Headteacher Support, Training and Coaching
The role of the headteacher is challenging. I offer different types of coaching options for headteachers and senior leaders. Create a package of support that is right for you and your team.
Headteacher and leadership coaching
There are different types of coaching. I offer a distinct fusion of professional dialogue and coaching, tailored to your challenges. Form a special coaching partnership and receive invaluable support in your professional life.
* Journey Coaching - regular sessions of 60 to 90 minutes with a focus on reflection, examining internal dialogue, interpretation of events, and thinking forward. Coaching sessions can help you to better understand and capitalise on your strengths, provide much needed headspace to think through complex matters, and re-charge mental capacity. Having a safe space to share the challenges of leadership is important for mental well-being.
* Leadership conversations - half-termly sessions of 60 or 90 minutes (or more frequently) to discuss current work. This type of session does not aim to be pure coaching, but aims to provide a space for professional dialogue about educational leadership, school improvement and current leadership remit. We can think through your ideas, unpick problems together, grapple with challenge questions, utilise data and monitoring information, consider progress against an action plan.
* Strengths coaching and personal impact dialogue This is an incredible, uplifting programme that focuses on positive change by 'naming, aiming and actioning' your strengths as a leader. This coaching helps achieve performance management targets and thriving in role. Even seasoned leaders are amazed at how their personal impact improves. Included in this package of support is the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. This type of conversation can help you better understand your talents and how to capitalise on them, and how to make adjustments that will improve your personal impact.
The strength coaching approach can continue beyond this by adding in additional sessions.
* Leadership development coaching - a mix of theory, practice, coaching and dialogue on leadership skills and knowledge the leader wishes to develop, e.g. delegation, pedagogical leadership, communication for impact, time management, team building, developing relationships, emotional intelligence, people management, strategic thinking. The topic(s) are set out at the start of the year and include assessment and tracking of progress. The sessions can be matched to role and experience to ensure headteachers, deputy headteachers and senior leaders can access leadership development that is right for them.
* Leading a whole school priority coaching - Launch, implement & monitor, evaluate: One-to-one sessions which help leaders to engage in professional dialogue throughout the year linked to a new initiative or project. This type of coaching supports the leader in achieving a whole school change or a large scale development. It enables the leader to have support every step of the journey.
* Tap into expertise - leadership dialogue (one theme across the year for deeper knowledge)- 90 mins, 120 mins or 3 hour sessions with leaders on a regular basis across the year to build expertise, provide an opportunity to ask questions, explore research, consider implementation in school on a key theme, e.g. improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, ensuring all pupils achieve minimum word reading standards, supporting lower ability writers to succeed, developing an approach to pedagogy, development of oracy, addressing vocabulary issues, curriculum implementation and impact, metacognition & growth mindsets.
*Group coaching: Small group coaching for 4-6 leaders working together usually on a theme, e.g. communication, teamwork, managing change, accountability, emotional intelligence.
* Team development: Strength Finder coaching for SLT. Help colleagues to understand their own strengths. Then support colleagues to understand each other's strengths.
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Headteacher support by adding capacity
* Facilitation and input into a working party, e.g. improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, developing a pedagogical approach to teaching, improving teacher effectiveness, developing metacognition. My skills in pattern spotting, making connections and problem solving can be put to good use with a working party seeking to make improvements to an area that is complex and multifaceted, such as how to raise attainment in reading or writing.
* Support for carrying out reviews and gathering information, e.g. developing questionnaires for staff and analysing results, reviewing pupils books, curriculum reviews, data analysis, staff interviews.
* Providing support for governors, e.g. training sessions on specific aspects of education.
* SDP plan / strategic thinking sessions - support with setting out priorities. Many of my strengths are routed in strategic thinking. Let me support you in dissecting complex matters and help guide you toward attaining strategic excellence. Having a facilitator present liberates participants' minds, enabling them to focus on solutions rather than grappling with the initial inquiries.
*Training - I provide bespoke training for small groups of colleagues on a number of themes, e.g. closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils, curriculum implementation & impact, metacognition, growth mindsets.

Most of the support I currently provide is delivered remotely via zoom. However, there are options for face-to-face activities at various points in the year for schools purchasing a package of support.
Support can also be provided at evenings, weekends or during school holidays.