Health of staff at elite school at risk, union survey reveals

A union-led staff welfare survey has revealed staff at Launceston Grammar are losing sleep and feeling helpless amid useless votes of no confidence against the school’s headmaster.

• School staff voice lack of confidence in leadership: Survey
• Grammar school board under fire over headmaster

A STRESSFUL situation at an elite Launceston school is negatively impacting the health of teachers, a new survey has revealed.

Staff at Launceston Grammar have conducted three successful votes of no confidence against headmaster Richard Ford over a perceived lack of consultation and low morale among staff.

He remains at the helm of the school with the backing of the board.

Following a school-led Staff Voice Survey, the independent Education Union conducted its own survey among members.

The union’s survey found the broader executive leadership group was supported by staff. But 97 per cent of staff surveyed said the headmaster’s decision-making lacked transparency, 90 per cent said felt he did not have the appropriate interpersonal skills for a school leader, and 96 per cent indicated the headmaster’s decision-making adversely affected their morale.

The survey also asked staff whether issues at the school had impacted their health — 72 per cent said they felt helpless, 70 per cent said they felt distrustful, and 89 per cent said they had experienced difficulty sleeping.

Launceston Church Grammar Principal Richard Ford.

IEU assistant secretary David Bear said no other staff member at the school would have survived such “widespread and sustained condemnation of their performance”.

“Many staff spoke in the survey about the negative effect this is having on their stress level and general health,” Mr Brear said.

Mr Ford said the IEU was yet to share a copy of their survey with the school leadership.

“The school takes all feedback from staff and their wellbeing seriously and in July conducted the comprehensive Voice Project’s Staff Voice Survey using an expert external specialist,” he said.

Mr Ford said 144 staff members completed the survey, which revealed strong positive results about the school as well as significant areas of improvement.

He said job satisfaction was high, with 90 per cent of staff reporting they enjoy the type of work they do, 71 per cent engaged with the school, and 80 per cent proud to work for the school. Staff were now undertaking tailored, campus-based goal-setting workshops with a Launceston-based facilitator.

A staff member who completed the IEU survey, and wished to remain anonymous, said he had begun experiencing deep states of helplessness and depression due to issues at the school.

“More often than not I’ll maybe have two or three hours of sleep at night — I’ll wake up thinking about the school.”

He said like a number of other staff members he was considering finding employment elsewhere.

“In two years’ time the school will be unrecognisable,” he said.

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