We believe that purposeful research leads to effective course development and deployment. The Teaching Alliance offers a variety of courses that enable continuing professional learning and development for teaching staff and support staff within schools.
We are always looking for new, innovative ways to improve and expand our CPD programme. If your school is in search of a particular learning opportunity then we would love to hear from you. Our Continuing Professional Development Programme comprises the following:
Wellington Global Leaders in Education
Wellington’s Global Leaders in Education Programme for teachers and school staff, is rooted in the rigorous science of positive organisational scholarship. It draws upon the latest research into leadership from within and beyond education, supported by the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. It has taken particular inspiration from Harvard Business School’s Leadership Initiative; The Oxford Character Project; the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard; the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center and the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at the University of Michigan.
The programme is taught through an examination of key research; the sharing of practical tools; and an emphasis on discussion and reflection. The programme has been completed by teachers and school staff from many countries including China, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Thailand, Nigeria, Russia, Jordan, Singapore, Denmark, the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.
The programme consists of core and elective modules, and leads to a Wellington Global Leaders in Education Certificate or Diploma of Educational Leadership. Quality assurance for this programme is provided by the Department of Education at the University of Oxford and we are a Chartered Management Institute (CMI) recognised centre.
Upcoming events
Our Courses
For further information, please click any of the course names below:
Leading for impact
“Reimagining leadership as empowering human flourishing.”
Brooks, Lee, Bidston, Granville-Chapman (2020).
What is the nature of school leadership in the twenty-first century? What personal qualities are required to lead in a way that empowers high performing, flourishing teams and best serves the public good? What exactly is it that good leaders do to enable their teams to succeed? How do they think? What do findings from neuroscience teach us about effective leadership?
This short course has been designed to enable you to consider these questions and also reflect on the nature and purpose of your own leadership. It is practical, evidence-based and optimistic and is quality assured by the University of Oxford.
The topics which will be covered on the course are:
- The power of everyday acts of leadership
- Values and performance
- Psychological safety
- The power of love in leadership
- What neuroscience can teach us about leadership
- Stress and leadership
- Vision for your leadership
Course Outcomes
- To consider the nature and purpose of your leadership;
- To reflect on what you need to lead others in difficult and uncertain times;
- To meet, with confidence, the challenges of leadership in your own setting.
- Be equipped, via the assignment, to carry out initiatives in your school which will help create the environment for flourishing.
Important Information
This is a core module for all leaders participating in the Certificate or Diploma for the Wellington Leaders in Education Programme. This Diploma is quality assured by Oxford University and accredited by the Chartered Management Institute. Further information about the Wellington College Leading for Impact Programme can be found by e-mailing ejb@wellingtoncollege.org.uk.
This can also be taken as a stand-alone module and comes with a certificate.
The course comes with a practical assignment for participants to carry out in their school afterwards, in order to put into practice what they have learnt. Participants then have the opportunity to write up and reflect on what they have done in order to receive a certificate in leadership for the assignment. This has proved to be one of the most popular and effective parts of the course, as it embeds the knowledge and gives people confidence to try new initiatives.
Public Speaking
Communication is an essential skill of effective leadership. Those who can inspire and transport their audience with them, by delivering a confident and clear message, can achieve so much more. This course will allow attendees to develop their public speaking skills within a supportive environment.
Topics Covered
- Recognising your audience
- Adapting to suit your audience
- Key focal points needed to deliver a succinct message
Course Outcomes
- Identify areas of improvement to enhance your own delivery
- Understand how presence, body language, voice, use of visual aids and language can affect how your message is conveyed.
Important Information
This is an elective module for all leaders participating in the Certificate or Diploma for the Wellington Leaders in Education Programme. This Diploma is quality assured by Oxford University and accredited by the Chartered Management Institute. Further information about the Wellington College Leading for Impact Programme can be found by e-mailing ejb@wellingtoncollege.org.uk.
This can also be taken as a stand-alone module and comes with a certificate.
Coaching – Foundational Course
Topics Covered
- Principles of coaching
- Continuum of helping
- Coaching models
- Effective questions
- Listening
- Identifying the topic
- Values
- Perspectives
- Accountability
Course Outcomes
Participants should feel comfortable and confident in supporting coachees to make changes; to move forward; to solve problems; to become more fulfilled, independent and autonomous.
Important Information
Coaching is one of the most powerful tools for unlocking natural abilities. It offers tools and resources to increase pupils’, colleagues’ and parents’ personal awareness, confidence, fulfilment and self-sufficiency. This approach leads to greater independence and long-term resilience. Not only does it support the performance, leadership and independent learning of pupils, coaching enhances teachers’ performance in the classroom by providing tools and frameworks for self-reflection and feedback. Additionally, coaching as a communication tool develops stronger relationships between staff, developing a more supportive and collaborative culture
As a participant you will learn to use coaching as an empowering communication and development technique. This promotes self-awareness, personal responsibility and action in yourself, your colleagues, your students and others.
The course features hands-on training emphasising participation and practical experience. You will have opportunities to coach, be coached and receive coaching feedback. By the end of the course, we hope you have gained an understanding of how to use basic professional coaching skills in a variety of contexts.
Coaching – Advanced Course
Topics Covered
- Reinforcing the Foundational Skills of Coaching
- Identifying, accessing and growing internal resources
- Making long term or major goals a reality
Course Outcomes
- Participants should develop their coaching from the Foundational Course, so that they are more practised, expert and confident in the Foundational skills.
- Learn to use 5 more significant tools. 3 of these are internal resources, and 2 are tools to make a long term goal come to reality. All 5 of these apply the Foundational skills consistently.
Important Information
The Advanced Coaching course builds on the knowledge and experience of Foundational Coaching. The Foundational skills are reaffirmed, improved and developed as participants also learn and practise new and transformative tools and techniques to enhance their coaching.
Tough Conversations: that create courageous cultures
Difficult conversations can leave people feeling crushed, demotivated, dehumanised and defensive.
Or they can be transformative catalysts for personal growth, leading to higher performance and a stronger sense of commitment and purpose.
Sometimes we avoid the hard conversations because of the fear of getting it wrong – but that avoidance in itself leads to mistrust and less engagement, depriving people of the chance to grow. So how do we develop the skills and courage to embrace difficult conversations and handle them well?
This course will introduce you to how to build a culture where people welcome challenging feedback and seek out the truth about how they can do better and be better. It will also give you some of the research backed ways to work with people so that they can grow and flourish, even when things seem to be going wrong.
Topics Covered
- Building trusting relationships
- Creating a culture of psychological safety
- Approaching conversations with compassion and clarity
- Enabling people to grow – a model of intentional change
- Case studies (you will also be invited to bring your own)
Course Outcomes
- To reflect on conversations you have had and their impact;
- To learn and practise practical ways to improving conversations that enable growth and flourishing
- To consider the key factors in trusting relationships
- To learn about psychological safety, its role in growth and performance and how to create it in schools
Professional Learning Programme Series
Pioneering education to serve and help shape a better world.
This innovative new series of courses aim to:
- Facilitate personal and intellectual growth so all pupils complete a genuine journey to self during their time at the College.
- Create an environment which is tolerant and inclusive, safe but encouraging of risk and failure, challenging, aspirational and full of opportunity.
- Equip our young people with the knowledge, skills and values to thrive and flourish in every way and contribute positively to the world of tomorrow through leadership rooted in moral purpose.
- Develop young people and staff with an inclusive mindset, committed to serving others and living sustainably, who through the way in which they live their personal and professional lives help make the world a better place.