Leading Forward 2025-26
Don't walk your leadership journey alone
- Join one of our small, supportive leadership communities for ongoing,
personalised support to help you thrive as a school or trust leader
Leadership is a journey — one that’s easier, more fulfilling, and more sustainable when you don’t walk it alone. Our Leadership Communities are here to help you stay resilient, connected and effective, whatever challenges come your way. Offering a combination of 1:1 coaching plus the support of a like-minded group of peers , they provide a confidential and supportive space for you to keep learning and developing as a leader and to feel enriched, re-energised and encouraged in your leadership role.
We have separate Leading Forward communities for:
✅ Multi-Academy Trust CEOs ✅ Trust Deputy CEOs/Education Directors
✅ Headteachers / Principals ✅ School Support / Improvement Leads / Executive Heads
Each community group is limited to a maximum of eight members, all in a similar role, with all sessions facilitated by one of our professional leadership coaches with a wealth of experience supporting school and trust leaders. See below for the facilitators that will be working with each group, although you're welcome to choose any member of our wider coach team to work with for your 1:1 sessions.
As a community member for the 2025-26 academic year, you will have access to:
✳️ Four x 60 mins 1:1 coaching sessions - personalised expert coaching, tailored to your current context and priorities, providing safe, focused space for reflection and growth; scheduled at times that suit you
✳️ Two x 90 mins leadership masterclasses - practical sessions on the leadership challenges and topics most relevant to you, giving you fresh insights, tools and strategies you can put to work straight away
✳️ Two x 90 mins leadership circles - a chance to off-load, share challenges, insights and experience and to problem-solve and gain confidential support from others that truly understand your role
✳️ 360° leadership review and report - gain valuable feedback from your colleagues and a clear view of your strengths and opportunities for growth. Use one of your coaching sessions to debrief with your coach.
✳️ Team effectiveness diagnostic and report + 60 mins debrief - understand the ways in which your team is performing well and gain practical, actionable insights to deepen collaboration and effectiveness so you can achieve more together
✳️ Speak Like a Leader - a self-paced, AI-enabled experience to help you communicate with confidence, clarity and impact; includes in-depth analysis and feedback from your AI coach.
✳️ Total Access to our Leadership Library - 24/7 access to our 29 self-paced modules on the mindsets and capabilities that make the biggest difference for leaders; dip in when you're looking for practical strategies and helpful insights to broaden your leadership toolkit or tackle key challenges
- 4 x 60 mins 1:1 coaching sessions (worth £700)
- Two x 90 mins leadership masterclasses (worth £180)
- Two x 90 mins leadership circles (worth £180)
- 360° leadership and review (worth £125)
- Team effectiveness diagnostic and report plus 60 mins debrief (worth £400)
- Speak like a Leader programme (worth £300)
- Leadership Library Total Access (worth £150)
Our Leading Forward community facilitators
Kevin Whichello, Leadership Coach and Facilitator
(Trust CEO Community)
Kevin is a highly experienced, accredited executive coach and facilitator with extensive experience over 15+ years of supporting many trust CEOs and senior leaders, as well as headteachers/principals and wider system leaders. Drawing on his own senior leadership experience and strong academic grounding in psychology, he brings insight, challenge and authenticity to his work. Known for his perceptive style, Kevin helps leaders strengthen relationships, build high-performing teams and make step changes in their leadership. His passion lies in enabling deeper, more productive interactions that drive lasting impact.
Jo Lally, Leadership Coach and Facilitator
(Trust Deputy CEOs / Education Directors Community)
Jo has worked in the field of leadership development for over 25 years, including extensive work as a coach and facilitator with school and trust leaders. She brings insight from senior corporate roles and global consultancy to her coaching, enabling the leaders and teams that she works with to reflect deeply, strengthen self-awareness and translate learning into impact. Jo is known for creating safe, supportive spaces while also knowing when and how to challenge with perceptive questions that shift perspectives. Her empowering approach helps leaders gain clarity, build confidence and develop practical strategies for personal, team and organisational growth. Our BTS Spark clients value her strong understanding of their sector and her ability to equip them with tools to move forward effectively with authenticity and confidence.
Victoria Young, Leadership Coach and Facilitator
(School Support Community)
Victoria is an experienced coach and facilitator, with a wealth of experience spanning education, the public and voluntary sectors and the corporate world. Vic has coached many senior leaders in school improvement roles as well as headteachers and trust CEOs, helping them to build authentic, compassionate and collaborative leadership and to empower and unlock the potential of their teams. Vic regularly works with school and trust teams to deepen trust, become more effective and achieve more together, often with a focus on building a coaching approach into their day-to-day leadership. As a coach, Vic provides leaders with the time and space to reflect, define their values and develop courage of conviction, often transforming confidence and leadership presence.
Louise Norris, Leadership Coach and Facilitator
(Headteacher/Principal Community)
Louise is an accomplished coach, facilitator and school improvement advisor, with over 20 years’ experience in education, including more than a decade in senior leadership and two successful headships, prior to moving into full-time coaching and advisory work. Drawing on her expertise in psychology and professional learning, she blends evidence-based approaches with deep personal insight into the challenges of school leadership. Her style is both supportive and challenging, enabling leaders to clarify goals, harness strengths and overcome barriers to success, leading to transformational growth and sustained performance improvement.
Louise is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and holds a Masters Degree in Learning and Teaching from the University of Oxford as well as the NPQH.