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Contour Coaching

About

My professional life and personal experience have shaped the way I understand leadership, change and loss.

A few years ago, I lost my brother suddenly, just before his 40th birthday. That moment changed everything: my identity, my sense of purpose, and the way I viewed the world. And yet, life and leadership continued. The responsibilities remained. The expectations did not shift, even though I had.

In the months that followed, I learned how grief can pull you into unfamiliar terrain, reshaping the contours of who you are and how you lead. Even familiar ground can feel strange.

Although grief was the catalyst for my own change, I know that many headteachers and senior leaders experience similar disruption through other life events, transitions or pressures. These moments can leave you carrying the weight of leadership while trying to make sense of a landscape that no longer feels the same.

Alongside my personal experience, I bring 20 years in education, with 10 of those as a headteacher. I understand first‑hand the emotional demands, complexity and increasing expectations the role now carries. My work is grounded in presence, compassion and psychological insight. I am also a trainee psychotherapist, and my coaching is informed by relational depth, reflective practice and a commitment to ethical, attuned support.

Coaching has been a vital part of my own journey. It gave me a place to be honest about my experience, to feel heard without judgement, and to find a way forward that didn’t require me to pretend I was unchanged.

I work with a small number of one‑to‑one clients so I can build strong, trusted relationships and offer personalised support. Clients describe me as calm, grounded and deeply present. I bring steadiness, attuned listening and compassion to this work, so that you have room to slow down and hear yourself clearly.

Grounded. Relational. Structured Around You.

Book a Discovery Call

A free 30-minute conversation to explore what you need and whether coaching feels right.

Choose Your Coaching Format

Single sessions or structured packages designed to offer flexibility and continuity.

Confidential Sessions

Held online via Teams, telephone, or in person by agreement. Each session lasts 60 minutes.

Reflect, Process, Move Forward

Together we create clarity, steadiness and meaningful direction, at your pace.

I work to clear, ethical professional standards so clients know exactly
what they can expect from my coaching. These include:

Regular, high quality coaching supervision

I work with an experienced coaching supervisor who helps me reflect on my practice, uphold ethical standards, and continually improve the quality and safety of the support I offer.

Clear distinction between coaching and therapy

My work is firmly rooted in coaching, not therapy. As a coach, I do not diagnose, treat, or work with clinical mental health issues. When something falls outside the scope of coaching, I name this clearly and, where appropriate, signpost clients to therapeutic or specialist support.

Fully insured

My coaching practice is covered by professional insurance (Westminster Insurance Ltd), providing protection and reassurance for us both.

Working towards ICF ACC accreditation

Having gained an Associate Coach Diploma with Optimus Academy, I am now working towards accreditation with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) at Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level – a globally recognised standard for ethical, professional coaching.

Psychologically informed practice (including Transactional Analysis)

My approach is grounded in psychological theory. I draw on Transactional Analysis (TA) to help clients understand patterns in thinking, feeling and behaviour, and to support meaningful, sustainable change, always within the boundaries of coaching.

4.5 Based On 500+ Review

I would like to share some very positive feedback about Claire, who has been an exceptional coach. What stands out most is the manner in which she conducts her sessions with remarkable calm, patience, and an entirely non-judgemental approach. She has a deep understanding of a wide variety of scenarios, which means that whatever you bring to a session, she meets it with insight and empathy. Her presence is palpable; she is fully engaged in every conversation, which makes it far easier to organise your thoughts and work through things with clarity.

Shruti

Working with Claire has been a very supportive experience. She brings a calm, grounding presence and knows how to challenge my thinking in a thoughtful way, while always respecting my pace and where I was at. Claire listens deeply and pays close attention to what is really going on for me. Our conversations always felt thoughtful and focused.

Pascale

4.5 Based On 500+ Review

"Coaching gave me the chance to take a step back and make sense of things. I felt properly listened to which is a rare thing."

Teacher

"Claire helped me navigate profound personal loss while still leading my school. Her presence was calm, compassionate and grounding."

Senior Leader

“I didn’t realise how much I was holding until I had somewhere safe to put it down.”

Headteacher