Sickness doesn’t just hit the timetable.
It hits the budget — and often harder than we realise.

Here’s a quick way to see the real picture.

Think back to last term (or better still, last year): How many sick days were there?

Now multiply that by £150.
(That’s based on an average salary across roles of £25k — £125 a day, plus 20% oncosts.)

Then add the same amount again for the cover: either a member of your team stepping in, or supply.

What’s the number?
That’s the cost of sickness.
And it adds up fast.
(And I think we can agree — this calculation is pretty conservative.)

Most of us never put an actual number on sickness… but once you do, it’s eye-opening:

• supply costs
• cover costs
• leadership time
• lost momentum
• cultural wobble

It’s far more than a line on your spreadsheet.

But here’s the hopeful bit.
I walk into excellent schools all the time — and sickness is low.

How do they do it?
I share some of the ways in this 2-minute top tip:
Episode 155: Sickness! 3 proven tips to reduce sickness (and still be nice)

High sickness isn’t a character flaw in your team.
It’s a culture signal — and that makes it something you can influence.

Wishing you all good health,
Sonia 💛

P.S. If you know a head who’d find this helpful, feel free to pass it on — sharing really is caring… and you might just help reduce their sick days too.