Baldragon Academy

Danny McDonald, Acting Headteacher, Baldragon Academy, Dundee

Contents:

• Background
• Definition of coaching
• Initial involvement
• A fresh approach to CPD
• Key learning

Background

Danny is the acting headteacher of the school, which was formed as a result of a merger between Kirkton High School and Rockwell High School. The school roll is around 600 and there are 52 teaching staff.

Definition of coaching

Danny’s definition of coaching is that it is a process which aims to bring the solutions out of a person and which supports the coachee to find the solution. In contrast, giving the mentee the benefit of their experience is the role of the mentor, which he suggests is a process which works very well with newly qualified teachers (NQTs) although he adds that the mentor would hopefully use a coaching model too.

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Initial involvement

Danny’s initial involvement in this area was to support teachers using a mentoring approach. When the Scottish Executive Education Department pilot was introduced, he was invited to bid for some funding. His successful bid allowed him to have 12 teachers, including two of the senior management team (SMT), trained by an external provider. 

At the same time a group of staff were working with all staff in a collegiate way, firstly to establish the aims and values of the school but also to change the way they communicated with each other. This involved all staff in a series of 12 in-service sessions looking, through circle time, at their shared aims and values. This was a new way of consultation.

The nature of these ‘conversations’ was not dissimilar to the coaching process. There were also similarities here with restorative practices, which the school had introduced in session 2005/06. It was important for the school that pupils’ voices were also heard and this happened through social education classes. The philosophy behind this approach centred on a humanitarian view of how schools might be. Coaching was seen as key to taking continuing professional development forward.

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A fresh approach to CPD

In the meantime, another 12 staff were trained, the rest of SMT, some principal teachers (PTs) and a few more teachers, bringing the total number of staff trained to 24 out of a staff of 52. At this stage it was possible to take a serious look at reviewing the process of PRD, which it was felt had become stale, to include coaching as part of the process and a coaching group was formed to do this. 

The new coaching professional review and development (PRD) model was set up as an alternative with all but one member of staff agreeing to be involved; the traditional method was still available to that member of staff. The new model started in September 2007 with coaching conversations taking place between coach and coachee three times per year, when goals are set by the coachee. Goals set must articulate with the school's aims and values and are reviewed three times per year with the coach.

The coaches meet before each block of coaching sessions and co-coach each other. There is also an evaluation of approach at the end of each block of coaching and so far the feedback is very positive. The 12 hours required for coaching comes from the working time agreement and is agreed by an executive working group within the school. While the structure is still hierarchical, it is hoped that a SMT involvement on 360 degree evaluation might initiate a change to a less hierarchical structure.

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Key learning

One of the key areas of learning for Danny was the way that, even outwith the PRD/Coaching model, all staff involved have embraced coaching in different ways and all those trained continue to see a value in it. He also thinks it is critical to keep an eye to practice to ensure that it is coaching that is taking place, ie a solution-focused approach, rather than mentoring.

Contact:

For more information please email Daniel McDonald (Acting Headteacher, Baldragon High School, Dundee City).