146 Excellence in Schools
In order to win it for young people, staff also need to feel valued and supported. Teaching is a demanding profession, and when teachers feel trusted, respected and supported there’s nothing they cannot achieve for children. This culture has contributed to strong staff satisfaction and retention, a critical challenge in many schools across the region. When teachers feel valued and supported, students benefit directly. Education UAE: How has leadership ensured the initiative continues successfully? Liam Cullinan: Leadership fully embraced the initiative from the start, and one thing we are very clear about is protecting staff time. If someone has a later start as part of their #MEtime routine, that time cannot be taken away for meetings or other demands. Teachers sometimes struggle to take time for themselves because they care so much about students, so leadership has to encourage them to use it. Protecting that balance is essential if we want this to be effective. Education UAE: How does staff wellbeing influence student outcomes? Liam Cullinan: Education is about relationships. When children feel safe and happy, they are more willing to ask questions, take risks and engage in learning. Our surveys show that around 96 percent of our children say they feel safe and happy at school, and that matters because when students feel safe, they feel confident enough to succeed and even to fail and learn from it. Morning enrichment and wellbeing initiatives also allow teachers and students to connect in different environments beyond academic lessons, which strengthens relationships across the school.
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