Ahmad Fahmy, Wan Farahin binti; (2025) The Wellbeing of Staff in Alternative Provision: A Nested Case Study in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The current landscape of education has called on school staff to go beyond traditional teaching roles to ensure that children and young people are provided with a significant amount of emotional, practical and pastoral support (Education Support, 2023). These additional responsibilities place considerable demands on the emotional, mental and physical capacities of staff which can potentially hinder their ability to sustain positive school environments that are essential for pupil wellbeing (Woolf & Digby, 2023). This is particularly distinct in alternative provision settings such as PRUs where attending pupils present with complex needs and vulnerabilities and staff are required to be exceptional in meeting these needs (House of Commons, 2018). Nevertheless, there is a significant gap in research concerning the support needs of staff who work in these very environments. This study addressed this gap by examining the wellbeing of teachers and TAs in a nested case study approach with four PRU centres that fall under a single organisation. The study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of staff regarding their wellbeing, in addition to the factors that influence it. Exploring the role of the EP in supporting staff wellbeing was also an aim of the research. The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model (Law et al., 1996) was used as a guiding framework to explore wellbeing factors. Phase 1 of the study involved a survey comprising the Teacher Wellbeing Scale (TWBS) and open-ended questions with 50 PRU staff across the four centres. Phase 2 involved semi-structured interviews with 6 self-selected staff members from each centre. The findings of this research were analysed using SPSS, Inductive Content Analysis (ICA) and Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). Unique insights were observed based on the different methods of data collection. The TWBS highlighted measurable patterns, while the open-ended responses and interviews provided richer and contextualised responses. Consistent across the three analyses were the effect of high workload, support that was misaligned with need and the impact of leadership on wellbeing. Support from colleagues was seen as a protective factor. While the EP role in relation to wellbeing showed no clear links in the TWBS, qualitative data demonstrated advantages if the role was clearly defined. The implications of this research are a constructive and solution-focused approach to understanding staff wellbeing in a PRU, moving away from deficit narratives. By defining wellbeing as the balance point between resources and challenges, areas of support can be identified and acted upon.

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