Trish Brittain, Angela Hannaway, Helen Owens,Jan Pennington, Zoë Potter, Tracey Powell, Linda Raybould,

Sally Sixsmith, Dave Smith, Darren Walter.

Specialist Coaching

Renewed Frameworks forLiteracy and Numeracy

2

In Your Pack…

Section 1; Correspondence to schools.

Section 2; Coaching Information from National Organisations.

Section 3; Principles and generic features of coaching.

Section 4; Observation Checklists

Section 5; Barriers to coaching.

Section 6; Preparing for coaching in your school.

3

Guidance – underpinning factors in effective CPD

• CPD consists of reflective activity designed to improve an individual’s attributes, knowledge, understanding and skills. It supports individual needs and improves professional practice

• Planned, personalised, sustained, evaluated• Benefits of collaborative CPD• Focus on the subject matter teachers will be teaching• Involves teachers in needs identification• Models effective teaching and learning strategies, e.g. active learning• Provides opportunities for practice, research and reflection• Uses lesson observation as a cost-effective CPD activity• Aligns and integrates professional development with Renewed

Framework support

adapted from

4

Impact Evaluation

• Traditionally weakest element of CPD• General success criteria with little support for reflection

and follow-up• Evaluation forms tend to record quality and relevance

rather than outcomes• Little use made of value for money or rationale for

methods used• Most evaluation is immediate rather than longer term• Few links made between evaluation and school

priorities• Dissemination methods are not developed

adapted from

5

Impact Evaluation

• Needs to be straightforward and manageable• Use of pupil voice – interviews, groups, observation of

learning• Use of actual learning of pupils not only teacher action• Involves careful, honest feedback• ‘Few of the schools evaluated successfully the impact of CPD

on the quality of teaching and on pupil’s achievement because they did not identify the intended outcomes clearly at the planning stage’

THE LOGICAL CHAIN:CPD in effective schools 2006(Ofsted)

adapted from

6

Successful change management is key to a healthy culture where the team works effectively together:

And if any member of staff was asked: “What does it feel like to work here?”, their answers would reflect the above

Where: Not where:

Everyone’s unique skill is valued The teacher/head is the ‘expert’

Staff from all roles are included in problem solving

Problems are solved by the head/SLT alone

All staff take responsibility People feel ‘done to’

Staff supportively coach each other

Staff avoid giving positive, specific, constructive feedback

adapted from

7

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

Building Capacity

What is meant by capacity?

‘Internal capacity is the power to engage in and sustain continuous learning of teachers and the school itself for the purpose of enhancing pupil learning.’

The above quote is from Louise Stoll in Improving School Effectiveness, edited by John Macbeath and Peter Mortimore, published by Open University Press, 2001 (ISBN 0-335-20687-5).

8

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and NumeracyA working definition of ‘building capacity’

Building capacity for improvement involves a range of strategies which deliberately set about building for the future by:

• creating dialogue• sharing learning• changing ways of working• shifting internal cultures

in order to create wider awareness, expertise and inclination.

In that way changes which occur are not localised and confined to one or two individuals but are systematically shared and progressively become part of the embedded practice of the whole school.

In brief, change becomes increasingly effective and sustainable because it is part of the day-to-day functioning of the school.

The capacity of the school to take on any future development is significantly enhanced.

9

YES Possible NO

Create dialogue

Share learning

Change ways of working

Shift internal cultures

10

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

Specialist Coaching – Building Capacity

is…• Focussed• Structured• Planned• Agreed/negotiated with a whole school ‘menu’ of identified

need• Clear expected outcomes at pupil level

11

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

“Coaching is a process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance to improve.

To be a successful coach requires a knowledge and understanding of process as well as the variety of styles,

skills and techniques that are appropriate to the context in which coaching takes place.”

Eric Parsloe – The Manager as Coach and Mentor (1999)

12

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

Coaching:

• involves a focus on individual need and in the context of this pilot the focus will come from using the Renewed Frameworks to enhance pupil progress

• will enhance morale by valuing improvement• supports individuals to achieve their own and organisational goals• encourages commitment to action and development of lasting change• should not encourage dependency on support• is based on assessment of need in relation to their role• is structured but flexible • generates measurable learning and performance outcomes• transfers and develops skills rather than ‘does the job for someone’• requires self-awareness and willingness to develop• involves actions which may be short term and specific but lead to sustainability

13

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and NumeracyPrinciples of mentoring and coaching

Coach

You have the specialist knowledge (lots of it!)

15

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

Coachee• You will all learn!• Coach, coachee,

children – together• Children

• make faster progress,

• more embedded learning,

• able to apply what they know

Developing Coaching Skills

What Makes a Good Coach?

What qualities do they have?

What do they need to be successful?

19

What is Coaching?

Coaching is principally a joint activity where one person supports another to

develop their understanding and practice in an area defined by their own needs

and interests.

20

DFES Publications:

0845 60 222 60

Ref: 03817-2006

21

What is Coaching?

‘It is essentially about unlocking potential in a colleague – bringing out the best in them to maximise their performance in classrooms.’

Refer to handouts 2.1 - 2.4 talk about establishing trust, preparing for coaching conversations, getting balance as well as general advise on coaching.

Get all of these and you will have unlocked potential.

‘Leading on Intervention’ Primary National Strategy,2006

22

Developing the skills of Coaching

Body Language

Using Evidence

Questioning ListeningGiving and Receiving Feedback

23

Body Language

You will always need to be aware of the non-verbal signals you give out in terms of your

body language.

Try to take a number of checks throughout the dialogue on how articulately your body

language is speaking to your partner teacher, even if you actually are not doing any talking!

24

Using Evidence

25

Using Evidence

We can be data rich in our settings,

but are we data intelligent?

26

Using Evidence

An effective coach will seek to transform data into information – data with a purpose.

It is about unpicking what data the partner teacher collects about their own/children’s performance in the

classroom. What new data might be useful to them?

These are the sorts of data that will enrich coaching dialogues.

27

Using Evidence

‘Invisible children’

Keeping up – Pupilswho fall behind inKey Stage 2

DFES Publications: 0845 60 222 60

DFES-00442-2007

28

Using Evidence

They keep a low profile, they are

quiet and undemanding.

They don’t push for help and will

sit for long periods waiting

patiently for attention.

29

Using Evidence

What do teachers need if they are to address this issue?

Effective tracking and targeting

system for all pupils – to support the

identification and early intervention of the invisible pupil.

30

The quality of the questioning you deploy in any coaching session is the key to the way the

dialogue might develop.

Carefully phrased questions have the potential to drive the dialogue in different directions and can

liberate a speaker or constrain them.

Questioning

31

The better the questions, the better the dialogue leading to new thinking and new action.

Questioning

32

Questioning

• Not just about ‘What type of question should I ask?’

• Instead, ‘What do I need the question to do?’

• Ultimate goal is to deepen understanding

33

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

The power of the question

34

Listening

Good listeners do better with people - they get a better understanding of people and their issues and they can therefore respond more effectively.

Good listeners also contribute to the speaker by encouraging the openness of the dialogue, the sharing of thoughts and ideas and conveying the understanding that the speaker holds valid opinions.

35

Listening

People like being listened to and when we feel that we have the whole attention of someone

we are likely to be more open because we feel valued and acknowledged. 

36

Types of Listening

• Tokenistic listening

• Conversational listening

• Active listening-This a the vital skill required of a good coach

37

Two ears and only one mouth

Developing effective listening skills

38

What is effective listening?

• Actively absorbing information given to you by the speaker, showing that you are interested

• Providing feedback to the speaker so he/she knows the message was received

• Choosing the right words and non-verbal cues to convey a message that will be interpreted in the way you intend

• It is a sharing journey, not ‘This is the way you must do it.’

39

Dos, don’ts and be carefuls

• Do show you are attentive by body language, facial expression etc.

• Do listen to what is not said.• Do concentrate on what is actually being said.• Do be sensitive about when and how you take notes.• Do check your own understanding.• Do avoid assumptions.• Do avoid ‘jumping in’.• Do use silences.• Do reflect back.• Do use ‘open’ rather than ‘closed’ questions.

40

Dos, don’ts and be carefuls

• Don’t interrupt.• Don’t stop listening because you think you

understand.• Don’t get lost in the detail.

• Be careful when offering advice - unless it is new knowledge that the teacher may not have.

41

Effective listening skills

• Reflecting• Takes time, but it can save time too.• Paraphrasing back to the speaker what they have said – Not

parroting• Summarising what was said• Gives speakers chance to correct misunderstandings• Asking a question for clarification or elaboration

• Probing• Asking for additional information• Non judgemental and flowing from what has already been said• Need to avoid questions that challenge what has been said• Questions that change the subject before the current subject has

been resolved are not effective.

42

Giving (and receiving) feedback

43

Section 4 in your pack provides useful checklists for YOUR focus of coaching or can give you ideas for a focus.

• AFL, EAL…etc….

• Handout 1.7 provides some useful generic observation pointers to use when observing colleagues.

44

Giving (and receiving) feedback

Feedback as a term has become synonymous with criticism, so coaches and leading teachers

will want to think carefully about how they operate the process.

'Feedback' can only relate to the past, but a well formed question to 'feed forward' connects the

individual to the present and their future.

45

Personal criticism

'You are hopeless at this!'

Judgmental comment 'Your work is hopeless!'

Intervention

'Your lesson was well planned, but the behaviour of children and their learning outcomes were poor'

46

Owning intervention

How did you feel that lesson went?'

Questioning intervention

'What were you wanting that lesson to achieve

for this group of children?'

'Which were the aspects of the lesson that went well and which ones

didn't?'

Lunch

48

Possible Scenarios You May meet…

49

The Skills and Motivation Matrix

High Skills

Low Motivation

High Motivation

Low Skills

INSPIRE

Work towards increasing motivation- explore the reasons behind increased dissatisfaction. Encourage short term

actions for immediate success. Contact regularly.

DELEGATE

Maintain high levels of skill and motivation. Encourage risk taking with further

opportunities and challenges. Get them to share and coach.

DIRECT

Increasing skills and motivation-envision and set long term and short term goals.

Structure learning through short term goals with deadlines. Keep close contact.

Monitor, and reserve judgement.

GUIDE

Raise skill levels –help commitment to vision of what it will look like with new

skills. Secure training opportunities. Give reflective feedback. Let go when ready.

Think of a teacher in your school who may fit into this grid and how you might coach this person.

50

Barriers To Coaching

See handout in pack.

What are the barriers?

51

The 5 Coaching Steps

• Entry

• Diagnosis

• Implementation

• Change

• Maintenance

52

Entry

Get this wrong and the coaching role can disappear.

53

Diagnosis

Systems Skills

People

/Politics

Resources

54

Implementation

55

“It hasn’t worked.”

56

Maintenance what systems are in school are in place to enable the progress to continue.

57

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy

How will coaching work in our school?

58

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy Possible focus for in school coaching

• The teaching sequence• Modelling and demonstrating• Assessment for Learning • The teaching of review sessions• Effective use of ICT• Quality teaching of reading/writing/maths

(shared – guided – independent)• Attention to own school focus based on analysis of data

59

Discussion with colleagues

Personal reflection

The Coaching Agreement(to be completed and returned)

The Coaching Action Plan(might support you in moving forward with aspects

of coaching in your school – see next slide)

60

Focus for professional learning (for both coach and coachees)e.g. assessment for learning (state aspects) reviewing progress, teaching sequence

How will this improve pupils learning?

Coach Coachee Pupils

What actions are planned?

What evidence will you collect to show pupil learning?

How will you evaluate the success of your joint working?

How will you share new expertise developed with others in your school?

The Coaching Action Plan

61

Renewed Frameworks for Literacy and Numeracy Hope you have enjoyed today.

We look forward to sharing experiences next time we meet!