The Mental Health Sick Day Script | Teacher Strategy Vault

A mental health day is still a sick day, but teachers carry a particular kind of guilt around this one, there's no visible proof, and you know exactly what a relief teacher walking into an unprepared room looks like.

This free guide gives you the exact words to use, whether you're calling the office, texting your team leader, or emailing when you can't face a call, so you can send the message and actually switch off for the day instead of spiralling about it from the moment you wake up.

What's inside:

• 3 ready-to-use scripts: calling the school office, texting a team leader or trusted colleague, and an early-morning email or text option

• A clear line on what you do and don't need to disclose, "unwell" and "not well" are complete sentences

• A "few things to try" section: send the message and put your phone away, skip the repeated apologising, don't spend the day catching up on marking

• A gentle note on noticing a pattern rather than hiding it, with a nudge toward your GP or Employee Assistance Program if the need becomes regular

• General guidance framing throughout, clearly marked as not medical advice