Supporting Gareth to cultivate a culture of curiosity and creative freedom, resisting prescriptive trends with confidence
When I began coaching Gareth Sinton, he was deeply committed to challenging traditional, restrictive models of education. Having faced disempowering learning experiences during his own school years, Gareth stepped into leadership with a clear mission: to build a vibrant educational culture where every single learner can truly thrive.
As the Tumuaki of Douglas Park School, a position he has held since midway through 2017 after teaching at the school since 2004, Gareth has championed an innovative, play-based learning environment. At Douglas Park, teaching occurs entirely within shared, collaborative spaces rather than single-cell classrooms. Gareth’s core motivation has always been to foster a school-wide culture of curiosity and continuous, collective improvement backed by robust educational research.
However, leading a progressive school in a shifting political landscape brings unique pressures. Faced with significant curriculum change, Gareth found himself navigating natural moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. He needed a trusted, objective thinking partner to help him resist the urge to make rushed decisions, anchor his practice in research, and confidently protect the creative heart of his school. Gareth recognises the value of combining 1:1 leadership coaching with comprehensive Spiral of Inquiry facilitation and mentoring. In any educational landscape, navigating new curriculum frameworks and policy changes can create natural pressures to make rushed decisions or default to prescriptive routines. Rather than viewing national policy adjustments as constraints, Gareth sought to approach them with professional agency. He wanted to ensure his staff felt empowered to adapt new guidelines to fit the school's unique pedagogical identity.
Through our long-term partnership, our sessions provided a vital, objective sounding board. By introducing robust leadership theory alongside systematic inquiry mentoring, I supported Gareth to anchor his decision-making process in research, slow down during periods of system-wide transition, and confidently lead his school community with integrity.
Through our nine-plus years of working together, our coaching sessions have served as a vital sounding board. By introducing reflective inquiry frameworks, I have supported Gareth to critique his own decision-making processes, slow down during rapid external changes, and intentionally unpack how his leadership choices shape the environment around him.
“You’ve got to be able to trust your coach and be free to share the things that are not going well.”
Challenging assumptions and humanising the workplace: Gareth continues to deepen collective school improvement
A key focus of our collaborative work has been embedding the Spiral of Inquiry framework deeply across the entire teaching staff. By moving away from top-down directives or passive compliance templates, we have systematically built the evaluative and instructional capability of the educators at Douglas Park. Year-on-year, this targeted facilitation has significantly increased the reflective practice of the staff, empowering teachers to completely own and love teacher inquiry.
Our coaching has focused on the spiral of inquiry, which encourages leaders to reflect honestly on their own practices to solve complex organisational problems. Gareth values the way I gently but firmly push his thinking forward, challenging his next steps in a way that remains entirely positive, validating, and affirming.
Central to Gareth's strategy is the belief that creativity must be woven directly into a school's strategic plan, rather than being treated as an isolated Friday afternoon activity. Together, we have focused on nurturing inventive, highly articulate students who understand both the "what" and the "why" of their learning journey.
Crucially, this work has also completely transformed the adult culture within the school. By focusing heavily on humanising workplace relationships and embedding personal connection protocols into every single staff meeting, Gareth has fostered an extraordinarily tight-knit team. The proof is in the staff room, which is packed every morning tea and lunchtime with educators who genuinely want to spend time together.
Gareth Sinton
Tumuaki, Douglas Park School
A sustainable, collaborative framework built for long-term success
One of the most rewarding outcomes of this dual approach to leadership coaching and inquiry facilitation is the long-term sustainability of the school's internal systems. Over time, internal team leaders and middle management roles naturally change within any school. However, because the Spiral of Inquiry framework is so thoroughly integrated into the strategic fabric of Douglas Park, the system remains resilient and self-sustaining.
When new team leaders step into facilitation roles, they are not left to figure it out in isolation. Because a clear "Spirals Purpose" and shared accountability are built directly into the leadership culture, new leaders are able to learn to guide the framework quickly and successfully. With my ongoing external mentoring combined with the active, collaborative support of their own peers, new team leaders quickly find their footing, maintain high expectations, and seamlessly continue moving the school's inquiry mahi forward.
Under Gareth's culturally responsive and value-driven guidance, Douglas Park stands as a powerful testament to what is possible when a school prioritises student agency, robust educator reflection, and creative freedom. By maintaining an unshakeable focus on what works best for their local context, Gareth and his staff have proven that an empowered school can navigate any external curriculum changes successfully while keeping its core values entirely intact.
Safe and supportive coaching that delivers a clear path forward
Over nearly a decade of collaboration, Gareth has relied on the safe, judgment-free space we have built together.
"She has an amazing reputation as a facilitator. She’s a part of our school... When we’ve gone around in circles for a long time, Becc just keeps steering us back to what we value and what is solid and good."
Gareth knows that no matter how complex the educational landscape becomes, our coaching partnership provides the research-grounded clarity and confidence he needs to lead his community with integrity.
Talk to me today about 1:1 coaching that brings together leadership theory and reflective practice, so you feel confident and capable to develop trust, commitment and vision within and across your school.