In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Chloe Fox, an Alternative Provision Lead whose powerful reflections on belonging and community have resonated with thousands across education. After a viral LinkedIn post about the “real gatekeepers” in schools, Chloe has become a compassionate voice for putting humanity back at the centre of our work.

Together, we explore what sits behind the data we’re constantly asked to produce, the relationships, emotional labour and invisible work that truly shape school culture. Chloe opens up about her journey through burnout, losing herself in fear, pressure and perfectionism and the transformation that came when she pressed pause and rebuilt with support.

She returns to education with a renewed purpose:

to champion belonging, connection and authenticity as the foundations of thriving staff and thriving students.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How getting caught up in fear, metrics and accountability can disconnect us from our why.
• The reality of self-destruct patterns like constant availability and hyper-responsibility.
• What it means to “lose yourself” and how to find your way back.
• Why vulnerability is the most courageous form of leadership.
• How imposter syndrome shows up across education for support staff, teachers and leaders.
• The importance of psychological safety and honest conversations.
• Why community, belonging and relationships must come before data.
• Slowing down enough to notice stress responses before they become burnout.

Key messageIf staff feel seen, valued, heard and safe, everything else follows: wellbeing, behaviour, learning, teamwork, culture and outcomes.

Belonging isn’t a tick box. It’s something we feel.

Connect with Chloe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloefoxpastoral/

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠@rowenaphicks

⁠2. Facebook: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks

Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠ 

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down once again with Dr Adam McCartney, Educational Psychologist, to explore the quiet but powerful forces shaping staff wellbeing in schools today. This conversation looks beyond workload and policies, and instead examines what truly drives burnout identity, autonomy, culture, and the systems teachers work within every day.

Adam shares powerful insights from his work across schools and explains why so many teachers are silently struggling, even in environments that appear functional on the surface. Together, we unpack what leaders and teachers can do to shift from surviving to genuinely thriving.

We talk about:

• The silent epidemic of stress in schools and why it often goes unnoticed

• How budget cuts, loss of support staff, and unrealistic expectations are impacting staff wellbeing

• Why a clear vision and shared purpose can transform culture (and what happens when it’s missing)

• The role of communities of practice in strengthening collaboration, trust, and identity

• How teacher identity can become unhealthy and what educators can do to protect their sense of self

• Difficult conversations: why they matter and how schools can approach them safely

• The importance of autonomy and psychologically informed management systems

• A powerful real-life example of a teacher who went from nearly being dismissed to becoming one of the school’s strongest practitioners

• Practical steps for leaders who want to empower staff without burning themselves out

• How schools can create systems that work without relying on one person

• What healthy leadership looks like when it comes to pastoral care, role clarity, and trust

I especially loved the final story. Adam shared a reminder that the right support, structure, and trust can completely change a teacher’s trajectory. These moments show what’s possible when school systems prioritise people over pressure.

Connect with Dr Adam McCartney

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradammcartney/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581143277228

Linked In:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-adam-mccartney-afbpss-647ab1221/

Podcast: https://www.dradammccartney.com/betweentwopsychs

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: @rowenaphicks

2. Facebook: Rowena Hicks

3. Linked In: Rowena Hicks

Email me: [email protected] 

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: www.rowenahicks.co

In this solo episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, it’s just me reflecting on what a truly thriving school might look like. This week, AI gave me a suggestion of what a “perfect day” in school could be, and honestly… It made me laugh. From calm mornings and joyful lunches to smooth lessons and a stress-free 5 p.m. finish, it painted a picture that felt miles away from reality.

So I started to wonder: what does a real day in school actually look like? And more importantly, what would it take for us to thrive within that reality of the chaos, the unpredictability, and the constant demands we face as educators and leaders?

Drawing on my 30+ years in schools around the world, including a story from a little school in Poland where children hid in cupboards on my first day, I explore the truth that schools are full of messy, marvelous humans. We care deeply, but that caring can come at a cost.

In this episode, I share my own experience of burnout, how I let work become my identity, and what I’ve learned since about boundaries, rest and the courage to switch off. I also talk about small, practical ways we can begin to change things right now: five-minute pauses, leaving work on time once a week, and remembering that our worth isn’t tied to how hard we work.

I also introduce 5 Minutes to Thrive, the course I created to help staff teams build reflection and wellbeing into their weekly routine. It’s not another wellbeing add-on; it’s about changing habits and mindsets so we can all become stronger, calmer, and more creative versions of ourselves.

In this episode, I explore:

• The difference between the “ideal” school day and our lived reality.

• Why it’s so easy to let work become our identity and how to stop it.

• The hidden cost of constant caring and why we need to switch off.

• How I learned to rest, reset, and reclaim balance after burnout.

• Why thriving teachers create thriving schools (and even better student outcomes).

• Simple challenges you can start today, like putting yourself first for just one hour this week.

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: @rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

Email me: [email protected]⁠ ⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Viv Grant, former head teacher, mother of three, author, and Director of Integrity Coaching. Viv brings deep emotional honesty, lived experience, and decades of leadership insight to a conversation about something many educators silently struggle with: what happens when we stop being whole humans in the profession?

We explore Viv’s journey from newly appointed head teacher (while pregnant!) to navigating burnout, emotional overwhelm, and the heavy expectations of school leadership. Viv shares openly about how the pressure to “be strong,” “please everyone,” and keep going no matter what led her to a breaking point and how this became the catalyst for the compassionate coaching work she now leads.

Together, we unpack why so many educators feel like cogs in a fast-moving machine, how identity gets lost behind the “teacher/leader suit,” and what it really takes to create school cultures where staff can feel safe, seen, and human again.

This conversation is both grounding and empowering, a reminder that you are more than your role, your results, or your resilience.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Viv’s pathway into headship and the emotional cost of always “being strong.”

• How personal identity, motherhood, and leadership intersect in powerful (and messy) ways.

• Why do many schools unintentionally encourage staff to compartmentalise who they are?

• The difference between reacting and responding and why self-awareness is the key.

• The five behavioural “drivers” (like please others and be perfect) that quietly shape our choices.

• How pausing, reflection, and permission to care for ourselves can shift everything.

• Why psychological safety matters more than any wellbeing initiative or bolt-on strategy.

• Viv’s journey through serious illness and how creativity helped her reconnect with her inner wisdom.

This episode is a tender nudge to remember:

Teachers and leaders are whole people with histories, emotions, identities, hopes, and lives beyond school.

When we create cultures where individuality is honoured and listening is prioritised, teachers don’t just survive, they thrive.

Connect with Viv Grant:

Linked In: Viv Grant FRSA

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠@rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: Rowena Hicks⁠

4.Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down with Hannah, headteacher at Orchards (TCAT). We begin by talking about her unlikely source of calm: her farm animals. Between ducks, pigs, chickens, and her kids playing in the mud, that space is where she truly disconnects and resets.

Together, we explore the emotional toll of teaching and leadership, especially the quiet burnout that comes from being constantly responsible for others. Hannah and I unpack what it means to lead human-first: to bring compassion, self-awareness, and honesty into a system that often forgets teachers are people too.

We also talk about what leadership really means, how it’s not about being perfect, but about being reflective and humble enough to keep learning. I share a five-minute meeting opener from my 5 Minutes to Thrive course that helps teams begin conversations with reflection instead of rush.

Hannah explains how she’s building a culture that models wellbeing, not just preaches it. At Orchards, every teacher gets one off-site PPA afternoon a week, and senior leaders are expected to actually take time themselves because showing balance is just as important as talking about it.

We dive into the loneliness of the DSL role and Hannah’s new book, The Honest DSL, written to name the hidden emotional weight of safeguarding and offer real solidarity. She also wrote The Honest Headteacher, both with Teacher Writers.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why emotional burnout is increasing and how to respond with empathy and realism.

• What a truly human school culture looks like.

• How reflection and self-awareness can become a team habit in under five minutes a week.

• Why leaders must model healthy boundaries, not just talk about them.

• The importance of visible structures like off-site PPAs to show trust and respect.

• How to protect family life without guilt and reject toxic “either/or” narratives.

• Why safeguarding roles need community and emotional backup, not just training.

Connect with Hannah Carter:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/hannah-carter-73485774

Blog: https://theeducationimpactnetwork.edublogs.org/

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: @rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: Rowena Hicks

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down with Rebekah Alsey, a former headteacher and mum of five, who shares a deeply emotional and honest story about how her dedication to education ultimately came at the cost of her health.

Rebekah opens up about the moment everything changed: delivering an INSET day in 2023 when she suffered from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, more commonly known as Broken Heart Disease, a stress-induced heart failure that feels just like a heart attack. Though she recovered, the experience left her physically and emotionally shaken, leading her to step down from headship in 2025.

Together, we explore the painful realities of burnout in school leadership, the culture of self-sacrifice that keeps so many teachers pushing beyond their limits, and the urgent need for emotional support and systemic change in education.

This conversation is raw, moving, and full of hard-earned wisdom. We talk about the love of teaching that drives leaders to give everything, the guilt of stepping away, and the practical ways schools can start putting people before performance.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• How chronic stress and self-neglect can affect physical health

• The emotional toll of leadership and the cost of serving everyone else first

• Why coaching and supervision should be standard practice in education

• How imposter syndrome fuels overworking and exhaustion

• The importance of psychological safety and vulnerability in schools

• Redefining what success means in education

• Creating time and space for reflection as a leader

• Why caring for yourself helps everyone around you thrive
  

Rebekah’s story is a powerful reminder that passion without boundaries can break even the strongest hearts, and that stepping back isn’t failure but an act of courage and self-preservation.

Connect with Rebekah:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-alsey-848518128/

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠ @rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook:  ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks

⁠Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down with Angela, a headteacher with over 35 years in education and 25 of those leading schools. Angela brings her deep wisdom, compassion, and honesty to a conversation that every educator needs to hear.

Together, we explore what it really means to keep teaching in a sustainable way, not just surviving term by term, but staying whole as a person while serving others. Angela shares how she learned to set firm boundaries, protect her energy, and eventually recognise when it was time to step away from leadership to prioritise her wellbeing.

She speaks candidly about the pressures of leadership, the importance of alignment between personal values and school culture, and the courage it takes to say, “Enough.” From defining reasonable working hours to reframing marking and rethinking what “making a difference” really means, Angela offers practical wisdom and heartfelt truths for anyone in education today.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• The importance of keeping yourself whole - why your job isn’t your entire identity.

• How the Serenity Prayer can guide wise choices and reduce overwhelm.

• Why aligning your values with your school’s culture is essential for sustainability.

• Setting clear boundaries around working hours, emails, and marking.

• How to let go of perfectionism and accept that you don’t need to do everything.

• Why leaving on time once a week could transform your wellbeing and productivity.

• The power of teamwork over isolation and playing to collective strengths.

• Knowing when to step away and why that isn’t failure it’s self-preservation.

• The reminder that schools will replace you, but your family and health can’t be replaced.

Angela leaves us with a beautiful metaphor:

“If one person is blowing the trumpet at full blast and nobody else is joining in, it’s not music it’s noise. But when everyone plays their instrument at the right time, that’s when you get harmony.”

This conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and redefine what thriving in education really looks like.

Connect with Angela:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelalstanton

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠@rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: ⁠Rowena Hicks

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks

Email me: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: ⁠www.rowenahicks.com

In this solo episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I turn the conversation on its head by asking what happens when we start with who we are, our strengths, values, and intrinsic qualities rather than what external “fixes” we can bolt on. Drawing on my decades of experience in schools and my own journey through burnout, I share a powerful approach to wellbeing that begins with identifying and using your most valued strengths.

I highlight the alarming levels of stress across the education sector with up to 80% of staff in schools reporting significant stress and the toll this takes on health, relationships, and careers. Instead of quick-fix solutions, I introduce a practical framework designed for real schools: short, culture-shifting practices that help staff rediscover their purpose, build skills to reduce stress and prevent burnout before it takes hold.

Through moving stories from my time as a SENCO, specialist teacher, and leader, I show how using my core strengths of kindness and problem-solving not only energised me but also transformed my ability to support children, colleagues, and whole-school communities. I also share details of my 5 Minutes to Thrive course that fits neatly at the start of your staff meetings, a weekly practice of small, intentional actions to build habits, confidence, and team culture without adding to workload.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Why starting with your most valued strengths can be the key to thriving in your role.

• How ignoring those strengths leads to exhaustion, survival mode, and burnout.

• The importance of micro-habits and small culture shifts in building thriving schools.

• The “five-to-one” wellbeing ratio and how noticing positives can rewire daily stress patterns.

• Practical strategies to tackle negative thought spirals and reframe your inner critic.

• How collective reflection in staff meetings can normalise conversations about stress.

• Why redefining your “why” in teaching is vital for long-term sustainability.

This episode is intended to inspire as well as offering practical tips. I offer teachers and leaders tools we can use straight away to bring more energy, joy even work life balance into our week. I believe protecting wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it's a necessity for thriving staff, which of course impacts positively on the students, and schools where people truly want to stay and grow.

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: @rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: Rowena Hicks⁠

Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by psychotherapist and author Kim Rutherford, creator of the Eight Wise Method. Kim brings years of clinical expertise and her own lived experience of burnout to a powerful conversation about prevention, recovery, and resilience in education.

We explore what burnout really is, why it goes beyond workload, and how unhealed stress in life and work can spiral into cycles of illness, overwhelm, and even depression. Kim shares her near-fatal burnout experience and how it led her to develop a practical blueprint for sustainable wellbeing.

From environmental wellness to daily journaling, Kim offers concrete strategies that empower teachers and leaders to build resilience, take responsibility for their mental health, and foster healthier school cultures.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Why “just resting” isn’t enough to break the burnout loop.

• The Eight Wise framework for identifying root causes of stress.

• How changing small habits can rewire neural pathways and rebuild resilience.

• The importance of environmental wellness and creating safe, supportive school spaces.

• Why culture change in schools must start with leaders.

• Breaking the stigma and shame around mental health in education.

• Simple daily practices like journaling and 1% habit shifts that can protect against burnout.

This episode is an honest and practical guide for teachers and leaders who are close to burnout or determined to prevent it. Kim’s insights remind us that taking brave action and prioritising mental health isn’t selfish; it’s essential for thriving staff, resilient students, and healthier schools.

Connect with Kim:

Website: www.kimrutherfordofficial.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-rutherford/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.rutherford.3726/

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.com

Follow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠@rowenaphicks

2. Facebook: Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: ⁠ Rowena Hicks⁠

Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: www.rowenahicks.com

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Rachel Bates, head teacher at Weldon Park Academy. Rachel brings honesty, warmth, and years of leadership experience to a conversation about one of the most damaging patterns in education: the comparison trap.

From staff comparing themselves to colleagues, to schools being compared by league tables, comparison can fuel stress, perfectionism, and burnout. Rachel shares her own journey into teaching, the challenges of headship, and how she’s worked to build a culture that values uniqueness over uniformity.

We also touch on surprising sources of wisdom from Beyoncé to Miranda Hart and what they teach us about authenticity, belonging, and celebrating differences.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Rachel’s pathway to headship and the hidden challenges behind the role.

• The “push - pull” between being an excellent teacher and being present in your personal life.

• Why safe spaces and supervision are essential for staff wellbeing.

• How culture, compassion, clarity, and capability shapes thriving schools.

• The dangers of the comparison trap and perfectionism for teachers and leaders.

• Why celebrating uniqueness is the antidote to imposter syndrome and burnout.

• Lessons from Beyoncé and Miranda Hart on being unapologetically yourself.

This episode is an empowering reminder that teachers and leaders don’t need to be carbon copies of one another. Instead, by valuing individuality and creating psychologically safe cultures, schools can flourish and so can the people within them.

Connect with Rachel:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-bates-2a211497/

Want to find out more about my new course 5 Minutes to Thrive? Go to my website at www.rowenahicks.comFollow me on:

1. Instagram: ⁠@rowenaphicks⁠

2. Facebook: Rowena Hicks⁠

3. Linked In: ⁠Rowena Hicks⁠Email me: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Visit my website for Books, Journals, Free Community and lots of other interesting stuff: www.rowenahicks.com