Developing a culture of interdependence

Case study

Coaching has enabled teachers at Horsell Village School to create a culture of mutual learning and support and resolve problems in a positive way.

Summary

Horsell Village School is using coaching to build the capacity of staff and pupils and develop leadership throughout the organisation.

Key learning/outcomes

Individual dialogue with pupils enables teachers to develop a full understanding of the emotional state of even the youngest learners and to get to grip with the five Every Child Matters outcomes.
The coaching model helps pupils to develop crucial skills in ‘knowing about knowing’, deepening their awareness of themselves as learners and helping them to articulate their needs.
Problems are now seen as opportunities for exploring strategies rather than as indicators of failure or personal inadequacy.
Staff have a strong sense of individual responsibility but are also able to recognise when they’re causing a block on resourcefulness and seek solutions through coaching.
Team leaders no longer feel that they should have all the answers and recognise that people who ask for help should be questioned rather than given solutions.
Teachers have developed a common vocabulary around teaching and learning which breaks down boundaries and aids understanding.

Background

Horsell Village School in Woking is a three-form infant school with 270 pupils and 24 staff. The school achieves consistently high standards.

The leadership team wanted to build the intellectual capacity of the school and spread excellent practice amongst the staff. Developing a culture of continuous dialogue became a key part of achieving this goal.

Key challenges and issues

Shifting from dependence to interdependence

The leadership team wanted all teachers to feel in charge of their own practice. This required a shift from seeking permission and doing what they ‘have’ to do or ‘should’ do, through to making independent choices and decisions, and finally to being able to think, work and grow within a community of mutual support.

Establishing clear goals

The leadership team believed that having clear, well-formed goals and an ability to change ineffective behaviours is an essential part of realising personal and professional hopes and aspirations.

Solution or approach

Using peer observation

Horsell Village School’s coaching journey started with introducing a peer observation approach, which enabled anyone to observe and engage in dialogue with a colleague. This was effective in encouraging discussion, openness and trust and enabling teachers to plan their teaching and learning independently of national prescriptive models.

Developing coaching skills

The school’s coaching model is based on enabling people to maximise their own performance. In September 2004, all teachers took part in a two-day residential course in coaching where they learnt about the GROW (goal, reality, options, what) model and practised skills including deep listening, questioning for understanding and building rapport.

Committing to coaching

All staff who agree to coach sign up to an agreement to show their commitment to arranging coaching meetings and not cancelling sessions that have been scheduled. Coaching is used in a wide range of scenarios, including problem solving, performance reviews, workload management, planning team projects and resolving issues with parents.

Next steps

The headteacher belongs to an action learning network of like-minded leaders and the school is involved with networks to develop learning and self-evaluation. The school plans to use its coaching model extensively in these networks.

Further information

For further information contact Horsell Village School