Coaching for Improvement

Coaching is a key part of the school improvement process. In my role, I have often seen how important it is to effect change by using a coaching approach with those I work with.

When I first started working as a school improvement advisor, I noticed that a top-down approach would not be effective in order to create the necessary transformations needed in the schools which had newly joined the Trust. This was why I first started looking into coaching practices and went ahead to train and become an accredited coach.

Coaching allows people to have ownership of the changes they want to see in their settings and be the key lead in their transformation. Here are a few key highlights of coaching which make me a big fan of the practice:

  • It’s highly personalised, giving the leader being coached a great deal of ownership—and accountability over the process and its success.
  • Coaching’s personalised nature makes it constantly applicable, allowing the leader to tackle timely real-world problems during coaching sessions and to swiftly apply the lessons in the workplace for immediate impact.
  • Unlike a number of other development methods, coaching can create sustainable learning and lasting behaviour change.

Additionally, leadership coaching provides leaders with a safe space for exploring and addressing difficult emotions such as anxiety, stress, and even anger. Recognising and reorganising these emotions with a fresh perspective can be key to developing strong leaders who are able to withstand the demands of their role without compromising the mental health or wellbeing of themselves and others while pursuing the desired outcome.

As a Trust, we are committed to developing a coaching culture to support all staff and are currently in the process of developing our practice for the future.

Ana Silva

Last updated May 4, 2023