Hattie (2012) points out that leadership makes the second biggest difference in learners’ outcomes.  This paper aims to explore how mentoring and coaching can enable school leaders to develop through professional learning conversations. Connor and Pokora (2016) point out that coaching and mentoring are learning relationships though which leaders work collaboratively. Hargreaves and O’Connor (2018) highlight that collaborative professionalism can make a profound difference in developing learning conversations. If school leadership is important for the benefit of learners' outcomes,  and staff's ability to flourish, effective learning relationships and conversations need to be embedded in the professional learning of leaders, especially at a time of uncertainty, to ensure that positive ways forward are developed.  This paper aims to explore aspects of mentoring and coaching conversations that can enable leaders to flourish.

Weick (1995) outlines the importance of sense making and Macklin (2020) emphasises that leaders often are required to make sense of their teams or policy directives, and give sense at the same time to enable teams o move forward. However, the process of sense making is often taking place in isolation for school leaders. Coaching and mentoring provide a safe collaborative professional (Hargreaves and O’Connor, 2018)  space where leaders can develop their strategic approaches through learning conversations, to enable them to support their teams. Especially at a time of uncertainty, sense making and strategic leadership skills are important to develop through mentoring and coaching as an intervention to develop leaders to support their teams and organisations effectively. 

This qualitative case study, will explore how coaching and mentoring, can help to unlock strategic thinking for school leaders, to make the most of their teams. Qualitative data was collected for this study through semi-structured interviews involving senior leaders. All the necessary ethical considerations and approvals were in place as per the BERA (2018) guidance, prior to any data was collected. Participants were recruited from the researchers' partnership schools who engage with teacher education, and development opportunities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams. which is fully GDPR (2018) complaint. Interviews were recorded and transcripts were generated from the recordings. Transcript data was thematically analysed using the 6 phase framework by Braun and Clarke (2006). Key themes were drawn from the analysis through a grounded theory approach, to critically explore how professional learning conversations can promote strategic thinking in senior leaders and support their professional learning.

Data revealed that participants benefitted from co-constructive learning conversations, where they were able to engage with key challenges they faced in a safe, trusting learning environment. In addition, the study revealed that these safe learning environments aided strategic thinking through coaching conversations, and it supported leaders with developing their confidence to enable others, and make the most of their talents. The study indicted that school leaders will benefit from regular coaching and mentoring support to continue to develop their strategic thinking.

Braun, V and Clarke, V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2). pp.77-101. ISSN 1478-088. Connor, M. and Pokora, J. (2017), Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice. (3rd edition). London: Open University Press. Hargreaves, A and O’Connor, M., (2018), Collaborative Professionalism: when teaching together means learning for all. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Weick, K. (1995), Sensemaking in Organisations. London: Sage.