Teachers TV: One-to-One Coaching

Judith Walker, HLTA at All Saints Infants Normanton, and Ashley Hunter, HLTA at St Wilfrid’s Secondary in Pontefract, both use one to one coaching in their work with pupils. Judith gives two Year 1 pupils help with specific reading problems. She takes part in a workshop with other TAs at the school, run by consultant Tony Swainston, introducing the basic skills of coaching.

It’s a new technique for Judith and she sees it as one of many ways to encourage good learning strategies. At St Wilfrid’s, Ashley works with a Year 7 Learning Support group who have been withdrawn from modern languages to focus on their literacy. She uses coaching techniques with the whole class. We also see Ashley with Liam, who is working at a low ability level and has a particularly poor attitude to maths. In a very moving sequence Ashley asks Liam to draw a picture of his journey from primary school to Year 8 and together they work on a strategy for him moving forward with his maths.