A wellbeing fairy is ensuring school staff are keeping their spirits up during lockdown.

A WELL-BEING team was formed at Little Parndon Primary Academy, in Harlow, at the start of the school year as a way of looking after staff wellbeing.

Before the school closures due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the wellbeing fairy left gifts and notes for colleagues to brighten their days, a swap shop was set up to share books, DVDs and unwanted gifts and a noticeboard shared inspirational quotes and useful information.
Now, the team is finding new ways to reach out to colleagues.

Teacher Sammie Goodey, from the wellbeing committee, said: “The wellbeing team was formed to share ideas and to share best practise, but is now also a way of helping to raise each other’s spirits. Everyone in the wellbeing team feels strongly for keeping morale high and caring for other people’s wellbeing.

“We have been reaching out to staff to let them know we are here. I created a newsletter that was there for staff to be able to use it for tips on how other people have been coping.

“Colleagues have really been on board with getting involved and sharing their ideas on what should be included, sending messages, sharing things they love, for other members of staff to try.

“The main aim of the wellbeing newsletter was to lift spirits and to share the things we love with our colleagues and hope they can get some pleasure from them in this strange time.”

The newsletter is being distributed weekly during the partial school closure.

Headteacher Mark Evans said: “Our wellbeing newsletter is a great feature of the school and really shows what a team we have and how we all care about each other, as well as our children.”