CSM Directory

Biography:

My name is Duncan Millard and I am an experienced educational leader, who has worked in a variety of schools over the last 30 years. My most recent post was CEO of a multi academy trust based in Oxfordshire. The trust incorporated a range of schools in both urban and rural settings, including primary, secondary and church schools. For the last 10 years I also worked as an Ofsted inspector.

I am now self employed as a Leadership Coach, a wellbeing facilitator and school improvement partner for both primary and secondary schools. I was fortunate to experience coaching a few years ago and its impact was significant. I now feel driven to work within educational settings to provide valuable space and time for thinking and growth.

Coaching practice

During one of my coaching sessions, my coach said to me “Who are you when you lead Duncan?”. Having never been asked this question before I took a few minutes to consider this incredibly powerful question. With what felt like a grandfather clock ticking in the background, I said the words that were spinning around my mind, “To empower people”. When we then unpicked this, I realised these three words summed up my entire career. I now knew who I was when I led. My aim now is to facilitate other people’s journey through my values of reflection, learning and empowerment.

As your coach my role is to give you the safe space to generate new thinking and ideas. My coaching practice focuses on your values, emotions and beliefs, so that you can lead in a way that allows you to know who you are and achieve your goals. I regularly ask coachee's for feedback on my practice and undertake regular reviews so that I can continually be the best coach I can be.

I only coach in the educational sector and ensure my rates are accessible for all, as I believe that all staff in educational settings and particularly leaders should have access to coaching.

Coaching Experience

I have over 150 hours of coaching to over 40 people who work in educational settings, including Executive Headteachers, Headteachers, Heads of Schools, Deputy/Assistant Heads, SENDCo, Middle leaders and teaching staff.

Qualifications and Professional Bodies

· Master's in Educational Leadership

· Professional Qualification for School Inspectors

· NPQH

· European Mentoring and Coaching Council - Accredited Coach

· Chartered Fellow - Chartered Management Institute

Please get in touch if you want to find out more about how I can support you as your Coach. I am more than happy for you to get in touch with people I currently coach to help you make an informed decision.

Feedback

“I found my first session hard and wasn't sure that coaching was for me. I think I went into it thinking that Duncan was going to fix my problems by sharing advice. The first session made me realise how I felt inadequate in my role which I knew deep down was how I felt but didn't want to verbalise and admit. After my second session, I really started to reap the benefits of coaching. I started to recognise the barriers I was putting up for myself - no one else was doing this. I needed to breakdown my own barriers and Duncan's questions made me reflect on this. Since having coaching with Duncan, I feel lighter and brighter, coaching has made me realise that we grow into our roles over time”.

“Coaching had a very positive impact for me. Booking the time for this forces a commitment to deep focus and dedicated time, which is often very hard to achieve in an education setting. The safe space to challenge assumptions which may be limiting your actions or your effectiveness is powerful and enabling. Duncan's clarity about the process and practice of coaching helped it to flow naturally and invited openness and self-reflection. Coaching is an empowering experience for a leader and resets open-mindedness and reconnection with your intent - hugely worthwhile!”