Staff Wellbeing

At Barr Beacon, we place a very strong importance on wellbeing for all members of our community. This includes a commitment to staff wellbeing. We place staff wellbeing and workload at the heart of our decision taking and policy making. We meet regularly with a staff group which includes representatives from each faculty to listen to their views on workload and wellbeing and respond swiftly to their suggestions. At Barr Beacon School we:

  • Place a very strong emphasis on a whole school approach to wellbeing
  • Have an open door policy and listen to the needs of our staff
  • Survey our staff to collect their views on workload and wellbeing
  • Value every member of staff for the contribution that they make to our school community
  • Place workload and wellbeing at the heart of our decision making
  • Are committed to responding to the Workload Reduction Toolkit

We underpin everything that we do with our Beacon values - we are both a caring and supportive school for all members of our community. Our wellbeing overview shows how we support staff wellbeing and reduce staff workload and our mental health calendar shows our commitment to support the wellbeing of all members of our community.

Meet our cross Faculty Wellbeing Team

At Barr Beacon School, every faculty has a representative who meets at least each term to discuss staff workload and wellbeing. The team meets to discuss ideas to promote wellbeing such as Tea and Talk, flu vaccines, staff activities as well as having the opportunity to raise any concerns around workload. For example, the team worked collectively to streamline approaches to communication to ensure that they were time‑efficient whilst remaining effective for pupils, and have discussed ways to maintain effective communication whilst reducing email traffic.


We are very proud of our proactive whole‑school approach to staff wellbeing and my thanks go to all our workload representatives who have been so instrumental in helping me to reduce workload and promote wellbeing. Every meeting at Barr Beacon School starts with wellbeing – a sure sign of the commitment that we show to our staff – along with investment in the professional development of our staff such as National College and Subject Association membership.

Wellbeing Overview

Our overview which gives information about how we work more effectively, reduce workload and promote wellbeing.

Cross Trust Benefits

We're proudly part of the Matrix Academy Trust. The Trust has a comprehensive package of support for all employees ranging from GP services to Technolgy and Cycling Schemes. Full details for the complete offer from the Matrix Academy Trust can be found in the HR section HERE

Please check out this page to see all that working for the Matrix Academy Trust can offer you.

Wellbeing Charter

Click Here

Wellbeing Calendar

Click Here

Upcoming Events

Check back here for upcoming events

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Schools Advisory Service: Staff Testimonials  

Several members of staff have recently used the Physiotherapy service and have been extremely positive about their experience. Staff reported contacting the service early in the week and being offered appointments that same weekend at the Streetly clinic. The availability of Saturday appointments, the convenient local location, and the high standard of care have all been highlighted as key benefits.
One staff member became concerned when their child fell ill on a Friday afternoon and was unable to secure a GP appointment until the following week. After contacting SAS, they received a call from a doctor within the hour. The doctor was able to prescribe antibiotics and send the prescription directly to a local pharmacy, allowing the medication to be collected shortly afterwards. The staff member described the service as quick, efficient, and incredibly reassuring.
Following a recent bereavement, one staff member reached out to SAS for emotional support. They were able to speak with a counsellor within two days and have since benefited from free weekly counselling sessions. They have found the support invaluable during a difficult time and report feeling significantly better as a result.
Many staff members have shared positive experiences of using the Doctor service, consistently reporting same-day call-backs and prompt medical advice. Whether seeking reassurance, treatment, or referrals, staff have praised the speed and convenience of the service. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many describing it as an invaluable employee benefit.
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