Almost half of school leaders needed mental health support in the past year, with nearly three quarters saying their job has affected their wellbeing, a new survey has found.
The annual poll by school leaders’ union NAHT found the vast majority of heads said their role affected their sleep, with many reporting they are supporting more staff members with mental health issues.
NAHT’s general secretary Paul Whiteman said findings were “extremely worrying” and “should be a real cause for concern for government”.
The survey of 1,517 school leaders found 45 per cent of heads reported needing mental health and wellbeing support in the past year.
Seventy-two per cent of respondents said their job has a negative impact on their mental health, up from 65 per cent the previous year.
And 92 per cent of heads said the role had affected their sleep, with 83 per cent reporting increased worry and stress and 61 per cent identifying a negative impact on their physical health.
These were up from 88 per cent, 77 per cent and 59 per cent in the year before respectively.
The survey also found 87 per cent of heads said the time they spent supporting their staff with mental health issues had increased in the last three years, as teacher wellbeing rates have dropped to the lowest since 2019.
Of the 45 per cent of leaders who needed mental health support in the previous year, the majority (38 per cent) accessed help, but the rest did not know how (4 per cent) or said assistance wasn’t available (3 per cent).
‘Extremely worrying’
General secretary of NAHT Paul Whiteman said the survey’s findings were “extremely worrying and should be a real cause of concern for the government”.
“Leaders play an absolutely crucial role in shaping the direction of schools and inspiring teachers and pupils. But if they are stressed, overworked, and struggling with their mental health, with the best will in the world they are not going to be able to deliver to the best of their ability.
“It is little wonder that the profession loses many school leaders within a few years of their appointment, and that is a huge waste of talent and experience.”
The union is urging the government to agree to universal entitlement to professional supervision for all leaders to air concerns about their roles.
It is also calling for the government to rule that employers should not contact leaders during weekends or holidays except for in exceptional circumstances.
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