Creating an ethos of empowerment around young people
Empowered parents = stable children = effective learning = resilient communities
The ‘Ethos of Empowerment’ is a programme of personal development, providing a whole school coaching culture that will permeate throughout the community, involving pupils, teachers, support staff, parents creating an ethos of empowerment around students. We believe that this can be achieved by giving everyone an opportunity to access personal development coaching.
In ‘Leading Coaching in Schools’, written by the National College for Leadership of Schools & Children’s Services it describes how coaching is about “unlocking potential in order to maximize performance – it’s about bringing out the best in people” and “it enables individuals and teams to develop and flourish, to take responsibility for their own learning and achieve their goals.” It could be an ideal solution for a school in special measures.
In ‘Leading Coaching in Schools’, written by the National College for Leadership of Schools & Children’s Services it describes how coaching is about “unlocking potential in order to maximize performance – it’s about bringing out the best in people” and “it enables individuals and teams to develop and flourish, to take responsibility for their own learning and achieve their goals.” It could be an ideal solution for a school in special measures.
Personal development coaching places emphasis on self awareness, self worth, self expression, values, beliefs, choice, responsibility, goal setting and achievement; it will help us to enable mindset change, enhance our pupils’ ability to learn and therefore engage them more fully in realising their potential.
This ethos of empowerment will have an even greater impact and penetration when all of the stakeholders are of the same mindset, particularly the parents who have a propensity to display over protection of their children. This is an understandable, human trait but it negates personal development. It is essential that any programme which encourages children to exercise greater independence, to take more responsibility for themselves must recognise the need to support parents as they become inextricably involved in this transformational process and affected by what may be a profound change in family dynamics.
A real world impact
We must also not underestimate the personal change that parents may experience as a result of this focus on their own personal development. Evidence suggests that this may lead to some parents becoming Parent Champions themselves, volunteering for further training programmes and group facilitation; whilst others begin to realise and explore the opportunities open to them, and pursue their unrealised dreams and ambitions. This has a real world impact: as the networks expand, the ethos of empowerment is further developed and sustained within the community, contributing to the strengthening of social capacities and participation (as per the Big Society).
We must also not underestimate the personal change that parents may experience as a result of this focus on their own personal development. Evidence suggests that this may lead to some parents becoming Parent Champions themselves, volunteering for further training programmes and group facilitation; whilst others begin to realise and explore the opportunities open to them, and pursue their unrealised dreams and ambitions. This has a real world impact: as the networks expand, the ethos of empowerment is further developed and sustained within the community, contributing to the strengthening of social capacities and participation (as per the Big Society).
To ensure that this ethos of empowerment is also integrated into the curriculum itself, we need to train teachers to practice an approach that sustains the students’ ‘new learning.’ This is in line with the Qualification Curriculum Development Agency, which outlines a curriculum with a new emphasis on personal development that will “remove barriers to pupils’ participation in learning” and include opportunities for pupils to “develop greater confidence and self-belief”.
In addition, the teachers themselves will benefit directly from the personal development programme as it provides a clear framework for continuing professional development, as well as giving opportunities for career advancement.
A whole school approach
The QCDA encourages a whole-school approach to ensure that it is embedded into the curriculum and built into every aspect of school life. This project enables us to deliver a curriculum underpinned by Every Child Matters, giving pupils opportunities to develop the skills “to protect their emotional, social and mental wellbeing.”
Sir John Whitmore, UK’s leading Business Coach is spearheading this campaign at ‘Transforming Education.’ He recently spoke at a leadership conference for Headteachers about using coaching strategies in schools and his vision is to use this as a way to create greater cohesion between schools, pupils and parents. Recognising EFM’s unique emphasis on the family unit in their programme of Ethos of Empowerment in schools, Sir John Whitmore has now joined as Chairman of the charity.
Research has proved that high-quality coaching in schools supports professional development, leadership sustainability and school improvement. We would like to add to this research and show that by including parents more fully and in this comprehensive way, schools are more likely to achieve complete alignment and whole community cohesion.
We recommend a pilot cohort of:
Parent coaching workshops - 8 x 2 hour sessions (weekly) for 12 parents
Training for one suitable teacher (Family Coach License) 3 days
Students coaching workshops - 8 x 2 hour sessions (weekly) for 12 students (including certification for 2 students)
CPD Coaching for Teachers and Staff - 4 x 2 hour sessions for 12 teachers and 4 x 2 hour sessions for 12 staff
Sustainability
This project includes the training and certification of one teacher and two students who will provide ongoing support and coaching of new staff and pupils, so no further running costs will be necessary.
The work is undertaken through practical programmes of personal empowerment in their community settings and the emphasis is on encouraging changes that enable people to help themselves. The participants are encouraged to develop networks of support to disseminate and continue the empowerment process.
See an independent evaluation of the methodology or a letter from the Headteacher sharing her observations. Also see a slide presentation of our whole school culture and a diagram of the wide ranging of benefits of our programme.
Some theoretical justification
There is a clear distinction between this intervention and the range of 'parenting' programmes available. It is a personal development approach based on the work of psychologist Carl Rogers (1902 – 1987) person centred therapy. Prochaska and Norcross (2003) states Rogers "consistently stood for an empirical evaluation of psychotherapy. He and his followers have demonstrated a humanistic approach to conducting therapy and a scientific approach to evaluating therapy need not be incompatible."
And the Theory of Change is (e.g. The Five Stages of Change by James Prochaska and Carlo Diclemente (1982) and a self-awareness model of behavioural self-control adapted from Mahoney and Thoresen’s personal scientist model (1974). Also by working in groups we harnessed the synergistic effect of ‘collective unconscious’ (Carl Jung) creating a ‘can do’ culture.
