coaching
If you are a current Head of School, Chair of the school Board of Trustees or Governing Body or a member of the school’s leadership team, you will know that leading a school successfully requires a diverse skill-set. Being a teacher, therefore, does not necessarily prepare you for the roles required in Senior Management of a school.
The ideal way to support these school leaders is for the Trustees/Governors of the school to invest in a ‘coach’ for your school leader/s.
The coaching partnership is a collaborative one, designed specifically around the requirements of each individual involved. Meetings with the Chair and school leaders prior to the start of the coaching partnership inform the direction and required outcomes for the time spent together.
“WRITING IS A GREAT SKILL,
BUT THINKING IS A BETTER ONE.”
– Meg Rosoff
This coaching partnership consists of a pre-planning session to set-up the coaching process followed by an agreed upon number of one-to-one sessions.
WHO SHOULD USE A 'COACH’?
Every school leader should at some stage in their career use a coach. The role of Head/School leader can be an extremely lonely and stressful job. The diverse skill-set required and high expectations placed on the person leading the school, often results in them feeling isolated, stressed and vulnerable. Having a coach who is able to, through experience, help them through these difficult periods whilst at the same time developing their skill-set and coping strategies, will allow them to feel supported and confident in their approach to their diverse role.
HOW LONG DOES THE RELATIONSHIP LAST?
In an ideal world the coaching collaboration will be for at least a year. However, each person is unique. The timeframes can vary from one-off coaching sessions to an open-ended contract.
HOW OFTEN DO I SEE THE COACH?
In the year-long partnership each leader will have a monthly 1 hour meeting (either face to face or over skype). The school leader will have unlimited access to email/whatsapp support throughout the contract period.
HOW MUCH DOES A FULL YEAR'S COACHING COST?
The annual package costs R20 000 and includes 11 one-to-one sessions (initial set-up meeting and 10 follow-ups) with unlimited email and whatsapp support as required.
WHAT DOES THE 'COACHING' CONSIST OF?
These sessions are specifically aimed at supporting the unique needs of the school leader. Craig is a high performance coach with qualifications in Psychology, Neuro-linguistic Programming and coaching. He is also an experienced school leader in his own right having spent 15 years in school leadership, six of these as a Headmaster. Craig has also served on a number of School Boards in both the Senior and Primary school sectors. His experience in each of these allows him to provide a rich experience and broad set of skills for school leaders working with him.