The evidence is clear – instructional coaching works. But too often, something goes awry when schools try to implement it in the UK.
The problem is translation. In the research that underpins coaching, “instruction” is the American English term that refers to pedagogy – the practice of teaching. But in UK schools, it has come to mean something different: directive feedback, hierarchical relationships, the expert telling the novice what to do. That’s not partnership and it loses the potential to create sustainable change. And when coaching stops being a partnership, it loses its power. Teachers are deprofessionalised and disengage. The culture doesn’t shift. And slowly, quietly, the initiative fades. Nurturing a culture of trust and psychological safety is an essential piece of the puzzle.
Our Approach
We help schools embed Instructional Coaching the way it was originally intended. We understand why mistranslation happens because we’ve studied it and we learn from the schools we work with. We use the teachings of Jim Knight, the man who developed the research on dialogic instructional coaching that underpins this approach. We know what happens when coaching drifts into directive feedback, and we continuously develop training and implementation support to ensure this is not the only approach used.
Our training sessions work with you and members of your staff to co-construct a vision for instructional coaching that’s genuinely rooted in partnership. Participants learn the coaching skills and mindsets needed to work as equals with their coachees. But more importantly, we help you get partnership locked down from the beginning, because if you don’t have that clarity established, everything that follows will drift.
We’re there for you during the implementation, when old habits die hard. We support you through that messy middle, helping you hold the line and build something sustainable.
We also measure what actually matters: not just whether coaching is happening, but whether teachers are growing, whether pupils are benefiting, whether something real has shifted in your culture. That takes time to see. It’s not quick. But it’s real.
Everything we do is tailored to your school. We don’t impose a model and expect you to fit into it. We help you build a coaching approach that works for your priorities, your staff, your context. Because coaching that doesn’t fit your school won’t survive
Instructional coaching, when implemented as intended, is a programme of collaborative meetings between pairs of staff members – a coach and a coachee – who work as equals. It can support ECT mentors, but it’s equally applicable to teachers at any stage of their career.
Coaching works through a continuous cycle. The coach helps their coachee identify a specific pupil-centred goal for development, determine what evidence will demonstrate progress towards it, and establish a timeline for gathering that evidence. In later sessions, the coach and coachee reflect on what they’ve learned and adjust their approach based on what the evidence shows.
The principles that underpin effective instructional coaching are:
The training will be delivered by a TDT Professional Learning Lead who combines personal experience of education leadership with deep knowledge of the research behind effective professional development, trained by Christian van Niewerburgh. They stay true to Jim Knight’s approach to coaching, ensuring fidelity to the partnership model throughout your implementation.
Our five-session programme takes you through the foundations of partnership coaching and prepares your team for successful implementation in your setting.
The sessions cover:
You’ll also receive access to TDT’s “Building a Supportive Coaching Culture” e-learning module (for the leader driving this work in your setting) to support implementation between sessions, plus two one-to-one coaching calls with your delivery lead to help you navigate specific implementation challenges.
Yes. We have previously delivered this training with Multi-Academy Trusts and groups of schools, bringing colleagues together from multiple schools to develop a shared understanding of how partnership coaching can strengthen teaching and learning across settings.
To discuss what might work best for your context and whether a trust or group delivery would suit you, please get in touch for a free consultation with our team.
Yes, it comes with access to the Building a Supportive Coaching Culture Online Learning Module on our CPD Leadership Hub
Partnership coaching, when done right, transforms schools. But it requires careful implementation, ongoing support, and genuine commitment to protecting the partnership model.
If you’re ready to explore how instructional coaching could strengthen teaching and learning in your setting, let’s talk.
Already working with us to embed a culture of Instructional Coaching? Log in to TDT Learn for supporting material
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