De-stressing, with balloons!

Eilis McElduff and Julie-Ann Sager make art from balloons

PILATES, baking and balloon decorating aren’t just for pupils at Hathershaw College: the teachers are getting stuck into extra-curricular activities too!

Staff have signed up for a range of activities as part of the college’s new staff wellbeing events, launched last month.
The term-time sessions are designed to increase staff health and reduce stress by allowing them to try new activities, make better friendships with colleagues and generally feel better.
And a range of activities is up for grabs, from physical fun like golf lessons, Nordic walking and spinning to creative pursuits such as still life art and a book club.
Most of the activities have been organised by college staff: pastoral manager Anjum Raza has arranged to give a curry-making session, for example, while media teacher Leanne Frank will be giving salsa dancing lessons.

Anna Swailes, an art and photography teacher at the college, runs sketching and reading sessions. She believes wellbeing sessions are a good way to enhance staff happiness.
“Wellbeing is important for staff retention, so is in the school’s and the country’s interests.

“Teachers spend all their time teaching or planning lessons, so it’s important to give them space to stop and be mindful about themselves.”
School pastoral manager Julie-Ann Sager is holding balloon decorating classes – a hobby she has enjoyed for nine years.
She said: “Ten staff who are interested – or just curious about balloon decorating – have signed up.
“Having these sessions means they can learn a new skill – and this one doesn’t require anyone to be particularly creative to enjoy it.”

One of her “students”, technology teacher Eilis McElduff, said: “When do you ever get the opportunity to do balloon art? It’s a new thing for me.”
Lindsay Nuttall, who works as a teaching assistant, runs a cake-baking business, Knead The Dough, and taught her “class” how to make a cupcake bouquet. She said: “The wellbeing sessions give teachers and staff time to do something they enjoy during work time. “These hours are normally used for things such as marking, so it’s good to use a few of them for team building among colleagues who don’t usually work together.”
With plans for staff health checks and flu jabs, college principal Dave McEntee is adamant a happy, healthy staff will give the college the best possible outcome for the effort.

“I’m delighted we are in a position to give staff a chance to try a new activity – and bond with members of the team they don’t often work with,” he said.
“The wellbeing of my staff is really important to me, given the extremely busy schedule they face every day.”