Being a Coaching School

1. Being a Coaching School Steve Woodley, AHT (Training School Leader) Valentines High School, Ilford

2. Why develop coaching? The NCSL states: • Leaders have a moral responsibility to promote everyone’s learning - that of both adults and pupils. • Leaders have a moral imperative to develop the next generation of school leaders. • High-quality coaching in schools supports professional development, leadership sustainability and school improvement.

3. Why develop coaching? The NCSL states: • Central to these propositions is the role of learning conversations, which make tacit knowledge explicit and engage staff in open and honest debate. • Leaders have a responsibility to provide the processes, structures and resources that support coaching.

4. Why develop coaching? Coaching provides: • a route towards whole-school or departmental improvement • personalised professional learning for staff within schools • a process that promotes self-directed professional learning • a learning-centred mode of professional dialogue • a process that builds capacity for leadership

6. Our key principles • Coaches do not need subject expertise – they are not mentors • Coaches and coachees should want to do it • However, we can suggest they should do it... NQTs, SYTs, new middle leaders • The key to successful coaching is the ability to have learning conversations based on structured questioning • Training based on how to do this/ practical scenarios • Coaching pairs should be based on personalities

7. Our approach: developing a culture of coaching • Initially 8 staff attended LEA led coaching training • Coached each other • Coached NQTS and second year teachers • Expanded team – 16 new coaches trained at Valentines in summer term 2008 – sessions led by coaches/ trained staff

8. Our approach: developing a culture of coaching • All NQTs, second year teachers all in coaching pairs: 20 recent/ current pairs • Staff briefed on benefits of coaching- requests for coaching • All staff attending middle leaders course are being coached

9. How does it work? • Week One: Make contact • Week Two: Initial meeting. Meet coachee. Identify focus using STRIDE record sheet. • Week Three: Observe lesson • Week Four: Follow-up meeting. Identify progress using STRIDE record sheet. • Can continue partnership – with same or new focus • Complete and return evaluation

10. Evaluating the impact • Evaluation key – shared with coaches • Evidence of imapct • Used for PM/ Upper Threshold/ CLT • Shared with staff – benefits of coaching

11. Evaluations… • 90% of coachees had an initial meeting • 70% of coachees had an observation • 65% of coaches had a follow-up meeting • All those coachees who had all three of the above rated their experience ‘excellent’ and indicated that they would ‘definitely’ want to be coached again.

12. The future • Evaluate long term impact on classroom practice/ leadership styles • Develop student coaches • Link coaching with aspiring senior leader training • Link established with Roding Primary School, Redbridge, as part of TDA project • Training other schools: Cambridge Consortium course at Valentines on December 10th: • http://www.elc-cambridge.org/home/programmes/cambridgeconsortium/manageleader/powereffectcoaching

13. Discuss? • Sharing good practice • Developing real expertise • Overcoming obstacles • Evaluating impact