Staff Wellbeing and Professional Growth at Walford

Teacher wellbeing is inseparable from student outcomes. Research consistently shows that when teachers feel supported, respected, and energised, their effectiveness in the classroom increases. They are more likely to innovate, build strong relationships, and sustain high expectations, all of which directly influence student achievement. 

Across Australia, teacher wellbeing is a pressing concern. A recent Deakin University study found more than a third of educators were considering leaving the profession, citing burnout, compassion fatigue, and the emotional toll of supporting students through trauma. 

Walford Anglican School for Girls takes the challenge of staff wellbeing and growth seriously, embedding staff wellbeing and professional growth into the very fabric of its culture. From staff learning communities and an evidence-informed Instructional Handbook, to flexible working guidelines, a Staff Wellbeing Committee, and policies and practices that encourage disconnection from work after hours, Walford aims to support its teachers and staff to thrive, to allow them to do the important work of supporting student learning, achievement and wellbeing. 

Collaborative Staff Learning Communities

Professional isolation is a known risk factor for burnout. At Walford, collaboration is not an afterthought but a cornerstone of practice. Walford Learning Communities (WLCs) provide structured time for teachers to engage in deep dialogue about their craft. These communities go beyond traditional meetings; they are spaces where staff interrogate evidence-based research, share classroom practice, and co-design innovations in teaching and learning. 

Led by Mrs Kerri Proctor in the new role of Director of Professional Growth and Operations, 2025 has seen staff WLCs focus on reviewing and refining the Walford Instructional Handbook, ensuring that the expertise of teachers across the School shaped this shared resource. The result is a professional culture where teachers feel not only heard but actively invested in shaping the direction of pedagogy. This culture of co-construction builds both teacher confidence and collective efficacy—a critical driver of student success. 

The Walford Instructional Handbook

Teachers have a significant influence on students’ learning and achievement, and clarity and consistency matter in teaching. Drawing inspiration from educational thought leaders such as Tom Sherrington and Dylan Wiliam, Walford has developed its own Instructional Handbook: a practical, evidence-informed playbook for teaching excellence that translates theory into shared actionable strategies for teachers. 

Unlike generic frameworks, the Handbook is tailored to Walford’s context. It offers teachers visual examples, clear definitions of high-impact teaching moves, and a shared language for instructional excellence. Teachers across the School use it to plan lessons, reflect on practice, and engage in professional dialogue. Codifying what ‘great teaching’ looks like reduces ambiguity, empowers staff to trial proven methods, ensures consistency for students, and facilitates focused professional collaboration.

With the Handbook as an anchor, classroom observations, peer feedback, and professional dialogue are grounded in a common reference point. The result is coherence and collective alignment that allows diverse teachers to draw on shared principles to enhance student learning. 

Flexible Working, the Right to Disconnect and a Focus on Care 

Beyond pedagogy, Walford recognises that wellbeing is shaped by working conditions. The Staff Wellbeing and Flexible Working Guidelines reflect a commitment to trust, autonomy, and balance. Staff are encouraged to negotiate flexible arrangements that respect both professional responsibilities and personal circumstances, such as through part-time roles, job-sharing, or adjusted schedules. 

The School encourages staff to disconnect from work after hours. Staff are asked to schedule emails to send during working hours and set clear and reasonable boundaries for availability. This structural protection of personal time signals that rest and recovery are not indulgences but essential conditions for sustained professional impact. 

The Staff Wellbeing Committee plays a proactive role in monitoring needs, shaping initiatives, and ensuring staff voices are central to decision-making. Regular gestures of appreciation, access to an Employee Assistance Program, and initiatives such as flu vaccinations and wellbeing events reflect a school that prioritises care as much as performance.

Staff also benefit from a professional culture of trust, recognition, and feedback. Opportunities for mentoring, coaching, and external professional learning are coupled with in-school collaboration, ensuring teachers continue to grow at every career stage.

Staff Collaboration, Recognition and Support

When we look after our teachers, they can look after their students. At Walford, intentional structural supports, such as learning communities, instructional clarity, flexible working, wellbeing committees, and policies that respect boundaries, help to foster a flourishing, connected learning community where each person is supported to be their best in a way that works for them.

In an era where teacher burnout and declining morale threaten to erode the teaching profession and students’ education, Walford aims to foster a culture of professional growth, flexibility, and wellbeing to support Walford staff to bring their best selves to work and to the classroom.