Coaching and raising attainment

Coaching and Raising Attainment for all schools and colleges

Coaching builds strong leaders, steadfast teams, reflective teachers who want to continually learn and develop and pupils who are resilient and strong in the face of many challenges, false starts and adversity. If we start to look forward and believe in ourselves as a profession, we will make a difference for all our staff and our learners. Standing still and wringing our hands in despair is not an option, so galvanise your troops and look to the power of coaching to help to bring about change that will be so successful no inspector, politician or commentator will be able to find anything but praise for our unstinting dedication to learning.

Celebrating the Power of Coaching - join us at Learning Cultures' fifth annual conference

Coaching has the potential to change lives. It is an approach that applies to all sectors from early years through to post 16 and beyond. Coaching is a non-judgemental, non-directive way of creating a culture of positivity where all staff and pupils feel they are an integral part of the journey towards the vision for continuous and enduring improvement. Coaching builds positive partnerships, cohesive teams and fosters classrooms full of innovation, self-belief and deep learning. Research underpins and reinforces our unstinting belief in the power of coaching to make an incredible difference. Read Rachel Lofthouse's conversation about coaching and research. It is on Mary Myatt's website.

Make a difference this academic year

This academic year is the time to focus on how developing a coaching culture across your school or college will make a lasting difference to the well-being and achievement of all staff and pupils. Here are some of the reasons why coaching can make such an impact to how individuals, teams and those we educate.

Coaching:-

• Allows for free thinking and powerful goal setting that defines the aspirational vision
• Creates dynamic leaders who orchestrate change and influence others to be solutions focused
• Fosters positive professional learning conversations where individuals and teams learn together
• Builds self-esteem and self-confidence so that individuals and teams take risks and find solutions
• Ensures a culture where there is no such thing as failure so that individuals learn from their mistakes
• Encourages a learning culture that promotes the sharing of good and best practice
• Shines a light on the strengths and capacity for learning of all staff and pupils
• Cultivates the pedagogy of the positive. All staff are committed to ensuring pupils thrive and achieve

Coaching skills and attributes for learning, well-being, attainment and achievement

Coaching is a leadership skill where leaders can find the space and the time to think with a critical but positive and non-judgemental ally. Coaching plays a powerful part in creating cohesive teams that work together in a solutions-focused way. Coaching is a pedagogy where teachers use highly effective coaching skills to create a classroom that is all about learning and where learner voice is integral to ensuring pupils know how they are learning as well as what they are learning.

Coaching skills and attributes include:-

• The ability to listen actively and intuitively so that the coach hears deeply what is being said and what is not being said
• Developing a repertoire of highly effective questioning skills that help to build self - esteem, help individuals to articulate and realise their goals and probe and challenge to foster deeper learning and understanding
• Having the clarity to summarise or precis the main points from a coaching conversation and create for those being coached the space and time to reflect on their own progress towards achievement of their goal
• Encouraging others to make their own decisions, find their own solutions and feel confident that their achievements will be celebrated as well as giving time to make change happen in the pursuance of their goal or personal improvement plan
• Challenging others through the ability to have the difficult conversation without endangering the relationship and the quest for progress and continuous improvement
• Committing others to action and creating a self-belief that collectively each individual can contribute and celebrate success as it emerges
• Developing mutual trust and respect where high quality is seen as an essential element of the culture for change and challenge and everyone is working towards clearly defined goals and a vision for continuous improvement

Coaching and the future of high-quality teaching and learning

Reading the press, following twitter and other social media platforms and listening to colleagues across the profession it is easy to become despondent about the current situation in education. Funding is uncertain, wages remain insulting, the cost of living is catastrophic and the haemorrhage of staff prematurely leaving the profession is too worrying sometimes to even think about. But dwelling on the negative won't do anything to change the situation.

Coaching to build positive futures - positivity not negativity

The result of two and a half years of disruption, uncertainty, illness and the inevitable loss of continuity to learning for staff and pupils alike is a fact. As a coach of many years standing I am, some would say, annoyingly optimistic, sitting in my ivory tower writing this post. However, we all educate, we all foster learning, we all look after the well-being of our pupils, our colleagues and we are a vital part of the local and wider community. If we fall into a pit of despair, then where does that leave any of us.

Be ready for the challenge. It is through the power of positive and professional conversations that we give individuals time to think, reflect and define their goal for self, team and organisational continuous improvement. Coaching builds the confidence that allows us to believe in how it is possible to make a significant difference to our communities of learners.

So what next in your journey towards a coaching culture:-

• Take a look at our free Leading a Coaching Culture short course
• Have a look at our coaching programmes and webinars to see the full range of courses and programmes we offer, there is something for everyone including Teaching Assistants and Cover Supervisors
• Reserve your place on our Power of Coaching conference being held in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside on 5th December
• Talk to one of our expert team of education coaches who are also experienced senior leaders in education about your goals and ambitions. A short coaching conversation will help you think, define your strategy and make you feel confident about your way forward. Use our Contact us form and put in the message box, Talk to a coach.
• Make the commitment to use coaching as your cost-effective, enduring and impactful way to plan a programme of continuing professional development for all your staff
• Learn from our expert team at Learning Cultures just how powerful creating a coaching culture can be in supporting the attainment, well-being and ability to learn of all our learners whether they are currently in EYFS, primary or secondary school, further education or adult learning.

Start your coaching journey with Learning Cultures. We are the leading provider of coaching training for the education profession. Give me a call 01746 765076 or 07974 754241 or email me [email protected].