George Flooks (Headteacher) Warden Hill Primary School
Head Enables & Empowers Teachers & Leaders to Thrive
What's the impact of the Coachinginschools Training?
In this video, George Flooks — an experienced Headteacher and facilitator for UCL’s NPQH and ECT programmes — shares how completing the Coachinginschools VIP Programme sharpened her leadership and empowered those around her to thrive.
Through applying the skills we taught them, George and her SLT have gone from giving answers to facilitating thinking.
Now they know exactly how to ask the right questions they’ve seen a remarkable shift – teachers and middle leaders now take greater ownership, feel more motivated, and make more thoughtful decisions.
This has built autonomy and confidence, led to better outcomes for pupils — and taken a LOT of pressure off Senior Leaders!
“A lot of what I was doing before was still mentoring… coaching is about saying: ‘You tell me — you’ve got the answer.’”
“Good schools are about growing your next set of leaders — and coaching is allowing that to happen.”
George’s story is a compelling watch for any headteacher who wants to build capacity, unlock leadership potential in others, and lead with greater clarity and effectiveness.
'Golden Nuggets' include:
“Coaching has allowed me to empower more people, even in a simple conversation – just by putting the question back on them.”
“What it’s given me as Head is the ability to see people take ownership of their roles, leading with confidence and feeling more motivated.”
“There’s a real shift – staff are becoming more autonomous, making deeper, more thoughtful decisions, and growing as leaders.”
“I’ve become a much better listener. Allowing silences has led to deeper thinking, better problem-solving, and more meaningful conversations.”
“Coaching is enabling and empowering – it’s about helping people become the best versions of themselves, which ultimately benefits the children.”