This exploratory study reports on interviews carried out with 19
staff in UK schools during the early phase of the global Covid-19
pandemic. The focus of this qualitative study was to consider
the impact of the pandemic on participants’ mental health and
wellbeing, and to identify buffering mechanisms which may
have mitigated against adverse effects. Participants were
employed in a range of role types (including leaders, teachers
and teaching assistants) in different educational settings (primary, secondary and alternative provision), and in different
regions of the United Kingdom. A process of thematic analysis
identified five key themes from the data set: change and adaptation; loss; impact on wellbeing; risk and protective factors; and
opportunities to reflect. Data indicate that staff resilience during
this time can be understood as emerging from a nuanced and
complex interaction of internal and external factors, and thus
conceptualised within a socio-ecological framework.