Introduction
The Scottish College for Educational Leadership (SCEL) designed their Fellowship Programme with coaching as an essential component of the development challenge and support for the experienced head teachers who would participate. The year long Programme provides participants with an opportunity to engage with leading educational thinkers and academics, alongside undertaking a systems level enquiry around how to deliver change and improvement in a challenging leadership area. Access to coaching support was designed to challenge participants to reflect, and to address specific issues and personal challenges.
How we worked together
Lesley was engaged as a coach from the beginning of the Fellowship Programme, supporting cohorts of participants in three programme years (2014/15, 15/16 and 16/17). This has resulted in Lesley being involved in some early design elements of the Programme, meeting the participants at various Programme Network meetings, and one to one meetings between Network sessions. Lesley has supported the Programme through inputting ideas for speakers and sessions, and through networking with other coaches and SCEL staff to ensure that her coaching support is most effectively set within the context of the Programme and wider developments in education.
Results
Lesley has successfully provided coaching support to a range of experienced head teachers from different school settings, and local authority contexts. Each coaching client presented a range of issues and complex concerns relating to themselves and the context and focus for their enquiry.
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Depute CEO and Director of Programmes at SCEL
“Feedback from our participants about their experience of being coached and engaging with Lesley has been consistently positive. She brings a wealth of experience as well as a flexible approach to coaching (offering challenge and support) that allows her to effectively work across the differing needs and contexts of our participants.”
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As an experienced head teacher I found the coaching sessions delivered by Lesley to be 'time well spent' as they resulted in high quality personal and professional development. Lesley had the coaching experience to rapidly develop a strong connection with me based on confidentiality, trust and mutual respect. Through well-structured dialogue these coaching sessions facilitated self-reflection and generation of new insights. In addition they were productive with clear outcomes action points and time scales. Lesley was supportive and empathetic but also offered open and honest challenge.