Physical education (PE) staff play an important role in the health and well-being of children and young people. However, they can also be at risk of burnout and stress.
The Department for Education recently proposed a new plan to deliver high-quality PE and sport for all pupils. This should allow more support for teachers and students regarding their physical education. Take a look at our previous blog on reasons why physical education benefits mental health, well-being and development here.
However, there could be still some instances where staff become overwhelmed with delivering the curriculum and effectively supporting their students. How can they be supported? Here are 5 ways the well-being of PE staff can be improved.
1. Provide adequate training and support
PE staff need to be properly trained to do their job effectively. They also need to have access to support when they need it. This could include mentorship programs, peer support groups, or counselling services.
2. Reduce workload and stress
PE staff often have to deal with large class sizes and tight deadlines. This can lead to exhaustion in the workplace. It is important to find ways to reduce their workload and stress levels. This could include reducing class sizes, providing more planning time, or offering flexible work arrangements.
3. Promote healthy lifestyles
PE staff should model healthy lifestyles for the children and young people they teach. This includes eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
4. Give PE staff time to plan and prepare
PE lessons can be demanding to plan and prepare, so it is important to give PE staff enough time to do this. This will help them feel more prepared and less stressed.
5. Celebrate successes
It is important to celebrate the successes of PE staff. This could involve acknowledging their hard work, providing them with public recognition, or giving them opportunities to grow and develop.
Use online resources to improve well-being
Another valuable resource that PE staff can look at utilising is PE Office. The online platform can be used to significantly reduce teacher workload with accessible lesson plans and schemes of work.
PE staff can take advantage of an extensive bank of knowledgeable, theoretical and practical resources to effectively deliver PE lessons to students. This time-saving platform can subsequently result in less strain on overworked colleagues.
If this would be of interest to you and your colleagues then call 01909 776900, send an email to mail@peoffice.co.uk or explore all the resources on offer here.
