WIREDGOV

With all the pressures on funding these days, some managers may be wondering if the sector can really afford to develop Advanced Practitioners and coaches. Hear from Joanne Miles and have your say!

Many schools and colleges have Advanced Practitioners (APs) and coaches with a remit to support and develop teaching staff. With all the pressures on funding these days, some managers may be wondering if the sector can really afford them. I’m going to argue that APs and coaches can be a vital part of professional development and quality improvement processes IF managed and developed appropriately.

Let’s start with the AP or coach role and the skills required for it. This role typically involves some or all of these activities:

• 1:1 support for teaching staff, often linked to improving performance after an observed lesson
• delivery of CPD training sessions to groups
• peer observation and feedback after lessons
• coaching or mentoring to support new staff, often during the induction period

It is clear that this role should and could be vital to any professional development strategy as it promotes supportive and developmental interventions for both individuals and groups. It offers tailored support and differentiation in action, at the point of need. For teaching staff, the role offers a great progression opportunity outside the usual management route, so it’s a useful form of talent management.

A well managed and highly skilled AP or coaching network can be responsive, addressing issues as they arise and supporting individuals in a confidential space outside their department. It can also drive change in a pro-active way by action planning with staff as they implement initiatives. So it can be a real driver of quality improvement. However, a well managed and highly skilled network is not something that every institution has in place.

So how can colleges and schools optimise the impact of this vital resource?

Here are some practical suggestions for making APs and coaches more effective in schools and colleges:

• Ensure that somebody takes a leadership role in an AP or coaching network in your institution and that they understand the basics of project management, so that they can plan how to embed the network and track its progress.
• Build a coaching or AP network in your organisation with regular meetings, a buddy/mentor system and a resources area. Help them to develop in the role and share experiences with each other and capture this learning as their experience develops, through case studies, testimonials and video clips
• Give the network something structured and meaty to do, such as an action research project like Supported Experiments. This helps them to build an identity in the institution and connect activity with an organisational objective, to drive it forward.
• Recruit APs and coaches against a list of desired skills and experience, using a selection process. Formalise their role and assess their performance, even if it’s just by review meetings and summary reports. It’s a role like any other, after all. This role does not suit everyone, so you need to select people and review progress as the network develops. Also, many APs and coaches are under-skilled in key aspects of the role, while being asked to deliver quality improvement for the organisation. It’s a big ask if they are not being appropriately developed themselves. Two core areas for skills development are:

- Giving developmental feedback after observed lessons

- Using coaching skills to encourage teachers to own the development process and take useful actions

Just because someone is a good teacher, it doesn’t mean they have skills and experience in those areas. There is training available through one day events or better, tailored consultancy to meet the needs of the network. Contact me directly to find out more.

With a well managed and highly skilled AP or coaching network, an institution can address quality issues, support and develop staff in agile ways and build a culture of sustainable CPD. If we are to keep performing in this tough climate, we cannot afford not to invest in the role of the AP or coach.

For more information on any of the issues raised or to discuss our training events or tailored support, speak with me directly on: