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Learning Conversations through coaching; building on the experience of Initial Teacher Training
Where does it happen?
Brislington Enterprise College is an 11-18 comprehensive school in challenging circumstances on the outskirts of Bristol. The school has had training school status for three years.
What do they do?
Brislington has set up a programme of coaching to offer formal opportunities for teachers to learn through talking together.
How do they do it?
Building on the culture that has been developed through work in ITT within the school, six teachers have received training on coaching skills and other teachers in the school were invited to nominate themselves to be supported by these coaches. In the first term of the coaching project, an initial day of training was attended out of school by two members of staff. They cascaded this training to other coaches who worked with each other using the same techniques and processes they would use later with the teachers who had asked for coaching. In this way, they built their confidence and refined their skills.
The programme of support included at least an initial meeting and three lesson observations (either of the coach or of the teacher being coached) and feedback sessions, and a final meeting. The scheme has been such a success that the school is now extending it across two departments in the coming year, and supporting it by providing an extra session each week of non-contact time for each teacher in the school. There is an understanding that over the course of the year each teacher (whether involved in coaching or not) will make 12 observations of another teacher or teachers of their choice teaching.
The school’s Leadership Incentive Grant money has been used to fund the coaching scheme. The project has been led by Melinda Hale, an Advanced Skills Teacher within the school, and some of her outreach time is available for supporting the development of the project.
The process was made paper-light (the only forms used are a request form for those wanting to work with the coaching team, a record of the first meeting – subsequent meetings and lesson feedback sessions are unminuted – and an evaluation form) and a protocol document was drafted to establish procedures so that everyone was aware of the way the project would operate.
The rationale was also shared with the staff – the headteacher knew the findings which have been emerging nationally about the power of collaborative learning within a school. He says ‘we try to be grounded in research because other colleagues need the reassurance that this isn’t just the next fad.’
What’s been the result?
The school’s evaluation of the coaching programme has shown the impact it has had on the quality of teaching of those being coached. Coaches have also identified a range of positive outcomes for themselves (in pedagogy - ‘it was interesting to see him using some of the strategies I had tried in the past. In some cases, it suddenly became clear to me why they hadn’t worked for me, and that was a good starting point for our discussion on making them work better for him and for me’ - and in management skills – ‘I’ve learned to give feedback in a different way’), and the leadership team feel it has had an impact on the school overall (including a growth in respect for different teaching styles and the individuals within the school). One of the coaches says ‘It’s changed that conversation in the staffroom that goes ‘I’m having real difficulties with that Jamie’/ ‘oh, he’s alright for me’ to ‘I’ve found he’s better for me when I … Have you tried…?’
The teachers also talk about the motivation they’ve gained through taking part in these projects – one mentor identified as the most positive element of the programme ‘having genuinely exciting an fruitful conversations about how to approach certain problems … having the opportunity to set time aside to discuss pedagogy.’
