About the Peer Coaching Programme
What is Peer Coaching?
Our model of peer coaching involves students undertaking a series of structured one-to-one, 30 minute coaching conversations in pairs. Students alternate between the roles of coach and coachee so they learn from both the experience of being a coach and the thinking environment of being a coachee. Together, students develop a coaching partnership for the duration of the programme.
In the coaching partnership, the coach uses coaching skills, models and behaviours which they have been taught during the training workshops. These include the use of powerful open questions and deep listening to empower the coachee to identify and achieve their goals.
Peer coaching is a particular approach to coaching where the people involved in the coaching partnership have some shared experience or are at a similar stage in their life or career. In our programme, students participating in the project are all undergraduate students in The School of English at The University of Sheffield but they are drawn from all levels of the degree programme (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years) and represent each of our different honours programmes.
Peer Coaching in the School of English
Many existing peer coaching programmes involve older or more experienced students being trained to coach younger or less experienced students, for example a final-year student coaching a first-year student. Often, the model of coaching is more closely aligned to mentoring since the older/more experienced student tells or advises their coachee what to do.
The School of English Peer Coaching programme pilots a different approach where:
Students are taught the principles of non-directive coaching and are supported to listen and ask questions rather than tell their partners what to think/do
Both students in the peer-partnership are trained as coaches
Both students in the peer-partnership alternate between coaching and being coached by their partner.
The 12 week programme commences with 2 half-day training workshops, facilitated by professional executive coaches. In these sessions, students develop knowledge and practice of coaching skills and behaviours, which they then put into practice over 8 x 30 minute coaching conversations during the rest of the term.
Throughout the programme, the students are supported in their coaching journey by additional development workshops and supervision sessions. During and at the end of the programme, students will participate in evaluation activities so that we can better understand the experiences and impacts of reciprocal peer coaching for undergraduate students, and to identify and share learning to support other practitioners or institutions seeking to develop similar programmes (if this is you, please get in touch!)
Meet the Peer Coaching Staff Team
Professor Rachel van Duyvenbode
Programme Director
Rachel is an award-winning educator (NTF, 2020) and a qualified executive coach (ILM Level 7). She teaches in The School of English at the University of Sheffield and works in practice as an equity coach, supporting leaders to make progress on their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) goals.
Alongside her academic practice, Rachel has held senior leadership roles at the university (Faculty Director of EDI, 2018-2022) and designed institution-wide learning and development programmes for students and staff, including the sector-leading HEI staff development programme the Sheffield SEED (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity) Project (2015-2020).
Rachel works part-time (0.6FTE), balancing her caring responsibilities to her three children with her academic career.
Contact Rachel: r.van-duyvenbode@sheffield.ac.uk
Chloe Angus
Programme Facilitator
Chloe is a qualified coach, trainer and facilitator. She has ILM level 7 Certificate in coaching and mentoring which she uses to offer 1:1 and group coaching in her own business.
Chloe works part time as a Wellbeing manager for a local cancer charity training local companies in the importance of proactive wellbeing and self awareness.
Chloe is also co-lead of the Sheffield Coaching Exchange, a continuous development and support networking group for local coaches and aspiring coaches.
Chloe’s experience prior to coaching and training was as Head of Global Customer Service for a local engineering company giving her a wealth of corporate experience.
Contact Chloe: Chloe@viacourses.co.uk
Sophie Rowson
Research Assistant
Sophie is a Human Geography (BA and MSc) graduate from the Universities of Sheffield and Bristol. She has previously conducted qualitative research projects in HEI's and community-led organisations. Alongside supporting the Peer Coaching programme, Sophie works part-time as a coordinator for Sheffield's sustainable food partnership. In addition to this, Sophie is a Trustee of Sheffield-based menstrual health charity, Irise International.
Contact Sophie: eg4srn@sheffield.ac.uk