Best Practice

Stress in schools – the legal position for teachers and management

Legal advice
In a climate of austerity and constantly changing working conditions, stress is on the rise among teachers. Vanessa Latham looks at the legal position of teachers and schools where stress levels are running high and offers some advice for both school mana

The chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, did little to ingratiate himself with the teaching profession last year when he suggested that teachers did not know the meaning of stress.

It is a common misconception. How many teachers who, having complained about an aspect of their job, have been told that with all that holiday, the 3:30pm finishes, and the joy to be had from moulding young minds, there could not be anything to get stressed about?

In fact, had Sir Michael done a little research he would have discovered that the Health and Safety Executive has found teaching to be one of the occupations with the highest levels of work-related stress.

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