Developing Coaching Pathways to Offer Bespoke and Specialised Coaching to meet the Needs of School Staff

Katie Vanderpere-Brown

Saffron Walden County High SchoolKvanderpere-brown@swchs.net

@vanderpere

A one-to-one conversation that focuses on the enhancement of learning and development through increasing self awareness and a sense of personal responsibility, where the coach facilitates the self directed learning of the coachee through questioning, active listening and an encouraging climate.(John Campbell 2018)

What is coaching?

What is coaching? A listening exercise

“One of the most compelling rationales for school-based coaching is that many of the more conventional forms of professional development—such as conferences, lectures, and mass teacher-institute days—are unpopular with educators because they are often led by outside experts who tell teachers what to do, then are never heard from again. To be effective, scores of researchers say, professional development must be ongoing, deeply embedded in teachers’ classroom work with children, specific to grade levels or academic content, and focused on research based approaches. It also must help to open classroom doors and create more collaboration and sense of community among teachers in a school.”

Why coaching?

School-Based Coaching A revolution in professional development—or just the latest fad? By Alexander Russo 2004

2012Worked in

conjunction with a local

school to embed whole

school coaching

2013Small scale coaching

at both secondary schools in our trust – taking the time to

research this

2014Coaching team established

at SWCHS – opportunity for all teachers to have a

coach

2015 onwardsOpportunities for

personalised support for all teachers – invest in ourselves.

Coach Mark Gold Award –March 2017

Level 3 ILM Trained Coaches 2018

Our Coaching Journey

“ Our approach to CPD is also personalised…One aspect of this personalised programme is coaching. …we are proud to have established a school culture where coaching is something that is open to all staff in the school – from teachers, comma, leaders to support and administration staff. All NQTs, RQTs, and TLRs are offered bespoke coaching as part of their entitlement.”

Catherine DavisSWCHS

EARLY YEARS CAREER FRAMEWORK

NEW IN ROLE

RETURN TO WORK

NOMINATED COACHING

LEADERSHIP

Coaching Pathways

EARLY YEARS CAREER FRAMEWORK

Case Study

Pathway: Early Years Career FrameworkMember of Staff: RQT, HistoryFocus of Coaching: Time management strategies to focus on the craft of T & LSessions: 8

Case Study

Pathway: New in RoleMember of Staff: Director of EnglishFocus of Coaching: To transition into new role and feel like an established leaderSessions: 8

NEW IN ROLE

Case Study

Pathway: Return to WorkMember of Staff: AC TechnologyFocus of Coaching: Return to work after maternity leaveSessions: 10

RETURN TO WORK

Case Study

Pathway: Nominated CoachingMember of Staff: Maths TeacherFocus of Coaching: Capability SupportSessions: 8

NOMINATED COACHING

Case Study

Pathway: LeadershipMember of Staff: New Head of YearFocus of Coaching: Dealing with imposter syndromeSessions: Ongoing

LEADERSHIP

Robust evaluation

We report to SLT and Governors

Through coaching I have managed to work on my work/life balance more. This has seen me mark more efficiently and ensure that I'm spending more time looking after myself outside of school. This has a hugely positive impact on my outlook both in teaching but also within SWCHS.

I have developed new strategies for behaviour management, which seem to be having a positive impact. I have been more focused on my PM targets, and have been able to reflect carefully on metacognition and the impact it has had on my practice.

I feel more confident that I am making the right decisions, and have explored a variety of pedagogical approaches to teaching my subject. It has made me more reflective of my practice, and reassured me that certain aspects of the job are challenging for everyone.

My coach was very supportive my professional development in all aspect. I put into practice some activities suggested and improved the relationship with Year 12 class. That in turn helped them make more progress closer to their AS exams.

What are you doing differently as a direct result of

coaching?

Coaching should be a key tool for all staff to access on a regular basis as there are benefits to those being coached and the coaches themselves which may have a positive impact on the well being of all staff as issues can be aired and addressed in a safe environment which encourages positive outcomes

Simply the most valuable hour of my fortnight. I really valued the time on being able to reflect on my practice. It helped me rationalise my decisions and share my thoughts in a completely confidential manner. I felt I was listened to and we shared ideas.

It helped me during a period of time at the beginning of this year where I found myself entering a slightly negative spiral about my teaching career and current feelings at the time. I will always be very thankful for the pick me ups provided and the opportunity to talk to someone and to have them listen and impact advice and guidance on how to progress and move forward.

I absolutely loved the time I spent with my coach. On reflection, it was invaluable and I am much better leader following the support I gained from the coaching.

Mapped pathways include coaching

Mapped pathways include coaching

Supervision

It is important to give those who coach the opportunity to have regular supervision from someone external to provide support/aid reflective practice from several different lenses e.g.

• Why did I do what I did? • Why didn’t I?• What the impact of my coaching? On me/them/the children/the community?

Support and supervision often gets neglected in school mainly due to finances. It is so important to keep coaches in good shape and effective.

Supervision is safeguarding for coaches – our lead coach is undertaking a level 7 qualification to enable her to supervise the team

What is instructional coaching?

An observation and feedback cycle in which instructional experts work with teachers to discuss their practice in a way that is: (a)Individualized(b)Recurring(c)Sustained(d)Classroom/practice-based(e)Focused on specific skills

Joyce & Showers (1981) & Kraft et al. (2018)

Instructional Coaching

Directive coaching – similar to mentoring but without the judgement aspect of the relationship

Maintains the trust, confidentiality and support of coaching

Unlike pure coaching, the coach is the expert who can model best practice to the coachee

“When teachers work on powerful goals that matter to them, and they partner with coaches who have a deep understanding of the strategies being learned and who provide adaptive support for professional learning when needed, research moves from being a “nice” idea to being a central part of what happens in schools. And when powerful research like Visible Learning is implemented widely and successfully, students are much more likely to succeed.”

Questions?

• Bachkirova, T. (2008) Coaching Supervision: reflection on changes and challenges, people and organisations at work, Autumn edition

• Butwell, J. (2006) 'Group supervision for coaches: Is it worthwhile? A study of the process in a major professional organisation', International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 4(2), pp. 43-53

• Clutterbuck, D. (Eds) (2010) The complete handbook of coaching London: Sage• Clutterbuck.D. (2011) The Spectrum of Supervision. Clutterbuck Associates• Hawkins.P &Schwenk G (2009) Coaching Supervision Maximising the Potential of Coaching. Chartered Institute

of Personal and Development• Lincoln, S (2012)Centre for Excellence in Leadership, quoted in ‘Creating a coaching culture’, Hawkins, 2012,

p156• McMahon’s G (2019) Why coaching supervision is important {blog post}. Retrieved from

www.cognitivebehaviouralcoachingworks.com• Morgan, K (2017) The Case for Coaching Supervision blog -International Coach Federation• Murdoch, E. (2013) 'Introduction: Overview of coaching supervision', Full spectrum supervision. St Albans:

Panoma Press limited.• Murdoch, E., Adamson, F. and Orriss, M. (2006) Full Spectrum Model. Available at:

http://coachingsupervisionacademy.com/ourapproach/full-spectrum-model• Sheppard, L (2016), How coaching supervisees help and hinder their supervision: A Grounded Theory study,

PhD, Oxford Brookes University• Social Care Institute of Excellence (2017) Effective supervision in a variety of settings

https://www.scie.org.uk/publications/guides/guide50/recommendations.asp• Turner, E, Hawkins P (2016) Coming of age: The development of coaching supervision