#178 – Wellbeing

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Hello! Welcome to the third episode of our “What Matters in Edtech” series, supported by Bett.
This series is all about the things that matter in education, and how and when tech might help.
Over the series, we are looking at themes that shape Bett’s conference programme in 2020, namely:
- Inclusion & SEND
- Future tech and trends
- Wellbeing
- Empowering teaching and learning
- Innovation
- Skills
You can follow the conversation using #Edtechpodcast and #Bett2020
What’s in this episode?
This week’s episode is all about Wellbeing. Released this year, the Teacher Wellbeing Index 2019 highlighted stress and rising mental health issues across the sector. According to the index, 78% of all education professionals have experienced either behavioural, psychological or physical symptoms due to their work, with 60% not feeling confident that they could talk about mental health issues with their colleagues.
In this episode, you will hear from a range of school leaders and teachers, wellbeing experts and coaches about what can and is being done to support an everyday approach to self, student and staff care.
Please take a look at the references section below for a whole bunch of resources and good reads on the subject of wellbeing shared by our guests.
If you feel overwhelmed the Education Support helpline is free and offers confidential emotional support on 08 triple 000 562561, or go to www.educationsupport.org.uk/
People
Sophie Bailey is the Founder and Presenter of The Edtech Podcast

Sophie is the founder of the iTunes new and noteworthy, The Edtech Podcast. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ and ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling. The podcast is downloaded 2000+ times a week, from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie is a mentor and advisor within the edtech community. If she’s not interviewing a University Lecturer, School Leader, Ex-Angry Bird, NGO, or Investor about education innovation, she’s chasing her son around the park or binge-reading Homo Deus. Twitter: @podcastedtech
Ben Commins, Headteacher, Queens Park Primary School
Ben is part of a National award winning team for contributions to reducing the stigma associated with mental health. Designated Mental Health First Aid Trainer and key note speaker for employee’s well being, strategy, whole school approach and directed interventions. Twitter: @commins_ben
Maria Brosnan, Co-Founder, Striver
Maria is a Business Growth and Leadership coach and also works with Senior Leaders in schools to help them develop their team and/or manage their wellbeing. For over 15 years Maria was MD and co-founder of two award winning educational companies The Story Spinner and Striver. Maria specialises in helping educators and small business owners manage their workload, create a healthy work-life balance and take care of their wellbeing. Twitter: @mariabrosnan
Hannah Wilson, Head of Secondary School Teacher Training, University of Buckingham
Hannah is the Head of Secondary School Teacher Training at the University of Buckingham. Prior to this role, Hannah was the Executive Headteacher of Aureus School and Aureus Primary School. As the founding Headteacher of two start-up schools Hannah’s innovative leadership style and focus on a holistic education led to collaborations with a number of national organisations including Place2Be, The Art Room, VBE and SSAT.
Hannah has been heavily involved with Teaching School delivery in her roles at GLF Schools and the Harris Federation – she is a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE); a SLE train the trainer; has facilitated the NPQML and NPQSL. She designed and delivered multiple Diversity Grants to support the progression of BAME and women leaders.
As one of the co-founders of #WomenEd, a grassroots gender equality movement for women in education, Hannah advocates flexible working, champions co-leadership and support the return to teaching programme as a DFE Women Leading in Education coach. More recently Hannah has become a LeanIn Regional Leader. Twitter: @ethical_leader
Dan Roberts, Headteacher, Devonport High School for Boys

Dan Roberts is a self-professed “geek” who has always loved school…and is sometimes known as “The Chicken Man” (a moniker bestowed on him by his students during an especially unique class project called “Recharge the Battery”). As he explained to the TED London crowd, “Learning actually saved me several times as I was growing up.” Luckily for his students, Roberts has kept that love of learning, and it translates into his teaching each day. So much so, he has won numerous national and international teaching awards, most recently the ICT Visionary in Education at the TES Schools Awards. He has held various positions of responsibility within secondary schools, including Deputy Headteacher at Saltash.net Community School in Cornwall and most recently for the last 18 months was Headteacher at the International School of Seychelles. His 5 minutes of fame was in 2009 when he advised the Obama administration as part of their educational technology reform 2020 plan. Dan is currently Headteacher at Devonport High School for Boys in Plymouth which is in the top 50 state schools in the UK. Twitter: @Danjjroberts
Dawn Hallybone, Previously, Wellbeing Connected, Educational Consultant, 2SimpleSoftware
Dawn is part of the 2Simple team, helping schools maximise the benefits of online technologies to advance approaches to both teaching and learning, whilst improving outcomes for learners of all ages. She has a focus on mental health and wellbeing and supporting approaches for pupils/staff and the whole community. Prior to joining 2Simple, Dawn worked for London Grid for Learning as a learning resource consultant advising schools and teachers on how to maximise use of technology to energise teaching and learning, as well as developing wellbeing resources for schools and helping to organise and run a range of conferences and training events. Dawn has over 23 years teaching experience working in Junior schools across London in a range of roles and for the last four years was Deputy Head, also spending time as an acting head. Within these roles Dawn also worked with both NQTs and trainee teachers developing and supporting their use of technology across the curriculum. Dawn is a firm believer that digital tools can both engage and enhance the curriculum for all learners, as well as enabling teachers to work smarter and has worked and consulted with a number of companies and authorities as well as sharing her expertise at conferences across the country. Dawn is also a Secondary school governor. Twitter: @dawnhallybone
Quotes from this episode

References from this week’s episode
- Ben Commins – twitter
- Ben Commins – linkedin
- Queenspark Primary School – twitter
- Queenspark Primary School – website, homepage
- Queenspark Early Years Federation – website, homepage
- Westminster, London – location details
- London Grid for Learning – website, homepage
- Dawn Hallybone – linkedin
- Mental Health First Aid Training – further details
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference – further details
- Growth mindset – explanation
- Resilience – explanation
- Open door policy – explanation
- Educational Psychologist – further reading
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapist – further reading
- Self care – explanation
- How can we create a culture of excellence in schools? – Guardian article, Aug 2017
- Mind Up – Goldie Hawn – website, homepage
- Recognise Your Fight or Flight (or Freeze) Responses – article in Happiful, Sept 2017
- Maria Brosnan – linkedin
- Maria Brosnan – twitter
- Striver – 2Simple website, further reading
- Viktor Frankl – further reading
- Man’s search for meaning – details
- First Responders – further details
- Sport Science – explanation
- Neuroscience – explanation
- Psychology – explanation
- MIND – website, homepage
- Hannah Wilson – twitter
- Hannah Wilson – linkedin
- Hannah Wilson – Hopeful teacher blog page
- University of Buckingham – website, homepage
- University of Buckingham – twitter
- Aureus School – website, homepage
- Aureus Primary School – website, homepage
- Holistic Education – further reading
- Place2Be – website, homepage
- The Art Room, Place2Be – further reading
- VbE – Value Based Education – further reading
- WomenEd – website, homepage
- WomenEd – twitter
- Viv Grant – Integrity Coaching – website, homepage
- SEN – Special Education Needs, further reading via Gov.UK
- Google school – explanation
- CPOMS – website, homepage
- Headspace app – website, homepage
- National Children’s Bureau, mental health award, website, homepage
- Optimus Education, Optimus Award– website, homepage
- Wellbeing at the heart of our school, Optimus blog 2018, featuring Lessness Heath Primary School
- Lessness Heath School – website, homepage
- Kelly Hannaghan, Wellbeing Consultant – twitter
- Katy O’Connor, Headteacher at Lessness Heath – twitter
- The Mental Health and Wellbeing Handbook for Schools: Transforming Mental Health Support on a Budget by Clare Erasmus – book information
- Clare Erasmus – twitter
- The Wellbeing Toolkit: Sustaining, supporting and enabling school staff by Andrew Cowley – book information
- Andrew Cowley – twitter
- Stop Talking About Wellbeing, Kat Howard – book information
- Kat Howard – twitter
- #teacher5aday – hashtag on twitter
- Dan Roberts – blog page on school website
- Dan Roberts – LinkedIn
- Dan Roberts – twitter
- Devonport High School for Boys
- Academy School
- Wellbeing
- Mental Health – explanation
- Early intervention – explanation
- CAMHS – explanation
- Ofsted – website, homepage
- School Governance – Uk Gov further reading
- Work life balance – explanation
- TES – website, homepage
- First Responders – explanation
- Dawn Hallybone – twitter
- Dawn Hallybone – LinkedIn
- 2 Simple Software – twitter
- 2 Simple Software – website, homepage
- Global Educational Summit, Beijing China – website, homepage
- London Grid for Learning – website, homepage
- Gavin Williamson – further details
- Ofsted blog: ‘Deep diving’ in small schools, Oct 2019 – further reading
- GCSEs: How do the new 9-1 grades work?, BBC article Aug 2018 – further reading
- Google Docs – explanation
- Office 365 – website, homepage
- PPA – explanation
- Flipped classroom – explanation
- Google classroom – product explanation
- Evidence Me, 2 Simple product – product explanation
- Striver, 2 Simple product – product explanation
- Statutory Guidance 2020, Relationship and Sexual Education – further reading
- Wellbeing connected – further details
- Queenspark Primary School – twitter
- Ben Commins – twitter
- Lyndsy Killip – LinkedIn
- Lessness Heath Primary School – website, home page
- Kelly Hannaghan, Well Being Coordinator at Lessness Heath Primary School – twitter
- Anna Freud – website, homepage
- Charlie Waller Memorial Trust – website, homepage
- Young Minds – website, homepage
- Mentally Healthy Schools – website, homepage
- The Wellbeing Toolkit by Andrew Cowley – details
- Pooky Knightsmith – YouTube channel
- The Mental Health and Wellbeing Handbook for Schools by Clare Erasmus – details
- Book List recommendations via Wellbeing Connected – link to further resources
- 2Simple at Bett Show – further details
- Mental Health First Aid Training – further details
- Mental Health Designated Lead by 2025 – further reading
- Thrive London, Mayor of London’s Office – website homepage
- Thrive LDN and MHFA England launch London Schools programme – Aug 2018, further reading
Thank you to Bett for supporting the What Matters in Edtech series
The What matters in Edtech Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Bett. For more future tech and trends content check out the BETT 2020 programme where future tech and trends is a key theme. Register here. To search across all events, browse across our global events calendar.
Bett is the first industry show of the year in the education technology landscape, bringing together over 800 leading companies, 103 exciting new EdTech startups and over 34,000 attendees. People from over 146 countries in the global education community come together to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education, as well as seeing how technology and innovation enable educators and learners to thrive. Each year our CPD-accredited seminar programme provides over 300 hours of workshops, talks and discussions addressing the most prominent issues in education, delivered by the people who are leading change and innovation. Find out more and register today: https://www.bettshow.com/
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