Resilience doesn’t mean being unaffected by stress or challenge. It means having the tools, support, and space to respond proportionately and constructively. That includes acknowledging the emotional demands of the job and ensuring that mental health is part of the professional conversation. Creating an environment where it’s safe to speak up and it is stigma-free is key. Schools should be places where it’s okay to say, “I’m struggling.” 

This might involve training staff to recognise signs of distress, clarifying support available or ensuring access to support services such as Health Assured, keeping the topic visible via posters in the staff room, training mental health champions, simply normalising conversations about emotional wellbeing or making space in staff meetings or INSET to acknowledge the emotional demands of the job.     

This conversation has to includes leaders. Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s leadership. Modelling vulnerability and self-care can be a powerful signal that it’s okay not to be okay - and that seeking support is a strength, not a weakness. Demonstrating openness and self-awareness can help shift the culture from silent endurance to shared understanding.  

We do also need to recognise that for some individuals their mental health may need to lead to them developing a medical condition. This may require additional support to enable them to remain in the workplace or they may require time away to support their medical condition. Conversations about such conditions need to be open, supportive and focused on supporting successful performance at work, accessing guidance and advice from specialist services where necessary. We recognise that for some staff a mental health condition will make it difficult to sustain their current role and where necessary, challenging conversations will need to take place, but they should do so with compassion and transparency.