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STRATEGIC PLANS - STAFF RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY

responds to information about the coachee’s needs, while months all academic leaders across the School have undergone
the coachee receives help, in the form of active listening and instructional coaching training. Slowly but surely, coaching is
thoughtful questioning, from the coach. It’s important to note being woven into the fabric of the School culture.
that coaching has nothing to do with appraisal.
The coaching that we are now talking about at Hale School is
Once upon a time, most people began their careers with the goal of the kind that creates dynamic learning communities. As such,
developing technical expertise. Being successful meant doing your it’s not something that you do once a year as part of some sort
job efficiently and having more technical knowledge than those of compliance exercise; this is an is ongoing daily commitment
around you. Basically, it meant having all the right answers. If you that compels and guides all managers on how they should
achieved this level of technical expertise and you were efficient, engage with their people all the time. It implores leaders to ask
you rose up the ranks and assumed positions of leadership. Once questions instead of providing answers; to build capacity in staff
in those roles, you guided people on what to do and you evaluated rather than evaluating them; and promotes direction, alignment
their performance. Command and control were the name of the and commitment to professional development planning and
game. improved teaching practice.
This model of leadership served organisations well for a long A skilled coach is best described by Sir John Whitmore as
time, but not today. Rapid and disruptive change is the norm. As someone who can “unlock people’s potential to maximise their
a result, it is impossible for leaders to have all the answers. In own performance”. As such, the coaches are experienced,
fact, the answers lie within the room, not within the individual. highly accomplished, and well-respected educators. They have
As organisations evolve, so do leaders. To remain effective, credibility with teachers, they have established high levels of
we have had to embrace a model in which managers give trust, they can juggle several roles and have the skills to work
support and guidance, and employees learn how to adapt to one-on-one with teachers. Through their additional coaching
constantly-changing environments in ways that unleash fresh training, they now have the skills, dialogue frameworks
energy, innovation and commitment. The role of the manager is and systems to hold meaningful and productive coaching
becoming that of a coach. conversations.
At Hale School we have made this shift and over the last 12 Andrew Manley, Director of Teaching and Leaning

WORKING ON WELLBEING

The health and wellbeing of all members of our Hale School 2021 and provided the School with some baseline data on the
community is increasingly a priority for the School. While the experiences, behaviours and wellbeing of staff. We are still
Hale Journey framework focuses on supporting the wellbeing unpacking that information and are now working with various
of our students, the School is also mindful of supporting staff. focus groups to move our understandings into new strategies
The primary strategic and procedural intention around the Staff and processes within the School.
pillar in the School’s planning has been to maintain the integrity While the survey results and the commentary were positive, the
of our positive, interdependent staff community. Undoubtedly, overall sense of collaborative engagement and staff climate is
the biggest challenge to facilitating that strategy has been probably best expressed in the analysis from departing staff.
COVID-19, which has drawn great attention to our collective
need for personal wellbeing, and to reinforce and energise our “The best thing has been the staff, the people, the close
approach to those things that are important in our lives. relationships, the inspiration and opportunity to learn from others,
the fun, safe environment, being there for each other.”
So, what can a school do to support positive wellbeing for staff, (Junior School)
within the parameters of its normal day-to-day activities? The
two primary areas are to do with enabling a positive employee “The most professional workplace I have ever been in.”
experience and supporting positive organisational behaviours. (Senior School)
That looks like getting support when you need it, believing “The faculty are amazing, the leadership in the Department, the
that the School is well organised and feeling respected. It also knowledge and quality of staff are genuinely unique.”
means that people behave in such a way that staff feel they are (Senior School)
encouraged, engaged, enjoy their work, feel safe and their ideas
are valued and considered. This doesn’t mean that everyone’s wellbeing bucket is filled,
but what it does mean is that in general, there is a colleague
One of the outcomes of the last strategic reintegration was the somewhere in the School prepared to support another.
development and facilitation of a School Organisational Climate
Survey, which was established in partnership with Curtin Dr Richard Goater, Director of Staff Development and Human
University. The survey was conducted in August and September Resources

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