By Viv Grant
Every year, World Mental Health Day reminds us to prioritise well-being — not just in our personal lives, but in the systems we lead and support. And yet, in education, there’s still one group too often overlooked in conversations about mental health: our school leaders.
As a former Headteacher, I know what it’s like to carry the weight of a whole school community on your shoulders. To put on a brave face while quietly breaking inside. To be everyone else’s anchor staff, students, parents and yet have no one holding you.
That’s why I founded Integrity Coaching, London’s longest-standing coaching company for school leaders. Our mission is simple: to create safe, confidential spaces where school leaders can pause, breathe, reflect, and reconnect with themselves.
Coaching for Mental Health & Leadership Longevity
Our work isn’t just about professional development, it’s about personal preservation. Through our Depth Coachingapproach, we integrate emotional intelligence, values-led reflection, and principles of depth psychology. We help leaders process what they’ve been holding in, the stress, the self-doubt, the overwhelm and re-emerge with clarity, purpose, and resilience.
A study of our coaching approach by Leeds Beckett University, funded by the NEU, confirmed what we’ve always known: when school leaders receive coaching, their well-being improves, their commitment to the role strengthens, and their capacity to stay in post grows. Coaching protects not just the individual, but the system.
Mental Health as a Matter of Justice
This World Mental Health Day, we must acknowledge the crisis in school leadership. Far too many are leaving the profession, not because they lack skill, but because they lack support. It’s not just a professional issue. It’s a human one.
At Integrity Coaching, we believe in ethical, values-driven leadership. We help leaders lead not just with strategy, but with soul. We hold the belief that if we care for the carers, the ripple effects will be felt across entire school communities.
For Those in Dark Times
If you’re in a dark place right now feeling isolated, exhausted, or unsure how much longer you can keep going I want to share something deeply personal.
After facing my own challenges, including a cancer diagnosis, I turned to creativity as a form of healing. The result was my book, Learning to Walk in the Dark , a collection of art and reflection designed to help others overcome uncertainty, fear, and change.
Whether you’re leading a school, a team, or simply trying to navigate difficult times, this book is a gentle companion for the journey. Find out more http://Learning to Walk in the Dark https://amzn.eu/d/7RC9Mzc
A Call to Action
If you’re a Headteacher or school leader feeling overwhelmed — know this:
You are not alone. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself.
Let this World Mental Health Day be the moment you choose yourself. Reach out. Book a coaching session. Take a breath.
Please Book a free discovery call with Hannah, Head of Client Relations,and Hannah will find the right programme as well as match you to one of our twenty-two expert coaches based on your needs.
Book a free discovery call – Integrity Coaching
Because when we invest in the mental health of school leaders, we’re investing in the future of education and in the humanity at its heart.
And… remember you matter!
