crisis?
Mar 2021

Should Schools be Responsible for Addressing the Child Mental Health Crisis?

Schools around the world are becoming the front-line for dealing with child mental health issues, yet should this be the case and if so are governments providing schools with the...
How Do Schools Develop an Effective Staff Wellbeing Policy?
Jan 2021

How Do Schools Develop an Effective Staff Wellbeing Policy?

In my last article  What are the Most Effective Steps Schools Can Take to Support Teachers’ and Leaders’ Mental Health and Wellbeing? I listed nine steps that schools can take to determine...
What are the Most Effective Steps Schools Can Take to Support Teachers’ and Leaders’ Mental Health and Wellbeing?
Jan 2021

What are the Most Effective Steps Schools Can Take to Support Teachers’ and Leaders’ Mental Health and Wellbeing?

There is a host of data from around the world which suggests that teachers and school leaders experience significantly more work-related stress than the general population and are more vulnerable...
How Can School Leaders Support Staff With Mental Health Concerns?
Jan 2021

How Can School Leaders Support Staff With Mental Health Concerns?

The mental health of educators is a growing concern around the world. One in twenty UK teachers now report mental health problems lasting more than 12 months and half of...
What is Burnout and How Can Teachers and School Leaders Overcome It?
Jan 2021

What is Burnout and How Can Teachers and School Leaders Overcome It?

Back in September 2020 in my article Is an Epidemic of COVID Burnout Awaiting our School Leaders?  I shared my own experiences of an occupational burnout diagnosed the year before. I also...
School Leader Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Pandemic – The 2020 Report
Dec 2020

School Leader Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Pandemic – The 2020 Report

A report on the wellbeing of school leaders worldwide during the first year of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Why Should Parents Care About School Leader Wellbeing?
Dec 2020

Why Should Parents Care About School Leader Wellbeing?

The media is filled almost every day with reports of increased stress and mental health issues that schools are facing in the wake of the current pandemic crisis. Most focus...
School Leader Voices Tell the Real Story of Pandemic Stress
Nov 2020

School Leader Voices Tell the Real Story of Pandemic Stress

In my recent study into school leader wellbeing during the COVID 19 crisis 70% of the 721 school leaders who took part say they have come close to breaking point...
School Leader Wellbeing Survey Reveals Worrying Pandemic Stress Levels
Nov 2020

School Leader Wellbeing Survey Reveals Worrying Pandemic Stress Levels

Many thanks to all those 721 school leaders around the world who took part in my online survey last month. I have prepared an infographic to share the highlights. A...
How Can School Leaders Manage Increased Community Anxiety During the Second Lockdown?
Nov 2020

How Can School Leaders Manage Increased Community Anxiety During the Second Lockdown?

As Germany, France and the UK move into new national lockdowns this week, the decision has been taken to keep schools open. Anxiety among teaching staff and parents...
How Can We Persuade School Governors/Trustees to Take School Leader Wellbeing Seriously?
Nov 2020

How Can We Persuade School Governors/Trustees to Take School Leader Wellbeing Seriously?

On Thursday I led a Zoom town hall discussion with a large group of Montessori school leaders from across the USA who had reached out to ask for my support....
Resilience Programmes – Are We Ignoring the Real Truth About Childhood Resilience?
Oct 2020

Resilience Programmes – Are We Ignoring the Real Truth About Childhood Resilience?

Resilience has been a buzzword in education for the last 5-10 years but since the declaration of a global pandemic there has been a much greater focus on the importance...
The Myth of the Resilient Child
Oct 2020

The Myth of the Resilient Child

There has been a big conversation happening in the media over recent months about the potential impact of the COVID crisis on the emotional health of our young people. Some...
Leading Through a Pandemic: Building School Leader Resilience
Oct 2020

Leading Through a Pandemic: Building School Leader Resilience

The COVID 19 crisis is increasing the huge levels of stress already experienced by international school leaders. While some are thriving in the face of the challenge, many are overwhelmed...
Leading Through a Pandemic: How Can We Support Middle Leader Wellbeing?
Oct 2020

Leading Through a Pandemic: How Can We Support Middle Leader Wellbeing?

In my article  Are Schools Asking Too Much of Middle Leaders? I examined how the current COVID crisis is leaving many middle leaders exhausted and disillusioned with some close to burnout. Since...
Leading Through a Pandemic: Are Schools Asking Too Much of Middle Leaders?
Sep 2020

Leading Through a Pandemic: Are Schools Asking Too Much of Middle Leaders?

The COVID crisis has brought new and unexpected demands for already overburdened middle leaders in schools around the world. Middle leaders are the linchpins holding our schools together but a...
Leading Through the Pandemic: Is School Leader Loneliness Increasing Under COVID?
Sep 2020

Leading Through the Pandemic: Is School Leader Loneliness Increasing Under COVID?

My article  The Loneliness of the International School Leader from 2018, is by far my most read and commented upon post, striking a chord with school leaders around the world. Since the...
Leading Through the Pandemic-Is a Sense of Over-responsibility Harming School Leaders?
Sep 2020

Leading Through the Pandemic-Is a Sense of Over-responsibility Harming School Leaders?

In my doctoral research “International Schools as Emotional Arenas: Facing the Leadership Challenges in a German Context” (2017) an emerging theme that went largely unexplored was the heightened sense of...
Leading Through the Pandemic-Is an Epidemic of COVID Burnout Awaiting our School Leaders?
Sep 2020

Leading Through the Pandemic-Is an Epidemic of COVID Burnout Awaiting our School Leaders?

A year ago, at the start of the 2019-20 school year, I took the decision to retire from work at the end of the year, at the age of 56....
The Epidemic of Workplace Stress Facing Women Educators
May 2019

The Epidemic of Workplace Stress Facing Women Educators

The current teacher strikes in New Zealand have brought into sharp relief the issues facing overworked and stressed educators around the world. On social media groups increasing stories are posted...
Overcoming Loneliness as an International School Leader
May 2019

Overcoming Loneliness as an International School Leader

In a previous article,  The Loneliness of the International School Leader, I wrote about the professional and personal isolation of principals and heads around the world. We are built for social...
The Loneliness of the International School Leader
Mar 2019

The Loneliness of the International School Leader

The loneliness of headship is a commonly recurring theme in the literature on school leader wellbeing. What MacBeath (2009) calls “structural loneliness” results from the lack of external support available to school...
Why is the School Principal’s Role so Emotionally Draining?
Mar 2019

Why is the School Principal’s Role so Emotionally Draining?

There is considerable evidence that school leaders find their work stressful and that, for many, this is impacting on their individual wellbeing. A study into the recruitment and retention of...
Why Principal Wellbeing Should Matter to the Whole Community
Mar 2019

Why Principal Wellbeing Should Matter to the Whole Community

Employees today, across a range of industries, are experiencing increased work-related stress. The intensification of work, as technology speeds up the movement of data and increases time and deadline pressures,...
Why are Middle Leaders in Schools so Stressed?
Mar 2019

Why are Middle Leaders in Schools so Stressed?

The demands on middle leaders in schools are increasing, accompanied by increased levels of stress. In the past, the middle leader role was often defined in one of two ways,...
Why Relationships Matter Most in Maximising School Leader Wellbeing
Mar 2019

Why Relationships Matter Most in Maximising School Leader Wellbeing

Research shows that the interpersonal demands placed on school leaders bring just as much stress, if not more, than the workload demands of having too much to do and not...