Coaching Accreditation Program
Phase 4

Coaching skills are increasingly recognised as important skills for educational leaders at all levels.

The four-phase Coaching Accreditation Program is a highly practical and evidence-based coach training program for teachers and educational leaders looking to make a positive contribution to professional practice and impact whole-school improvement.

Who Is This Program Suitable For?

The Coaching Accreditation Program Phase 4 is suitable for anyone who has completed Phase 1-3 of the program. Phase 4 is required if you seek accreditation in the GCI Coaching System and the rights to use GCI Coaching Systems and materials in your practice.

Please note: This accreditation does not allow you to train others in coaching.

Program Outcomes

• Support you to develop your coaching to a deeper level and help implement coaching in your context
• Increase your depth of knowledge and become more reflective about your coaching practice
• Focus on providing an experience of individual coaching with a GCI Coach, who will model the GCI Coaching system and provide support and mentoring for working with real clients
• Continue to build your competence in coaching

Program Structure

The GCI Coach Accreditation Phase 4 involves:

• Completion of six individual one-hour phone coaching sessions with a GCI Coach that focuses on providing additional individual coaching together with complete exposure to the GCI coaching system.
• Completion of six individual coaching sessions with two real clients
• Written reflective learning project, including familiarity with the current coaching research literature and appropriate referencing
• Coachee to 'Coach the Coach' and receive written feedback
• A high level of commitment to building coaching capability and to the practise of coaching in current or future roles

Please note: Progression to full accreditation with GCI is not automatic. Participants will need to achieve high skill levels in coaching practice and demonstrate the ability to reflect insightfully about their coaching, developing strategies to move from 'good to great' as a coach.

Once GCI Accreditation is achieved, a formal agreement is entered into providing GCI Accredited Coach status for a 3-year period. Further continuing professional development is required to extend Accreditation status beyond the initial 3-year period. This will involve 40 hours of professional development over 3 years. The only required professional development activity during that period is participation in the GCI Advanced Coaching Solutions Focus Master Class. Other forms of professional development including coaching supervision, reading, conferences and other workshops and webinars can count towards those 40 hours.

Minimum Entry Requirements

The Coaching Accreditation Program Phase 4 is suitable for anyone who has completed Phase 1-3 of the program. Eligibility for Phase 4 is based on being able to complete this Phase within 12 months of completing Phase 3.

GCI Coach Accreditation status provides:

Successful completion of the four phases of this program provides:

• Recognition of 87 hours of coach-specific training endorsed by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). These hours can also contribute to International Coach Federation (ICF) credentials.
• Mastery and accreditation status with GCI’s Coaching System. As part of this arrangement fully accredited participants receive:
  • Access to materials associated with the GROWTH coaching system such as templates, checklists and other coaching support resources
  • Permission to add ‘Growth Coaching International Accredited Coach’ to your business card and email signature
  • An opportunity to be part of an ongoing learning community
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) towards Masters level programs with several Universities including: Macquarie University, University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University and Notre Dame University. Furthermore, participants who complete all four phases of the program can receive credit towards the Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at The University of East London (UK). (Please note this option is only available online via distance education.)

Successful completion of Phase 4, will only accredit you to coach one on one in your context. It does not accredit you to train others in using Growth Coaching International’s resources, or allow you to facilitate Coach training. This qualification is an individual qualification for your own development, it is not a teaching qualification.