Can a culture of kindness improve retention? 

The recently published Ofsted Annual Report Dec 2024 shared some promising plans ahead. 

We’re pleased to see a focus on understanding demographic information to help raise standards for all children, alongside a strong commitment to supporting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. These are important steps toward making education fairer for every child. 

However, it was concerning to read about the serious challenges providers continue to face, including high staff turnover, incomplete inductions, and a growing reliance on unqualified staff. Many of us in the education sector have had concerns, but it is now documented in the report that the recruitment and retention crisis continues to have a negative impact on children’s learning and wellbeing.  

At Still Human, we believe the solution starts with creating a culture where staff wellbeing is woven into every policy and initiative at a strategic and operational level. When staff feel supported and valued, they’re more likely to stay — and when staff thrive, so do our children and young people.  

In his article in The Edword, Simon Hart, Principal at Springwest Academy shares how a culture of kindness is improving staff retention. 

Benignitas Prima – how a culture of kindness is improving retention 

Simon Hart, Principal, Springwest Academy  

I believe that creating a culture of kindness should be a key priority for every school. Staff deserve to work in environments that are built around their needs, and that enable them to feel both valued and fulfilled. Imagine schools that put staff first; it means that students ultimately receive the very best education from teachers who are energised and motivated. We are in a recruitment crisis, and I am on a mission to show that ‘kindness matters’ in schools.  

At Springwest Academy we have spent the past four years developing a strong culture and working environment to enable all students and staff to flourish. To underpin this, we have our new motto Benignitas Prima which means ‘Kindness First.’  

The impact on our staff wellbeing, happiness and retention has been noticeable. In our 2023 Ofsted report, it noted ‘staff said that leaders are considerate of their wellbeing and have taken action to reduce workload’. But the impact has not just been on our staff, we have improved student behaviour, academic results and our reputation within our local community has grown. We have increased our first-choice preferences by over 30% and have recently accepted a bulge group due to our popularity. This is even more remarkable given the fact that the population is decreasing, and another school has opened locally. 

Small changes make the biggest difference 

Our approach is not cumbersome; everything we do is scalable, encroaching minimal costs and has been recognised nationally by Schools Week and the BBC. We create moments that bring people together to feel part of something bigger than themselves:  

• Springwest Reflects - staff personal reflections during our online weekly briefing  
• Random Acts of Kindness - developing the habit of being kind 
• Gratitude journal - a live document that is updated with messages of thanks 
• Breakfast club - free breakfast for all students and staff 
• Fika - departmental bake breaks  
• Tea Trolley - a random moment when a tea trolley goes around the school offering any staff a free drink (probably our most popular initiative) 

We prioritise workload and wellbeing and our staff appreciate this. 96% agreed that they ‘enjoy working at Springwest’ and 89% agreed that ‘SLT are considerate of wellbeing.’ We do not compromise on quality - we have a meaningful marking policy, rigorous and robust weekly minuted line management meetings and a centralised detention system run by SLT. We have no out-of-work emails or meetings after school.    

Making teaching an appealing career  

Teaching vacancies have doubled since the pandemic and according to TeacherTapp half of teachers in their twenties state that a lack of flexible working contributes to the recruitment and retention crisis, compared to just a third of those over 50. 85% of London based teachers said an increased workload is the main contributor. The statistics speak for themselves and more than one in four teachers leave within 3 years of qualifying, according to the latest school workforce figures. 

Schools must adapt to the next generation of graduates who have different expectations of workload and wellbeing; we must be bold and create an attractive sector to work in. We cannot offer the same levels of hybrid working and salaries which come from other careers, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing.  

Flexible working is an important part of the solution and our early Friday finish at 1.40 pm is incredibly popular. We actively encourage staff to have time for themselves and their families. I believe that creating a culture of kindness where staff feel both valued and fulfilled could transform the sector. Let staff go to their child’s sports day, hold meetings when they are energised and support them with centralised behaviour systems run by SLT. By prioritising wellbeing, we allow teachers to focus on what they are passionate about… Teaching.