Best School to Work

q&a

Everything schools and school groups want to know

01

About the programme

Best School To Work is a globally recognised, research-backed certification that evaluates and strengthens workplace culture through a comprehensive, survey-based methodology.

By collecting direct feedback from your staff, the programme provides certification, data-driven insights, and practical guidance to help you build a positive, high-performing workplace.

Best School To Work is delivered by T4 Education, the global organisation behind the prestigious World’s Best School Prizes, working with schools worldwide to cultivate thriving educational environments.

What areas does the programme look at?

The Best School to Work survey evaluates a school’s health through a rigorous framework consisting of 4 Pillars and 15 Foundations. This structure provides a 360-degree view of the staff experience, from institutional leadership to personal wellbeing.

Leadership: Evaluates how leaders model trust, set vision, and develop staff through engagement, feedback, coaching, and professional development.
Collaboration: Measures the strength of internal teamwork and community engagement.
School Environment: Focuses on inclusivity, resources, staff belonging, and workplace atmosphere.
Professional Wellness: Reviews contractual health, remuneration, workload and mental wellbeing.

Who can apply for certification?

The program is open to any school providing compulsory education, including Pre-K, Primary, and Secondary levels, regardless of location. We also offer dedicated pathways for School Groups, allowing for multi-site benchmarking and group-wide certification if at least 50% of individual schools within the group meet the required standards.

How long does the certification last?

Certification is valid for one year. Schools typically renew annually to track their progress and maintain their status. We also offer three-year packages for institutions looking for long-term continuity and sustained cultural development.

What are the fees for the programme?

Fees vary depending on your country and the size of your school or group. Please get in touch to receive a tailored quote at hello@bestschooltowork.com

02

About the process

How does the survey process work?

The process is designed to be efficient and low-impact for school leadership. Once you join:

Onboarding: You provide some basic school profile data and staff email addresses via our secure portal.
Setup: You appoint 2–3 project coordinators to manage the internal rollout.
Deployment: We send individual email invitations to all staff. We provide a two-week window for completion, with automated reminders on Day 1, Day 7, and Day 10.
Reporting: Once the survey closes, we process the data and present your results through our interactive visualisation tool.

How long does the process take?

The standard timeline from setup to results is six weeks, though this can be expedited upon request:

Weeks 1–2 (Setup): Administrative preparation and staff awareness campaign using our communication templates.
Weeks 3–4 (Survey): Live survey window with automated staff reminders.
Weeks 5–6 (Analysis and delivery): Data processing and delivery of results via the visualisation tool and an online debrief meeting.

Is the survey anonymous?

Yes. Anonymity is guaranteed to ensure honest feedback. Individual responses are never shared with the school. While results can be filtered by demographic to identify trends, we ensure no individual respondent can be identified through these filters.

Who takes the survey?

The survey is designed for the entire school workforce, including teachers, leadership, and all support or administrative staff. To ensure relevance, respondents are categorised into three distinct groups so they only receive questions applicable to their role:

School Leadership
Teachers
Admin and Operations

How long is the survey?

The survey typically takes 12 to 15 minutes for staff to complete. It can be completed on computer, phone or tablet.

Is there a minimum number of staff required to complete the survey?

To ensure the data is statistically valid, we aim for a representative sample of your staff, ideally 70% or higher. While we provide the insights regardless of the turnout, a representative sample is required for the certification to be awarded.

What if staff don't have work email addresses?

If staff do not have work emails, we provide dedicated survey links for you to distribute internally. Staff can then complete the survey on school computers or their own devices.

What do you do with the email addresses we share? How do you process personal information?

We are GDPR-compliant and only use staff email addresses to send the survey invitations through the Best School To Work portal. Read more about our privacy policy here: https://t4.education/privacy-policy/

Can we add our own questions?

Yes. You can add up to five custom questions specific to your school. These can be 1-5 scoring or open-ended questions. While these results are provided separately and do not impact your benchmarking score, they allow you to gather feedback on your own specific priorities.

What languages do you cover?

The survey and all email communications are currently available in English, Arabic, Swedish, Spanish, and Portuguese. Additional languages are available upon request. If your workforce is multilingual, individuals can select their preferred language directly within the survey interface.

How are the results presented?

Once the survey is complete, your data is processed and presented through an interactive visualisation tool. This dashboard allows you to filter results by the 4 Pillars and 15 Foundations, as well as by key demographics, providing clear, actionable insights into your school's culture. Raw data is available for export to Excel for internal reporting. We will also hold a debriefing session with you to discuss your results.

Will we know which other schools are included in the benchmark data?

No, we do not share the names of other schools directly. However, schools that receive certification can choose to be included in our public list of certified schools on our website, which is updated twice a year.

Do you survey parents and students?

Yes, we offer an add-on service that allows you to survey your students and parents. The structure is slightly different to the staff survey. Please reach out to learn more about this option at: hello@bestschooltowork.com

How do you help my school improve its working culture?

By participating in the survey, you receive actionable feedback on your current performance and identified areas for improvement, including benchmarking. You also gain access to a library of resources, including webinars on Best School to Work topics featuring world-class experts.

Can I take the survey more than once in the same year?

Yes. While we typically recommend an annual survey to track long-term progress, schools can run the survey more frequently to monitor the impact of specific interventions.

What happens if my school achieves certification?

Certified schools receive the Best School To Work digital badge and a comprehensive set of communication assets for use across digital and printed materials. We also provide a marketing toolkit with strategic guidance on leveraging your certification, alongside a press release template to help you share the news with the media and your wider community.

What happens if my school doesn’t reach the minimum score to get certified?

If your school does not reach the certification threshold, you still receive your full results and data-driven insights. These results help you identify specific strengths and areas for improvement, providing a clear roadmap for internal action. You can then choose to run the survey again in the future to track your progress and work towards achieving certification.

Large group of educators and school staff posing together for a group photo outdoors.

Students carrying backpacks walking through a school stairwell with a teacher.