Corpus Christi: Evaluating Workplace Stress and Conflict Management

This report evaluates the effectiveness of an organization, Corpus Christi, in recognizing and managing workplace stress and conflict, particularly within the context of education. It identifies various factors contributing to teacher stress, such as deadlines, curriculum changes, and student behavior. The report analyzes existing support mechanisms, including staff prayers, wellness sessions, and a dedicated staff member for wellbeing, while also suggesting improvements like increased visibility of services and more effective communication. The report then outlines a plan for improvement, detailing specific actions to address conflict with students and parents, manage deadlines, and adapt to curriculum changes. Finally, it critically evaluates the author's ability to identify and deal with stress and conflict, highlighting organizational skills, use of planning tools, and strategies for workload management. The analysis includes self-reflection and the application of conflict management styles, offering practical insights for enhancing the work environment.

AC 1.1
Evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation in recognising workplace stress and conflict and
providing the necessary support mechanisms
Workplace stress can be defined as “the response people may have when presented with work
demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge
their ability to cope” (World Health Organisation). Therefore, when staff feel that too much is being
asked of them, or that they are asked to do additional tasks on top of their regular work, this may
cause added pressure and stress. Corpus Christi has a variety of tools available to staff to recognise
and manage workplace stress and conflict. In the field of education, many factors can impact on staff
wellbeing. For instance, behaviour issues with pupils can cause staff members extra stress, meeting
deadlines, marking, performance management and lesson observations, etc.
For instance, to deal with stress, Corpus Christi offers support to staff through the running of staff
prayers on a Friday morning. Furthermore, there are yoga and zumba sessions available to staff
during lunchtime and after school. This offers an opportunity for staff to socialise as well as stay
healthy. This is a sound initiative for staff, however, there can be clashed with lunchtime duties or
after school clubs which mean staff may not always be able to attend. There are also sessions about
mindfulness to find out information about what it is an and how to use it. Attendance at the sessions
was fairly good when it was first set up about 2 years ago but has since decreased. This could be
related to other priorities staff might have that take precedence over attending the sessions.
There are other services offered to staff to support their wellbeing and manage stress. There have
been more and more initiatives in the past few years to support staff. Posters have been put up
around school to raise awareness of these services. Furthermore, one INSET session in September
2021 was dedicated to wellbeing where members of the organisation Tidy Butt came and talked
about mental health awareness to staff. There is also a dedicated staff member in charge of
supporting pupil and staff’s wellbeing. She is available for staff if they need information or to discuss
any issues. There could be more visibility of this service and information about how staff can benefit
from using it.
In my own practice, causes of stress usually relate to deadlines or planning and adapting to changes
within the profession. There are usually quite a lot of deadlines for teachers to meet, and they are
usually spread out across the year. These deadlines include reporting, tracking, parents’ evenings,
book reviews, performance management, form tutor reports, meetings, etc. Sometimes, these
deadlines can seem to be close together and lead to stress. It is particularly the case from January to
May, as most of the parents’ evenings happen at that time, and there are usually book reviews and
performance management activities going on alongside this. This can lead to a spike in teacher stress
levels.
Furthermore, the changes brought in by the Welsh government surrounding the Curriculum for
Wales can also be a cause for teacher stress. The new curriculum sets out guidelines in terms of
what students should achieve when they leave school, but the interpretation of these guidelines is
very much up to individual schools to determine. As Coordinator for my Area of Learning, it can be a
bit daunting to organise the areas’ direction of work when there is still so much uncertainty
surrounding this. There has also been a delay in schools being able to interpret the guidance due to
school closures from coronavirus. However, the school does provide some support for AoLE leads
and departments with this, and there have been a few INSET sessions geared towards the
Curriculum for Wales. There are some CPD sessions for this purpose too, and we can be given some
time out of school to attend specific workshops or network meetings.

Another area for concern is dealing with conflict. Not all conflict should be seen as a negative thing,
as conflict can result in positive change. To deal with conflict, there is a Union representative at the
school who liaises between staff and management and conveys staff concerns to the leadership
team. There are also whole staff meetings where staff members are encouraged to attend and voice
any concerns they might have. The regularity of these meetings has been a bit sporadic because of
the coronavirus restrictions. However, there is a resurgence in the need for these meetings and the
school has responded by timetabling a few more. The union representative is very present in the
school and supportive of any staff concerns. He often volunteers to raise issues with SLT
anonymously and mediates between staff and leadership.
In my own practice, I would say a potential area of conflict is linked to conflict with students and
parents. Firstly, to deal with conflict with students, there is a clear behaviour policy in the school
which if applied appropriately supports staff in addressing any issues. However, I find with some
particular classes it can be difficult to apply when there is a number of pupils who are not following
instruction. In this case, it seems the system can be difficult to apply consistently. This can lead to
added stress. Furthermore, some pupils have quite challenging behaviour and can be quite
confrontational when speaking to teachers. This is usually due to a background cause, but it can add
pressure on teachers when trying to deal with this. Heads of Department and Heads of Year are
fairly supportive with any behaviour issues, and they are usually ready to come in our lessons or
remove students when teachers experience problems, but it can be difficult to get hold of them.
As for conflict with parents, this can also lead to extra stress and pressure on teachers. A full-time
teacher teaches on average 250 students, which means there will inevitably be some conflict with
those students or their parents. The school is very supportive of teachers with their dealings with
parents. If teachers experience any difficulty, the Head of Year or Assistant Head of Year usually
contacts parents and tries to mediate.
AC 2.1
Plan improvements to the identification and approach to dealing with workplace stress and
conflict in own area of responsibility
What needs to be
improved?
What will be done
to achieve this?
What resources
and support
required?
What will the
success criteria
be?
Review and
completion dates
Conflict with
students
Using the school
behaviour system
Liaising with heads of
year and department
Liaise with parents
Support from
colleagues – share best
practice
Phone calls / parents’
evening
Improved behaviour End of next term

Conflict with parents Clear and regular
communications
Liaising with heads of
year and head of
department for support
Phone calls
Parents’ evening
Face-to-face
Support from
colleagues
End of next term
Stress due to
deadlines
Ensure all deadlines are
put into planner
Plan ahead to avoid
periods of extra stress
due to multiple
deadlines coming up
Time for planning Heightened feeling of
wellbeing
Next term
Stress due to
planning and
marking (especially
with changes coming
in from the
Curriculum for
Wales)
Familiarise myself with
changes to be
implemented to the
Curriculum
Maximise use of time to
plan for marking and
planning
Online documentation
Attend CPD on new
Curriculum
Time to mark
More confidence
Better time-
management
Next term

AC 2.2
Implement improvements to the identification and approach to dealing with workplace stress and
conflict in own area of responsibility
To deal with conflict with pupils, firstly, I plan on liaising more closely with Heads of Year and the
Head of Department and follow the school behaviour policy closely. I have already started doing this
this year and have asked them to come in and speak to certain classes. I also plan on liaising more
closely with teachers who teach the same classes as me to discuss strategies and share best practice.
Furthermore, I have set up a log of phone calls with parents so I can keep track of conversations and
design strategies tailored specifically to certain students to address their behaviour issues. I plan on
using this log more successfully in the future. To deal with conflicts with parents, in a similar way, I
plan on liaising with Heads of Year and the Head of Department.
To manage workplace stress, I intend on ensuring all key deadlines are put into my planner and
manage my time effectively. I will check the school calendar for upcoming dates and make sure I
have enough time to plan. To deal with the changes to be implemented from the Curriculum for
Wales, I intend on attending as many workshops, CPD and networking meetings as I can to gain
experience and knowledge from other people. I have already three meetings that I will attend this
term, and there will be a whole INSET day dedicated to working with the AoLE at the end of this
term. Furthermore, I will also liaise more closely with the other AoLE leads in the school who are
attending extra training so that I might get guidance off them and apply to my area. I will collate all
the information I have and share that with Heads of Departments and staff members to ensure we
are all briefed on the changes.
AC 2.3
Critically evaluate own ability to identify and deal with workplace stress and conflict effectively in
own area of responsibility
As a general rule, I have a fairly good work-life balance and am very organised, so I don’t often miss
deadlines. However, one reason why I might not be able to complete my work is if I take on multiple
projects. For instance, this year I am doing an ILM, I am AoLE coordinator, a leader of the
Accelerated Learner Programme and a mentor to a student teacher. Therefore, I have to stay
organised to ensure I meet all my deadlines. This can lead to some stress during some periods of the
year.
Firstly, to deal with conflict, I am planning on ensuring I liaise more closely with parents and
colleagues to ensure I have enough support. I already have a log of contact with parents, where I
input the time, date and nature of the phone calls for future reference. However, this year I have not
used this system extensively compared to previous years, and I therefore plan to make more phone
calls home to parents to feedback positive points and to discuss pupil behaviour. I already liaise
closely with Heads of Year and the Head of Department for issues relating to pupil behaviour. I use
the school behaviour policy in place and escalate issues to the relevant person.
Secondly, to prevent stress, I already have some effective mechanisms in place. For instance, I use an
online planner called Planboard for my organisation and note down any deadlines, meetings, notes
or things to do for each day. I have an iPad that I use in school which helps a lot with organisation.
For marking, I often ask pupils to peer-mark their papers to avoid unnecessary time spent marking,
which is what my Head of Department recommended we do to save time. I also have a digital mark
book with pupil scores, which makes calculating scores and overall percentages much more efficient
than using a paper copy. All of these techniques and tools that I have developed over the years allow
me to manage my workload and avoid too much stress. An area that may cause some added stress,

however, is the upcoming deadline of September 2022 to teach year 7 according to the new
Curriculum for Wales. This involves a lot of changes to our schemes of work and liaising more closely
with Welsh and English.
The outcome of the Thomas-Klimann Conflict mode questionnaire suggests that my management
style is closest to Compromising. This suggests that I tend to mediate and seek compromise between
different parties. I recognise this trait in my day-to-day practice, as I do tend to seek the best
outcome for all parties when resolving issues. This approach may be quite common with teachers,
who often need to mediate between students or parents.
The second highest scoring category was “accommodating”. This category suggests that I put others’
needs before my own and wish to please others. I somewhat recognise this trait in myself, as I do
tend to try and please others. However, I try to be assertive when I think my ideas would produce
significant change.
In terms of dealing with workplace stress, I have fairly effective strategies. For instance, I plan and
prioritise my work to ensure I meet deadlines and this limits the effects of stress. I also try to
communicate my concerns to leadership if I find something challenging to help address issues. In my
own personal life, I also have mechanisms in place to deal with stress. I exercise regularly, sleep well
and meditate. This helps me focus and have a clear mind and helps me be productive in work. I find
that in my line of work, stress only tends to occur during certain periods of the year, when there are
a lot of deadlines, such as reports, parents’ evenings, marking, etc. To alleviate the effects of stress, I
try to get things done as early as I can and make use of any free time I have to plan effectively.
Furthermore, this year I have taken on a variety of extra responsibilities, which can lead to stress due
to the extra pressure. To deal with this, I map out what needs to be done by when and follow up on
actions. I also try to communicate closely with people in charge of the programmes and ensure I am
up-to-date with work that needs to be done. In periods of intense pressure, I try to prioritise what
urgently needs doing and mitigate the consequences of other work being slightly late.

References
WHO team, (2020), ‘Occupational Health: stress at the workplace’, in World Health Organisation,
available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ccupational-health-
stress-at-the-workplace [Accessed 10th December 2021]
UK government, (2021) ‘education staff wellbeing charter’, department for education, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter [Accessed 14th December 2021]