About

What coaching is…

The International Coach Federation defines professional coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought–provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.”
Source: International Coach Federation (ICF)

Hey, you’re the expert

The coach does not act as consultants or mentors who give direct advice. Instead, they believe clients already possess the answers to their own challenges. The coach acts as a trusted peer and navigator.

Thought-Provoking Process

Through powerful questioning, deep active listening, and insightful objective observations, the coach helps reframe situations and discover fresh perspectives to help clients/ thinkers discover their own solutions.

Maximising Potential

The goal is to stimulate creativity and develop actionable strategies to make good performance and life experiences even better.

Goal-Oriented Action

Coaching focuses on clarifying desired results, strategizing actionable steps, and holding clients accountable for their progress

What coaching is not…

It is not Mentoring

Mentors share subject-matter expertise and wisdom based on their own life experiences to guide the mentee. Coaches do not need to be experts in your specific field, as they presume you are the expert on your own life.

It is not Training /Teaching

Training follows a set curriculum and linear learning path designed by the instructor. Coaching does not involve teaching and relies on self-directed, customized goal progression

It is not Therapy

Therapy focuses on healing trauma, resolving past conflicts, and treating mental health issues. Coaching focuses on the present and future, emphasizing personal/professional growth and goal-setting.

It is not Consulting

Consultants assess situations and prescribe specific answers or business solutions. Coaches do not provide answers, advice, or step-by-step instructions follows a set curriculum and linear learning path designed by the instructor.

How I arrived at this point…

Working in education in both the international South East Asia and the United Kingdom, as well as in public sector charity and business chambers of commerce, I have gained extensive experience in:

  • Cultural pinch-points of living and working overseas
  • Staff recruitment, retention and wellbeing
  • Admissions, Marketing and Finance
  • Health and Safety, Child Protection and Safeguarding protocols, including auditing of both my own and other schools internationally
  • Governance and leadership in a culturally- sensitive context
  • School climate and culture, with tangible school improvement in parent satisfaction, staff development and student results (both in and outside the classroom
  • Rich experience of boards of directors and governance in charitable, commercial and education sectors
  • Physical school design consultancy services, with focus on building design, space flow, and operational excellence
  • Highly proficient event management, marketing, communications, finance and strategic planning
  • 1:1 Coaching for Governors, Heads of School (in-post or aspiring), senior leaders

Following a varied career in (amongst other things) accountancy, marketing and advertising, I came to education in 1993 and loved it from the get-go. It was not for several years that I came across the work of Dr Tal Ben-Shahar, and even later the concept of ikigai. I realised that working with young people in schools was something that gave me a great deal of fulfilment, where I derived deep meaning, was able to acknowledge I had strengths, as well as clear enjoyment.

Starting my professional life in a boarding school, I worked up from being a ‘rank and file’ teacher to housemaster (it’s no mean feat looking after 55 young men, 24-7!) and eventually into my first headship. After 4 meaningful years there, I moved into international education becoming the Founding Principal of an international K-12 school in Hanoi, Vietnam, serving a rich nationality mix of students, parents and educators.

After eight and a half years in this role, I decided to move on. Covid then hit and led to a shift in focus to become executive vice chairman of a Vietnamese education group, responsible for educational and operational excellence within this extensive organisation. My final role in education in Vietnam was to take on leadership of a developing international IB school in Ho Chi Minh City that needed strong direction and realignment. It was a highly productive and enjoyable period.

So why is this important? My knowledge of how schools operate, their pressure points for boards of governors and school leadership is invaluable.

I help international schools build staff and student mental health capability — through
leadership coaching and accredited suicide-prevention and postvention training —
drawing on my own experience as a Head of School.

  • Leadership and Head coaching — 1:1, for sitting or aspiring Heads and SLT, and importantly those preparing to transition into leadership.
  • Staff training in suicide-ideation awareness, intervention and postvention responses — INSET days, workshop series, or ongoing retainer, aimed at SLT, pastoral teams, counsellors and
    whole staff.