Become a coach with our ILM Certified Open Performance Coach Training course. The programme includes everything required to become an executive coach, whether internal or external, as well as enabling participants to become authentic coaching managers. This executive coach training is based on the late Sir John Whitmore’s GROW model, incorporating Tim Gallwey’s “Inner Game” principles, and benefiting from Carol Wilson’s experience in her long career as a corporate MD and board director in industry, including ten years at board level with Sir Richard Branson.
Participants receive the credential CfPAC (Coaching for Performance Accredited Coach) in recognition of Sir John’s contribution to the design of the programme. As an ILM Centre, we are also able to supply ILM Endorsed, Level 5, Level 7 and Diploma accreditation certificates for this course.
When Covid restrictions prevent face-to-face delivery, this course is delivered with equal success by Zoom, on the booked dates. The Zoom training has proved to be as inspiring and energising as the live version, because of the highly interactive nature of the training, with frequent breakouts into pairs and small groups. The picture shows some of our recent participants enjoying their Zoom training.
The Performance Coach Training Course is:
- Designed by coaches for coaches
- Structured to be practical, embed the skills for the long term and use participants’ time efficiently
- Uses best practices refined and shaped by the feedback of hundreds of attendees
- Based on the proven methods such as the GROW model, and the use of unique and novel learning techniques
- Designed by former Virgin Managing Director, Carol Wilson, and Sir John Whitmore.
Course Structure:
- Three days + two days of executive coach training, four to six weeks apart, whether face-to-face or virtual
- Practise assignments in between training modules
- The final day consists of individual practical assessments
Course deliverables
- Listening
- Questioning
- Clarifying
- Permission Protocol
- The coaching-mentoring-managing continuum
- Goal setting
- Strategic action planning
- The GROW model
- Leader-as-coach
- Managing a coaching business
- Best practice
- An introduction to supervision
- Self-limiting beliefs
- Reference manual
- Worksheets
- A choice of our own Coaching for Performance Accredited Coach (CfPAC) Certificate, ILM Endorsed, Level 5 or 7 Certificate, or Level 5 or 7 Diploma
Free membership of the Association for Coaching

Every participant on our courses receives 12 months’ membership of the Association for Coaching as an integral part of the course, free of charge.
This provides access to a wealth of information and support that is an invaluable benefit to those becoming professional coaches or looking to improve their leadership skills.
Membership benefits are the equivalent of the Association’s individual Associate level, listed here
Our approach to performance coach training
The style of our training is ‘learning by doing’. It is a very practical approach to executive coach training, in which participants have the opportunity to practise coaching about real issues and to get feedback from our trainers and each other.
The course is divided into two modules. Between the two modules, participants are paired with a partner from the course, in order to practise their skills in a safe setting. This builds confidence and fluency, enabling participants to embed the new skills and use them fluently after the course is over.
ILM Accreditation Levels 
We are an ILM Centre approved to deliver this course at ILM Endorsed, ILM Level 5, ILM Level 7 and ILM Diploma. The ILM is the leading UK awarding body for general and specialist management qualifications. It is the leadership arm of City & Guilds, which awards NVQ qualifications, and its awards are internationally recognised.
Only long-standing ILM Centres like ourselves are eligible to deliver the ILM Endorsed certificate, which fully qualifies you as a professional coach or manager-as-coach, without the onerous essay writing involved in Levels 5 and 7 ILM Certificates, and at less expense. This is a qualification for people who want to know simply that they can coach efficiently and have an ILM certificate as a proven credential. This certification requires an oral examination and the only written work required is a short coaching log and a case history of less than 1000 words.
Our own CfPAC certification is included in the cost of the course. For details of the different types of certification click here
People who attend our open courses:
- Managers at all levels in the workplace
- Executives and independent practitioners
- Learning and Development Heads
- HR Executives
- Consultants wishing to enhance their coaching skills or add coaching to their portfolio
- People wishing to coach in any area: coaching skills are fundamental and as well as being useful in organisations can be applied to any field, eg personal, health, fitness, education, finance and running a small business.
Executive Coach Training Course dates 2021
If face-to-face training is not possible due to social distancing restrictions, the course will take place on the same dates virtually on Zoom.
SPRING COURSE 2021:
Module 1: March 4-6
Module 2: April 30/May 1st
AUTUMN COURSE 2021:
Module 1: 16-18 September
Module 2: 12-13 November
Face-to-face training times: 9.00 am – 5.30 pm
Zoom training times: 9.00 am – 4 pm
Course venue – Linden House – Hammersmith, London, W6 9TA

Linden House is a Grade II listed Georgian riverside venue that stands on the North Bank of the River Thames between Hammersmith and Chiswick. The training is delivered in The Commodore’s Room, a light and airy room with fabulous views of the Thames (the three windows on the first floor in the top left of the photo).This historic house is also the clubhouse for the London Corinthian Sailing Club and the Sons of the Thames Rowing Club.
If Covid restrictions are in place, the course will be delivered virtually via Zoom on the advertised dates.
For further information email us or call 020 7022 4923.
Certification | Professional Title | Fee |
Culture at Work Certificate | Coaching for Performance Accredited Coach (CfPAC) | £2295+VAT |
ILM Endorsed Certificate | ILM Endorsed Accredited Coach | £2394+VAT |
ILM Level 5 Certificate | ILM Accredited Coach (Level 5) Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring ILM CREDITS: 16 |
£2735+VAT |
ILM Level 5 Diploma | ILM Accredited Coach (Level 5 Diploma) Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring ILM CREDITS: 38 |
£2855+VAT |
ILM Level 7 Certificate | ILM Accredited Coach (Level 7) Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring ILM CREDITS: 14 |
£3545+VAT |
ILM Level 7 Diploma | ILM Accredited Coach (Level 7 Diploma) Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring ILM CREDITS: 37 |
£4495+VAT |
VAT concession: Individuals and small business owners not registered for VAT can pay a reduced rate including VAT. This concession is awarded at our discretion and does not apply to applicants sponsored by their organisations. To find out if you are eligible please email us.
Scholarships: In cases of hardship, for example unemployed or low-paid candidates, we occasionally award scholarship or reduced price places. Please email us to arrange for a phone interview if you believe you may be eligible for this.
Reductions for block bookings: There is a reduction of £230+VAT per booking for block bookings (two or more participants).