Staff wellbeing is often talked about as though it’s something we add to schools.
Another session. Another initiative. Another strategy layered on top.

But after years of listening to educators, not through surveys alone, but through thousands of real conversations, a different picture keeps emerging.

While every school has its own context, the challenges staff are facing are remarkably consistent. And importantly, they’re not problems that require waiting for system-level change. They’re problems schools can address themselves.

Here are the five most common things educators keep telling me. When these are prioritised and understood as wellbeing issues, not operational ones, meaningful change follows.

1. Clear and easy-to-find processes for how we do things here

Most educators don’t need more information.
They need accessible information.

What often exists instead is a long handbook, dense, static, and difficult to navigate. When processes are hard to find or unclear, cognitive load increases and frustration follows.

Clear processes should be:

• Easy to locate

• Practical and visual

• Consistent across teams

Think short written steps paired with simple video walkthroughs. A shared, living space that shows exactly how things are done, not a document people avoid opening.

This isn’t about control. It’s about reducing unnecessary mental effort so staff can focus on the work that matters.

2. Clear expectations for how meetings should be run

Time is one of the loudest wellbeing signals staff talk about.
And meetings sit right at the centre of this.

Without agreed expectations, meetings easily drift. Purpose becomes unclear, follow-up is inconsistent, and staff leave feeling they’ve lost time rather than gained clarity.

Strong meeting practice includes:

• Clear purpose before the meeting

• Agreed structure and norms

• Defined outcomes and follow-up

This isn’t about having more time. It’s about using the time already allocated well, so meetings support wellbeing rather than drain it.

3. Middle leader role clarity

Middle leaders sit in a uniquely complex space. They’re often translating direction from above while supporting teams below.

When clarity is missing, they’re left to fill the gaps themselves. This creates inconsistency, tension, and unnecessary pressure.

Senior leaders play a critical role here by ensuring:

• Clear expectations of the role

• Explicit modelling of what good leadership looks like

• Ongoing development and support

When middle leaders know the what, the how, and the why, they can lead with confidence rather than constantly second-guessing themselves.

4. Roles, responsibilities, and job clarity

This is one of the strongest drivers of workplace wellbeing.

Many schools are still operating on the assumption that everything that’s ever been done must continue, plus whatever new initiatives arrive. That approach isn’t sustainable.

Clarity here requires:

• Reviewing roles for purpose and impact

• Identifying duplication and inefficiency

• Letting go of tasks that no longer serve the school

Wellbeing improves when people understand what they’re responsible for, what they’re not, and why their role exists in the first place.

5. Student engagement and learning

This is often framed as a behaviour issue, but staff experience it very differently.

What educators describe is the strain of inconsistency. Different expectations across classrooms, unclear learning routines, and a lack of shared approach to engagement and self-regulation.

Supporting staff here means:

• Clear, shared expectations for learning and behaviour

• Consistency across classrooms

• Practical tools that strengthen student engagement

When engagement improves, emotional load reduces. And when emotional load reduces, wellbeing follows.

So what does this mean for staff wellbeing?

If you’re looking to improve staff wellbeing and these conditions are missing, this is where the work starts.

Not with another wellbeing session.
Not with surface-level initiatives.

But by ensuring the conditions in your school are:

• Clear

• Consistent

• Easy to find

• Embedded in everyday practice

Wellbeing doesn’t sit alongside the work. It grows out of how the work is designed.

My final thoughts

Schools don’t need to wait for the system to change before taking action.
The levers that shape staff wellbeing are already within reach.

If prioritising this work is on your agenda for 2026, this is exactly the space I support schools to work in. Clarifying systems, strengthening leadership practice, and designing the conditions that help educators function well, not just cope.

If this resonates, you might want to explore how Staff Wellbeing by Design, Beneath the Surface staff conversations, or Curriculum for Excellence can support your next steps. Each focuses on creating clarity and consistency as the foundation for sustainable wellbeing. You can learn more at https://thewellnessstrategy.com.au/.