Welcome to the latest episode of the CoachED Conversations podcast series.

In this episode, hosts Richard Reid and Dan Steele delve deep into the art of building coaching cultures in educational settings. As the academic year begins in many countries, this timely discussion sheds light on the significance of fostering an environment where coaching thrives.

Join Richard and Dan as they explore essential strategies and insights to enhance your coaching practices.

Helpful resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ron Ritchart's Cultures of Thinking
• GCI Insights Magazine - November 2023

In this episode of the Coaching in Education Podcast, we continue our Stories from the Coaches series with a conversation about new beginnings.

Following our recent reflective episode with Penny Verdich as she approaches retirement, this episode turns toward the future, introducing two of Growth Coaching International's newest Senior Consultants: Dean Clayden in Shanghai and Sarah Cole in Singapore.

Together, we explore the journeys that brought Dean and Sarah into coaching from their early careers in teaching and leadership, to the moments that shaped their coaching practice and philosophy. They share what they've learned about building trust, supporting wellbeing and creating coaching-informed cultures in diverse, international education settings.

Dean reflects on his research into positive psychology coaching and teacher wellbeing, including insights from his work Start with the Heart, while Sarah speaks about designing learning experiences that are grounded in curiosity, care and real-world application. This conversation is less about roles and titles and more about values, purpose and the human side of coaching. It offers thoughtful reflections on what coaching can make possible for educators, leaders and school communities and what Dean and Sarah hope to contribute as they begin this next chapter of their work with GCI.

Whether you're a coach, a school leader, or simply curious about the power of meaningful conversations in education, this episode invites you to pause, reflect and consider what it means to lead and coach with intention.

We're excited to introduce CoachED Conversations, a brand-new podcast series designed to bring timely, practical insights straight to our coaching community.

Hosted by Richard Reid and Dan Steele, each monthly episode will explore a focused topic, giving you insights and ideas, along with some strategies and next steps to support your coaching practice straight away.

This inaugural episode kicks off with Goal Setting - a powerful and timely focus for the beginning of 2026 as coaches and educators look to the year ahead.

In this heartfelt Stories from the Coaches episode of the Coaching in Education podcast, Richard Reid speaks with Penny Verdich — a highly respected educator, principal, coach, and Senior Consultant with Growth Coaching International. With more than four decades of leadership experience in NSW schools, Penny shares the key moments that shaped her coaching journey, her passion for professional learning and the profound impact she has had on school and system leaders across the state. As she prepares for retirement, Penny offers wisdom, insights and inspiration for everyone invested in developing leadership capacity and fostering meaningful professional conversations. A warm celebration of a career dedicated to helping others grow.

In this episode of the Coaching in Education Podcast, host Richard Reid is joined by Brett Horton (Head of School Performance), Trudi Lucas (Head of Future Education Initiatives) from Brisbane Catholic Education and Dr. Jim Knight from the Instructional Coaching Group. Together, they explore BCE's bold vision for system-wide improvement, the power of partnership and how instructional coaching is being embedded across more than 140 schools to strengthen teaching, leadership and learning outcomes. Discover how BCE is shaping a culture of growth and collaboration and why coaching is at the heart of their journey toward better outcomes for every student.

What happens when a school makes coaching central to its leadership culture? In this episode, Richard Reid speaks with Dr Adrian Camm, Principal of Westbourne Grammar in Melbourne, about the school's journey in embedding coaching across staff and leadership. Adrian shares the wins, the challenges and the profound impact coaching has had on communication, collaboration and student wellbeing. If you're a school leader curious about making the shift towards a coaching approach to leadership – this episode is for you.

In this episode Richard Reid is joined by Simon Matthews, Deputy Executive Director of Independent Schools Tasmania and host of the Learning Landscape podcast. They explore how instructional coaching is being embedded across a wide variety of independent schools—from rural campuses to city-based boarding schools. Simon shares how coaching is impacting teacher practice, professional learning and school culture, as well as the challenges and successes along the way. Whether you're just starting or looking to deepen your coaching culture, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration.

"Sustainability isn't just about the environment — it's also about people, programs, and practice. And when it comes to Instructional Coaching Done Well, sustainability can often be the difference between a coaching culture that thrives… and one that quietly fades away."

This is the final episode of our special Instructional Coaching Done Well mini-series, where we're diving deep into what makes Instructional Coaching truly work in schools. In this conversation we're talking about something that doesn't always get the attention it deserves — sustainability. Inspired by Jim Knight's book Evaluating Instructional Coaching, this episode is all about what it takes to build coaching programs that last — coaching that's not a passing trend, but part of the fabric of school life. To help us unpack all of this, in this episode I'm joined by two brilliant guests: Mileva Tubbs — founder of the Instructional Coaching Collective, who's been at the heart of supporting coaches in a network of schools in Perth Australia and Av Swami — Senior Consultant with Growth Coaching International, who brings a wealth of experience in helping schools embed a coaching culture. Together, we'll explore why sustainability often gets overlooked, the key role leadership plays, how to set coaches up for success and how schools can create the conditions for instructional coaching to flourish long-term.

In this episode we are shifting our focus to Coaches as Leaders because Instructional Coaching Done Well isn't just about supporting others, it's also about how we lead ourselves and those around us. To help us unpack this, I'm delighted to be joined once again by Dr Jim Knight, Chris Munro and we extend a warm welcome to GCI Director Dan Steele. In this episode we will be diving into how we navigate the challenges of leadership, particularly when we get stuck and ego gets in the way, why self-care is an essential leadership skill and how great coaches balance ambition with humility. We will also explore how coaches create alignment, make great decisions and clarify their purpose.

Welcome to another of our Instructional Coaching Done Well Roadshow mini-series episodes. In this episode, I'm delighted to be in conversation once again with Dr Jim Knight - author, researcher, and co-founder of the Instructional Coaching Group. For many people around the world, Jim's work has shaped how we think about coaching in schools and at the heart of that work sits today's topic of discussion - the Partnership Principles. These seven principles — equality, choice, voice, dialogue, praxis, reflection, and reciprocity — offer not just a framework for coaching, but a way of being in relationship with others. They help us think deeply about what it means to honour the humanity, autonomy, and potential of the people we work with every day. In this conversation, we explore where the Partnership Principles come from, what they look like in action, and how they can shape not only our coaching conversations — but also the culture of our schools and organisations. This is a must listen. Richard Reid – Podcast host.