Case Study: The Bulmershe School – Speed Coaching Initiative
The Bulmershe School partnered with Kanevolve Ltd to design and deliver an innovative leadership development model: the Speed Coaching Initiative. The programme has been running for 3 years.
Built around five focused 20-minute coaching conversations per leader across the year, the initiative provides short, sharp, high-impact coaching designed to fit the rhythm and pressures of school life.
The Approach
Unlike traditional hour-long coaching sessions, this model prioritises precision and momentum. Each conversation centres on a single, self-identified leadership priority, informed by 360 review feedback and appraisal objectives. Leaders arrive prepared; they leave clearer, more confident and action focused.
Key design features include:
- 5 x 20-minute sessions per leader across the year
- Senior and middle leader participation
- Strong emphasis on performance coaching and leadership behaviours
- Structured confidentiality and ethical contracting
- Evaluation of impact at the end of the process
The model is deliberately agile. Delivered intensively over short windows each half term, it creates cumulative developmental impact without removing leaders from their operational responsibilities for extended periods.
The Impact
Evaluation reports and coaching reviews demonstrate consistent and measurable shifts in leadership practice.
Increased Reflectiveness and Self-Awareness
Leaders are engaging in deeper reflection about their impact and decision-making.
Higher-Quality Professional Dialogue
There is clear evidence of more open, honest and constructive conversations across the school.
Confidence to Challenge
Middle and senior leaders report greater confidence in challenging upwards, sideways and downwards, strengthening professional accountability.
Improved Time Leadership
Leaders are adopting more systemic approaches to time management and prioritisation.
Growing Coaching Culture
Senior leaders are actively considering how coaching principles are embedded into everyday leadership practice.
Feedback from later rounds shows leaders increasingly preparing in advance for sessions, leading to deeper and more productive outcomes.
Why It's Different
The Speed Coaching Initiative is distinctive because it:
- Respects leaders’ time while maintaining rigour
- Builds momentum through repeated, focused developmental touchpoints
- Embeds accountability and self-regulation
- Generates anonymised theme analysis to inform whole-school leadership strategy
- Strengthens both individual capability and collective culture
This is not ad hoc coaching. It is a structured, scalable, ethically governed leadership development model that accelerates growth while reinforcing distributed leadership and professional trust.
Understand. Challenge. Evolve.
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Oundle PE8 5PB
07733226588
john@kanevolve.com