When it comes to supporting and challenging students, we have recently expanded our use of the coaching model to help students self-identify areas for improvement and pathways to success. The coaching model, following the OSCAR framework, is something Secondary teachers have been employing in our wellbeing work for some time following on from the Accidental Counsellor Training Programme all Secondary teachers undertook last year. We have now expanded this into helping students develop their approaches to learning.

Coaching is different from mentoring in that it does not directly provide the answers or solutions but helps students choose their own next steps through discussion and engaging in structured dialogue. Coaching involves teachers asking questions following the OSCAR framework and guiding students to set their own targets, next steps, checkpoints, and solutions. The aim is to provide students with greater ownership of their learning journey and develop a sense of personal responsibility for their progress and, by extension, independence.
All students who may require additional support to develop their approaches to learning have engaged in one-to-one coaching sessions with their House Tutors to self-identify areas for improvement and come up with strategies and next steps. To frame these sessions House Tutors have used Attitude to Learning grades and self-reflection profiles created by the students themselves. The outcomes of these sessions have been fantastic and already we have seen positive steps taken by many students as they take ownership of their learning.
