Tips from our Quality Conference Speakers

In the lead up to the Association of Colleges and Education and Training Foundation’s Conference we have approached some of the speakers to share some insight and tips.

Three tips to improve your coaching practice in your college

Bob Craig, AoC Consultant

1. Time-Line questioning. Ask questions that focus on:
   • The future (imagination, motivation): e.g. “how will you know when …”
   • The past (remembering and drawing on past experiences): e.g. “When have you …”
   • The present (getting going and overcoming procrastination): e.g. “What will you do in the next 24 hours to make a start with …”
2. Strive for small steps and marginal gains. Help the other person to make small, incremental improvements that can be implemented straight away
3. Beliefs and habits: Help people to become aware of the beliefs and habitual thoughts and behaviour that restrict, limit or sabotage their chances of success (stop or change these) and the ones that empower and enable them (do more of these)

Here are some helpful external resources:

1. www.emccouncil.org
   European Mentoring and Coaching Council – good for newsletters, webinars, research
2. www.associationforcoaching.com
   Association for Coaching – good for case studies and resources

How to better the SAR process

Christine Ricketts, Principal, Brooklands College

The new EIF enabled the college to revisit their curriculum. It was used as a developmental tool. Three steps you can take to help you improve your college’s approach to self-assessment in the new Education Inspection framework.

• They worked in collaboration with staff to gain an understanding of what the new EIF means for the college and the language used. They used teaching and learning week for professional discussion around the changes.
• Management training enabled them to reflect on the curriculum and create a forward-looking plan. It enabled them to build better links to employers.
• Senior managers and governors had workshops looking at the areas that were relevant to them. They considered their approach given the current challenges and what specialism to consider. In addition, they were asked to consider the college’s unique selling point and ultimately the impact on the students

Overall the core focus was on keeping an eye on business as usual and the students.

Sequencing the curriculum

Kate Webb, CEO and Group Principal, The Windsor Forest Colleges Group

Sequencing the curriculum is a key area in curriculum planning and a really important area for curriculum leaders to think about. It can help to aid leaning, helps students to grasp concepts and overcome barriers to learning. Here are some of the approaches Kate’s college took:

• They developed a collective philosophy. Sharing approaches in meetings and in teams
• They had a solid communications plan to support the messaging around their approach. This was aimed at both students and staff
• They developed strong building blocks within the curriculum, including policies and procedures

To hear more from these speakers visit:
https://www.aoc-services.co.uk/events_and_training/quality20/