Ruth Wilkinson, head of policy and public affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), said: “These findings underline an urgent truth: poor mental health is not an inevitable part of school leadership, and we must not treat it as such.
“Employers have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of people, and this includes protecting them from work-related stress as well as other hazards and risks.
“When nearly half of school leaders feel they need mental health support simply to cope, it’s a clear sign that the system itself needs a review, to identify where risks and opportunities lie for this sector and how to embed a cultural shift that supports mental health and psychological safety.
“Sustainable workloads, safe working hours and access to professional supervision are not ‘nice to haves’ – they should be recognised as core protections for people at work.
“By prioritising the prevention of work-related stress and embedding wellbeing into organisational culture, we can protect talented leaders, prevent harm, retain vital experience in the profession, and ensure schools remain safe, supportive environments for staff and pupils alike.”
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