Coaching in education
Throughout the whole school/college
A planned approach to creating a coaching culture in your school
Coaching is very effective on an individual level. It is even more effective if coaching takes place regularly, throughout the whole school/college/university.
We have three major programmes to support this ambition – outlined below. Each is different, and each provides different opportunities for using coaching effectively. Each gives the best chance for you to be able to use coaching to maximise performance and wellbeing.
Have a look at our three major programmes, and visualise the impact they could have in your school.
For an overview of our approach, download our “Starting a coaching culture in your school” flyer
Reinventing performance management
Revamp the annual performance management approach – we prefer to call it performance development, and to call appraisers reviewers. Take a coaching approach, and train appraisers to be both supportive and challenging. And focus on outcomes that will benefit teachers, students and the whole school.
The potential for a performance development approach to transform a school is strong. Schools who invest in this approach often report that:
- Reviewers are confident and skilled in managing the review process
- Teachers are engaged in the process, learn about themselves and set targets that are both challenging and achievable
- The approach taken, combining coaching and respectful challenge, is both robust and supportive
- The targets agreed actually have an impact – for the teacher, the student, the whole school
Our performance development consultancy is made up of a number of phases, including audit, training, review, goal setting and support for the implementation of the process.
We have worked with over 400 schools on their performance development process, and will be delighted to work with your school.
For further information, download the Performance management in schools flyer and get in touch with us
Coaching for teachers – professional me time
Teachers can benefit greatly from having regular coaching that is non-directive. It gives them the chance to reflect and analyse both their teaching practice and other aspects of their professional life.
Teachers who have the opportunity to work with a coach often report that they are clearer in their goals, more focussed on their strengths, and are happier in the positive contribution that they are making.
Our approach to providing coaching for teachers is a sustainable one. We train a group of coaches within your school, and then help set up a regular cycle of coaching. The process is:
- Initial identification of strategy, and nominating coaches to be trained
- High quality coach training for the coaches, so that they can support their colleagues (choose one of the coach training programmes listed on this site)
- One champion to receive further training, including coaching supervision training, so that they can support the coaches
- Setting up a regular coaching programme, with time ringfenced
- Coaches and coachees matched in a harmonious way
- Coaching takes place, as a minimum, half termly. Coachees work on the issues that they choose to bring to coaching
- Coaches have peer and supervisory support, to continue to develop their practice
- Annual reviews to identify further training need for coaches, and for further matching of coaches to coachees
This approach is consultancy support to help implement any of the coach training programmes that we offer – see our coach training programmes section of the website.
Coaching and the craft of teaching
We celebrate teacher autonomy, but are aware that this has an impact on consistent good practice throughout the school.
High quality instructional coaching can help to bridge the gap, and provide both consistency and autonomy.
In our coaching and the craft of teaching programme, we help schools to develop a strong model that combines the best of traditional and instructional coaching. Skilled coaches will support your classroom practitioners on the two elements of guidance on best practice and reflection on personal approaches to pedagogy.
We are in a period in education where evidence is available. ResearchEd, John Hattie’s Visible Learning, and the Chartered College of Teaching, amongst others, are in the forefront of this. However, still there are pockets of practice following approaches that aren’t best practice.
Don’t impose evidence based approaches without additional support.
Instead, use instructional coaching as a way introduce high quality practice, and still allow for a level of teacher autonomy.
For further information, download the Coaching and the craft of teaching flyer and get in touch with us
Our approach
Whichever programme you choose, we tailor it to:
- Your school/college’s needs
- The current level of coaching experience in your school
- Your sector/context/unique circumstances
Book in a time for an initial call and we can talk through the options of how we will work with you.
“I am a passionate believer in the power of coaching to support educational outcomes. Whether it be school leaders being coached, or coaching others to unlock their potential. Coaching empowers teachers and leaders, students and parents, to develop and grow, and develop their own positive outcomes.”
