Empowering school leaders to create positive change
Cultures of Relational Trust
You want to create a great place to work and learn. You want to lead with kindness and build teams that are all working together to provide the very best education for the children in your care.
What is relational trust and why does it matter?
Relational trust, as defined by Bryk and Schneider in their research on school improvement in Chicago, highlights how the quality of relationships between leaders, teachers, students and families directly shapes a school’s capacity to improve. Their work showed that schools with higher levels of relational trust were more likely to see gains in teaching quality, collaboration, and pupil outcomes.
Relational trust is built on four key elements:
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Respect: People feel valued and listened to in everyday interactions.
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Personal Regard: Trust grows when individuals go beyond what is required and show genuine care.
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Competence in Core Responsibilities: Confidence builds when people demonstrate skill and reliability in their roles.
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Personal Integrity: Trust deepens when people do what they say they will do.
For school leaders, strengthening relational trust creates the foundation for courageous conversations, effective teamwork, and lasting improvement.
How can I help you build relational trust in your school?
I provide a range of bespoke support to schools working to build cultures of relational trust.
The work starts with what you aim to achieve and includes getting to heart of where you are as a school, often through an audit and staff questionnaire. You may already have surveys you use or want help in creating one and analysing the data. I can support you throughout this process, helping you ask insightful questions that lead to sustainable change that is fit for your unique context.
As a certified Systemic Team Coach, I work alongside you to plan out a strategy that aims to build the systems and processes to build relational trust in the log term.
This work can be complemented by a range of team and staff workshops on:
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Building cultures of psychological safety and relational trust
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Constructive conflict that drives positive change
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Team dynamics and awareness
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DISC personality profiling for individuals and teams
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A coaching approach to change management for teams
All work is bespoke to your needs and starts with a no-obligations call.
Please feel free to get in touch, and let's explore how we can work together to achieve your goals.
Did you know?
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights three key ingredients for teacher retention and a thriving school:
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Prioritising teacher development
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Building relational trust
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Improving working conditions
When these elements are in place, schools become great places to work, where staff feel valued and engaged.
This leads to:
✅ Fewer relationship challenges, allowing leaders to focus on what truly matters.
✅ A collaborative team that actively solves problems and upholds the school’s ethos.
✅ Wellbeing as a shared responsibility, creating a strong network of care.
✅ Confident staff who excel in their roles, from teaching to supporting high-needs pupils.
✅ A secure, trusting environment where leadership inspires confidence.
✅ The ability to grow and retain skilled, passionate staff.
✅ Stability in staffing, benefiting both staff and children.
And why does this matter? Because when staff thrive, children do too.
If you are interested to find out more get in contact for a free 30 minute consultation.
