Schools That Coach: Leading Schools Through the Power of Coaching
About this ebook
Real, lasting school improvement requires more than just new strategies—it takes a culture where people feel supported, trusted, and empowered to grow. Schools That Coach: Leading Schools Through the Power of Coaching provides school leaders with the research-backed knowledge, frameworks, and practical inspiration to integrate coaching into their daily community.
Drawing on more than 70 years of collective experience, Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Jim Knight, and John Campbell combine their expertise to provide an accessible and practical guide to leading schools through the power of coaching. Inside, you’ll find:
- The GROWTH Model and Impact Cycle: Two proven frameworks for supporting meaningful professional development.
- Advanced communication skills: Techniques for active listening, powerful questioning, and appreciative approaches rooted in positive psychology.
- Practical strategies: Step-by-step guidance on building coaching cultures that engage leaders, teachers, students, and families.
- Global perspectives: Insights from North America, Australia, and the U.K., adaptable to any school environment.
This book equips educational leaders with the mindset and tools to build schools where every adult grows and every student thrives.
Discover more
About the author
Christian van Nieuwerburgh is Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ireland) and Strategic Partner of the Instructional Coaching Group, a global provider of coach training and consultancy for the education sector. In recognition of his contributions to the fields of coaching and positive psychology, he is Principal Fellow of the Centre for Wellbeing Science at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne (Australia). Christian is a certified executive coach and has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books and publications on coaching and positive psychology. His best-known books include An Introduction to Coaching Skills: A Practical Guide and Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection. Christian regularly speaks internationally on the topics of coaching, positive psychology, and well-being.
Jim Knight is Senior Partner of the Instructional Coaching Group and a Research Associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. For more than two decades, he has studied instructional coaching and professional learning, becoming one of the leading voices internationally in the field of instructional coaching.Jim has authored numerous influential books and articles on instructional coaching, leadership, and effective teaching practice. The Impact Cycle: What Instructional Coaches Should Do To Foster Powerful Improvements in Teaching, Unmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach to Dramatically Improving Instruction and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching: Seven Factors for Success are considered seminal texts in the field. Jim regularly presents and consults internationally, leading workshops, institutes, and keynote presentations across the United States and around the world. Through his work with educators and school systems, he has helped shape coaching practices that support meaningful professional growth and improved outcomes for students.
John Campbell is the Founding Director of Growth Coaching International, an organisation that provides coaching and professional learning services for school leaders and teachers across Australia, New Zealand and the world. John has worked as a high school teacher, curriculum development adviser, and management consultant in the corporate sector. He has co-authored several books on the topic of coaching in education, including The Leaders’ Guide to Coaching in Schools: Creating Conditions for Effective Learning and Growth Talk: A Coaching Way of Leading in Schools. He is a leading figure in the field of coach training and regularly delivers workshops and keynote presentations on coaching in education throughout Australia and internationally.
