On Thursday 5th February, pupils and staff came together to mark Time to Talk Day with a relaxed drop-in session in Success. Craft activities helped create a calm, welcoming space where conversations could happen naturally, encouraging people to sit, talk and connect.

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation, highlighting the power of talking openly and honestly. Even small conversations can reduce stigma, help people feel supported and encourage them to seek help when they need it.

This event is part of our wider Mental Health and Wellbeing Calendar, which ensures wellbeing remains a visible and valued part of school life through regular, meaningful activities across the year.

We share our monthly wellbeing calendars to promote positive mental health, encourage kindness, and give staff simple, practical ways to support their wellbeing each day. The calendars are created by the charity Action for Happiness, an organisation dedicated to helping people take action to build happier, kinder communities.

Each month focuses on a different wellbeing theme and includes small, achievable daily actions such as showing gratitude, connecting with others, and being kind to ourselves and those around us. For example, the calendars include activities like thanking someone who has helped you or checking in with a friend, helping to build positive habits that support emotional wellbeing and strengthen relationships across our school community.

On 4th February, colleagues came together for our Spring Staff Workload and Wellbeing Meeting, attended by wellbeing representatives from both teaching and support staff. The session provided a valuable opportunity to reflect, share best practice and continue shaping a culture where staff wellbeing sits firmly at the heart of decision-making.

The meeting opened with a behaviour update from J Bacciochi, focusing on how behaviour data is being used more effectively to support staff, reduce unnecessary workload and inform consistent approaches across the school. This data-led discussion highlighted how smarter systems can directly contribute to staff wellbeing by improving clarity, confidence and consistency.

Colleagues then heard feedback from the Trust People Strategy Conference, shared by A Donovan. This update reinforced the Trust’s commitment to valuing its people, ensuring staff voice is heard, and embedding wellbeing into leadership, culture and everyday practice.

A key focus of the meeting was revisiting The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter. By signing the Charter, the school commits to placing wellbeing and mental health at the centre of decision-making, supporting staff to make positive choices for their own wellbeing, and fostering a collegiate culture across all roles. Wellbeing representatives reflected on our progress against the organisational commitments, with a positive audit confirming strong practice across many areas, alongside open and constructive discussion about how we continue to build on this work.

The meeting concluded with collaborative discussion on how our Workload and Wellbeing Overview aligns with the Matrix Academy Trust Values and People Strategy. This ensured that wellbeing is not seen as a standalone initiative, but as something that is lived, embedded and visible through our values, leadership decisions and day-to-day practice.

Thank you to all colleagues who contributed to the meeting. Your engagement, honesty and commitment play a vital role in shaping a supportive, respectful and sustainable working environment for everyone.