At BTS Spark we help school, trust, and non-profit leaders to feel confident, resourceful and fully capable, with every programme designed to enable real change in the everyday work of leadership.
Leaders play a critical role in setting the culture and empowering their staff to do their best work, but this human side of leadership can be hard – engaging your team, having difficult conversations, leading change, and remaining resilient, for example.
These are the challenges we can help you with. Our flexible delivery modes – including one-to-one coaching, group coaching, and workshops – are designed to meet your requirements and support individuals, teams, and groups of any size.
In this two-minute video, education leaders talk about the impact coaching has had on their leadership.
We don’t believe in ‘one-size-fits all’ leadership development. Our programmes are centred around you …
Your needs
Your needs
Our programs are flexible depending on your goals, your context and your budget. We can coach an individual or run a workshop for 100 people. We are always happy to help you find the right programme for you.
Your mindsets
Your mindsets
Mindsets matter. Our research has uncovered 33 leadership mindsets that unlock great leadership practice. Our Leadership Curriculum offers practical strategies to help you bring these mindsets into your everyday leadership.
Your coach
Your coach
You will be supported by a professional leadership coach who is committed to helping you to thrive. Our coaches typically have over ten years of experience in supporting leaders to grow their leadership.
I’ve gained the space to be able to discuss and process what I’m feeling and struggling with at this time and have someone reflect back what I’ve said and provide guidance and advice where appropriate. I’ve gained new habits to ensure I put myself first and reduce my daily stress.
Jennifer McMillan
Assistant Principal, Harris Academy, Greenwich
My coach was excellent to work with! Professional, humorous and very insightful. I looked forward to each session as I knew I would feel accomplished and refreshed afterwards.
Marie Staley
Headteacher, Moulsham Junior School
It is hard to sum up the value of the course, as it was very significant. I felt better able to utilise my strengths, was more aware of the impact of some of my coaching and leadership styles. I felt more empowered to make conscious decisions on how I worked with other staff, and I conducted meetings more effectively.
Nikki Hodges
Executive Headteacher, Swale Academies Trust
BTS Spark has a strong track record of providing high quality coaching to leaders. I have been impressed by the depth and quality of their approach.
Professor Toby Greany
(Then) Director, London Centre for Leadership in Learning UCL Institute of Education
My coach challenged my thinking in ways I had not even thought of. He empowered me to go ahead and make some tough decisions and arrange meetings to hold those tricky conversations that I was avoiding.
Christalla Jamil
Headteacher, Eastfield Primary School
The most effective professional development I have ever taken part in. Working with high quality professional coaches was extremely challenging... and extremely rewarding in terms of promoting more effective leadership. The programme has had a deep and long-lasting impact on my leadership style and on my personal well-being.
Ian Nurser
Executive Headteacher, St. Peter’s CE School
My coaching with BTS Spark has allowed me to take a step back, untangle things, see things more clearly and therefore make better, more strategic plans moving forward.
Susan Douglas
CEO, Eden Academy Trust
I have never experienced a coaching set up before and I was unsure of what to expect. However within minutes of talking to my coach it was clear that the process was going to be of huge benefit to me. My coach would listen to me, pose questions, understand my frustrations and help me to overcome them. The ease at which she put me really did allow me to open up and explore areas of my leadership that I had never unpicked before. To sum it up, my coach just ‘got me’ and ‘got where I could develop’ and, most importantly, gave me tools to be able to do it.
Matt Sealby
Director of Learning for Key Stage 5, Littlehampton Academy
I have been able to reflect on my style, approach and core values, and have been challenged to make the necessary steps in my professional life to enable positive change. My own leadership has developed, and I have been equipped to be more confident in my approach, and to be bolder when necessary. The coaching has been a huge enabler in that, backed up by the quality structure of the programme.
Paul Kennedy
(Then) Chief Education Officer, Woodard Academies Trust
The coaching sessions were surprisingly accessible. I am not one for navel-gazing and find reflecting on strengths particularly difficult. The models introduced made the process easier and the coaching style ensured the sessions were very productive. Shared experiences of peers reinforced and challenged my views of leadership and the current state of affairs. Being guided through techniques to reflect, evaluate and challenge has broadened my outlook on leadership.
Rob Harker
Headteacher, Carville Primary School
As a new leader taking on a new role nationally, this has been an invaluable opportunity to help me settle into my role with a safe space for reflection and challenge with my executive coach. He and I had a great rapport that moved my leadership knowledge, skills and behaviours along immeasurably. I am very grateful. I would whole-heartedly recommend BTS Spark Coaching to anyone in the education sector - I believe it could have a profound effect on the culture of a school and the way in which staff are empowered to carry out their roles effectively.
Mark Beyer-Woodgate
Director of Teaching School Hub, Harris Academy, Chafford Hundred
The coaching experience is always profound and illuminating for individual participants. Undertaken by a strategic team together, it can also change the collective mindset and build a common language for transforming practices.
David Jackson
Senior Associate, Innovation Unit
I’ve gained the space to be able to discuss and process what I’m feeling and struggling with at this time and have someone reflect back what I’ve said and provide guidance and advice where appropriate. I’ve gained new habits to ensure I put myself first and reduce my daily stress.
Jennifer McMillan
Assistant Principal, Harris Academy, Greenwich
My coach was excellent to work with! Professional, humorous and very insightful. I looked forward to each session as I knew I would feel accomplished and refreshed afterwards.
Marie Staley
Headteacher, Moulsham Junior School
It is hard to sum up the value of the course, as it was very significant. I felt better able to utilise my strengths, was more aware of the impact of some of my coaching and leadership styles. I felt more empowered to make conscious decisions on how I worked with other staff, and I conducted meetings more effectively.
Nikki Hodges
Executive Headteacher, Swale Academies Trust
BTS Spark has a strong track record of providing high quality coaching to leaders. I have been impressed by the depth and quality of their approach.
Professor Toby Greany
(Then) Director, London Centre for Leadership in Learning UCL Institute of Education
My coach challenged my thinking in ways I had not even thought of. He empowered me to go ahead and make some tough decisions and arrange meetings to hold those tricky conversations that I was avoiding.
Christalla Jamil
Headteacher, Eastfield Primary School
The most effective professional development I have ever taken part in. Working with high quality professional coaches was extremely challenging... and extremely rewarding in terms of promoting more effective leadership. The programme has had a deep and long-lasting impact on my leadership style and on my personal well-being.
Ian Nurser
Executive Headteacher, St. Peter’s CE School
My coaching with BTS Spark has allowed me to take a step back, untangle things, see things more clearly and therefore make better, more strategic plans moving forward.
Susan Douglas
CEO, Eden Academy Trust
I have never experienced a coaching set up before and I was unsure of what to expect. However within minutes of talking to my coach it was clear that the process was going to be of huge benefit to me. My coach would listen to me, pose questions, understand my frustrations and help me to overcome them. The ease at which she put me really did allow me to open up and explore areas of my leadership that I had never unpicked before. To sum it up, my coach just ‘got me’ and ‘got where I could develop’ and, most importantly, gave me tools to be able to do it.
Matt Sealby
Director of Learning for Key Stage 5, Littlehampton Academy
I have been able to reflect on my style, approach and core values, and have been challenged to make the necessary steps in my professional life to enable positive change. My own leadership has developed, and I have been equipped to be more confident in my approach, and to be bolder when necessary. The coaching has been a huge enabler in that, backed up by the quality structure of the programme.
Paul Kennedy
(Then) Chief Education Officer, Woodard Academies Trust
The coaching sessions were surprisingly accessible. I am not one for navel-gazing and find reflecting on strengths particularly difficult. The models introduced made the process easier and the coaching style ensured the sessions were very productive. Shared experiences of peers reinforced and challenged my views of leadership and the current state of affairs. Being guided through techniques to reflect, evaluate and challenge has broadened my outlook on leadership.
Rob Harker
Headteacher, Carville Primary School
As a new leader taking on a new role nationally, this has been an invaluable opportunity to help me settle into my role with a safe space for reflection and challenge with my executive coach. He and I had a great rapport that moved my leadership knowledge, skills and behaviours along immeasurably. I am very grateful. I would whole-heartedly recommend BTS Spark Coaching to anyone in the education sector - I believe it could have a profound effect on the culture of a school and the way in which staff are empowered to carry out their roles effectively.
Mark Beyer-Woodgate
Director of Teaching School Hub, Harris Academy, Chafford Hundred
The coaching experience is always profound and illuminating for individual participants. Undertaken by a strategic team together, it can also change the collective mindset and build a common language for transforming practices.
David Jackson
Senior Associate, Innovation Unit
Addressing a need in my school or organisation
Exploring programme options
Growing my own leadership
Development across a trust or network
BTS Spark is a not-for-profit education practice within BTS, a multi-award winning global leadership consultancy. Our team share a passion for supporting school, trust, and non-profit leaders to be the best they can be. We partner with schools, colleges, trusts, universities, school networks, professional associations, charities and leadership institutes to support thousands of education and third sector leaders each year across the UK, North America and Australia.
We believe that quality professional development shouldn’t break the bank. We run on a not-for-profit basis, so you can be sure that our prices directly reflect the cost and quality of our programmes. Deciding how much you can invest in your people will help guide you in choosing the right option.
Cost per participant
(Click the tabs below to view some options)
Half-day workshop (group of 25)
One-day workshop (group of 25)
Twilight programme (six x 90 minute online sessions - group of 15)
Four month group coaching programme (4 x 90 minute sessions - group of six)
One-to-one coaching module (2 x 60 minute coaching sessions with online learning)
Five month one-to-one coaching programme (60 minute sessions)
To date BTS Spark has worked with over 18,000 education leaders, who themselves support more than ½ million teachers and 12 million students.
Say they have changed their leadership as a result of our coaching
Would recommend our coaching to a colleague