Global Coach Training & Change Management

Coaching Courses for Organisations and Individuals

Culture at Work runs ILM accredited coaching courses for both organisations and individuals. Our signature Coach Training for Leaders courses teach managers to lead using coaching skills based on Sir John Whitmore’s GROW model. Our open Executive Coach Training course trains individual practitioners to professional executive coach standard. We have delivered coaching courses in 42 countries for more than two decades, and our training was co-designed with our former business partner, Sir John Whitmore, the co-originator of the GROW model.

Compare our coaching courses

Course Best for Format Duration Accreditation
Coach Training for Leaders CEOs, senior/middle managers, team leaders, HR, L&D, internal coaches In-person and online 5 days (or online equivalent) over 2-6 months for full accreditation; shorter from 90-minute sessions to 4 days ILM Recognised, Level 5, Level 7, or Level 7 Diploma; CfPAC; Association for Coaching
Executive Coach Training  Aspiring coaches, managers, leaders, HR, L&D, consultants, teachers, therapists, existing coaches building credentials Online open course 6 half-days plus assessment, over approximately 2 months ILM Recognised, CfPAC, AC accredited, ICF aligned (with optional Extra Module)
Coaching Supervision Training Qualified coaches with a minimum of 100 hours’ experience Online open course or in-house Open: 4 x 2.5-hour sessions fortnightly. In-house: 2 days over 1-2 months, or 1/2 day or 1 day workshops ILM Recognised Certificate & Digital Credential in Coaching Supervision
Tuckman Team Development Workshop CEOs, C-Suite, senior and middle managers, team leaders Face-to-face or online 1-4 days (or online equivalent)over 4-12 weeks
Leading Without Formal Authority (Lateral Leadership) Staff who have to influence people who do not report to them Face-to-face or online Up to 4 days over 2-4 months (or online equivalent)  ILM Recognised Certificate & Digital Credential (optional); Culture at Work certificate as alternative
Mindfulness Training at Work For organisations and teams Workshop. Languages: English, German, Greek. Tailor-made; can be booked individually or as a series
Diversity Training Organisations addressing equality, diversity and inclusion. Recommended group size 8-12 for facilitated discussion Online and face-to-face 90 minutes or workshops over a period of time
Neuroscience in Coaching Participants exploring emotional intelligence; coaches seeking neuroscience tools for client work Workshop format One or two days (or online equivalent)
Advanced Coach Training Two streams: Senior Leaders, and Executive Coaches Online or face-to-face Up to 2 days (or online equivalent)with practical assignments between sessions
Coach Training for Teachers (Performance Coach Training for Schools) Headteachers, teachers, educational leaders In-person and online Two or more modules over weeks or months, with structured assignments between ILM accredited
David Grove’s Clean Language and Emergent Knowledge Coaches and practitioners open to working with metaphor and visualisation In-house corporate training (open distance learning available via cleancoaching.com) Contact for details ILM approved (in-house corporate training)

What is a coaching course?

A coaching course is a structured training programme that teaches the practical skills, frameworks, and ethics of professional coaching. Most reputable courses are accredited by an awarding body such as the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), the Association for Coaching (AC), or the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and the qualification awarded reflects the depth of training, the assessment requirements, and the level at which the coach is qualified to practise.

There are two broad audiences for coaching courses:

  • Managers and leaders who want to use coaching skills as part of how they lead their teams. These people do not usually intend to become professional coaches; they want a coaching style of leadership that draws out their team’s thinking rather than directing it.
  • Aspiring or practising coaches who want to qualify as a professional coach, work with executive clients, or add coaching to an existing consultancy or therapy practice.

Both groups benefit from training in the same core skills (listening, questioning, goal-setting, and the use of coaching frameworks like the GROW model), but the depth, the duration, and the qualification awarded are different. The right course depends on what you intend to do with it.

Coaching courses for organisations

Our organisational courses can be tailored to your organisation’s context and delivered face-to-face or online. Group rates are available for delivery to organisations. Please contact us for a quote.

Coach Training for Leaders

Our flagship coaching course teaches CEOs, senior and middle managers, team leaders, HR business partners, L&D staff, and internal coaches to develop a Coaching Mindset. Based on Sir John Whitmore’s GROW model, training is delivered in-person or online globally. Available with CfPAC accreditation and ILM Recognised, Level 5, Level 7, or Level 7 Diploma credentials, plus accreditation by the Association for Coaching.

Learn more about Coach Training for Leaders

Coaching Supervision Training

Designed for qualified coaches with a minimum of 100 hours’ experience at delivering formal coaching sessions. Provides frameworks, question sets, skills and techniques for coaching supervisors. Delivered in-house over 2 days (or online equivalent) across 1-2 months, or as 1/2 day or 1 day workshops. Eligible for the ILM Recognised Certificate & Digital Credential in Coaching Supervision.

Learn more about Coaching Supervision Training

Tuckman Team Development Workshop

Takes CEOs, C-Suite, senior and middle managers, and team leaders through the stages of the Bruce Tuckman Team Development Model and equips them with the skills and tools required to make each phase a success. Delivered face-to-face or online, as a one-day event or over a period of 4-12 weeks.

Learn more about the Tuckman Team Development Workshop

Lateral Leadership: Leading Without Formal Authority

For staff who have to influence people who do not report to them, including co-workers, clients, customers, bosses and teams. Covers the skills and techniques required to get things done through persuading, influencing, coaching and collaborating. 4 days over 2-4 months, or shorter workshops from 1/2 day to 3 days, face-to-face or online. Eligible for an ILM Recognised Certificate & Digital Credential (optional).

Learn more about Lateral Leadership

Mindfulness Training at Work

Workshops covering mindfulness for cultivating attention, peak performance, stress, emotion regulation, decision-making, wellbeing, and mental health. Designed and delivered by Dr Clara Seeger, who holds an MSc in Neuroscience and Mindfulness from King’s College London. Workshops can be booked individually or as a series and are tailor-made. Available in English, German, and Greek.

Learn more about Mindfulness Training at Work

Diversity Training

Promotes equality, diversity and inclusion, helping people manage sensitive relationships and conversations in the workplace. Topics can include race, anti-oppressive practices, white privilege, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and intersectionality. Sessions run from 90 minutes to longer workshops, online or face-to-face. Recommended group size is 8-12 for facilitated discussion. Delivered by Jeffrey Wotherspoon BSc (Hons), a certified Executive Coach and Accredited High Risk Conflict Resolution Specialist.

Learn more about Diversity Training

Neuroscience in Coaching

Uses Dr Martyn Newman’s Emotional Capital Report to enable participants to explore their emotional intelligence, underpinned by recent neuroscience. Provides coaching tools for coaches to use with their clients. Delivered over one or two days. Designed and delivered by Dr Clara Seeger, who holds an MSc in Neuroscience and Mindfulness from Kings College London.

Learn more about Neuroscience in Coaching

Advanced Coach Training

Continuing professional development with two streams: Advanced Coaching Skills for Senior Leaders, and Advanced Coaching Skills for Executive Coaches. Topics for the executive coach stream may include Mindfulness at Work, Clean Language, Team Development, Constructive Conversations, Somatic Coaching, Kotter’s Eight Steps to Change, the OK Corral, and Leadership Archetypes. Flexible duration from half-day, full day, or extended course with practical assignments between sessions. Online or face-to-face.

Learn more about Advanced Coach Training

Coach Training for Teachers

ILM accredited coaching and mentoring training for headteachers, teachers, and educational leaders. The Performance Coach Training for Schools course is divided into two or more modules over a period of weeks or months, with structured paired assignments between modules. A Train the Coach Trainer for Teachers programme is also available, allowing schools to license the course and deliver in-house.

Learn more about Coach Training for Teachers

Coaching courses for individuals

Our individual courses are open to anyone who wants to qualify as a coach or build coaching into an existing career. Bookings are taken per-person, and we run scheduled cohorts that work across UK and international time zones. Discounts and scholarships are available for state school teachers, charity workers, and applicants in financial hardship.

Become a Coach: Executive Coach Training

Open course for individuals training as professional executive coaches. Delivered online over 4 full days (6 hours per day) or 6 half-days (4 hours per day), plus assessment, across approximately 2 months. Includes a 90-page reference manual and free 12-month membership of the Association for Coaching. ILM Recognised, CfPAC, AC accredited, and ICF aligned with optional Extra Module. Discounts available for block bookings, state school teachers, and charity workers.

Learn more about Executive Coach Training

Coaching Supervision Training (for practising coaches)

For qualified coaches with a minimum of 100 hours’ experience at delivering formal coaching sessions. The open course runs as 4 x 2.5-hour online sessions delivered fortnightly, with approximately 10 hours of practical assignments between sessions. Course leader: James Wright MA (Hons) MSc. Fees: £1,250 +VAT per person, plus £120 +VAT for the optional ILM Recognised Credential.

Learn more about Coaching Supervision Training

Clean Language and Emergent Knowledge

Training in David Grove’s Clean Language and Emergent Knowledge techniques. Covers Clean Language (working with metaphor linguistically) and Emergent Knowledge (working with space, both physical and in the mind). Provided as ILM approved in-house corporate training. Open distance learning courses are available separately via cleancoaching.com.

Learn more about Clean Language

How are our coaching courses delivered?

Most of our coaching courses can be delivered online, in person, or as a blend of the two. Our open Executive Coach Training course is delivered online only.

Online delivery uses video with breakout rooms, live demonstrations, group exercises, and paired practice between participants. Sessions are interactive throughout. The format is built for active practice rather than passive viewing, and our online programmes have proved to be as effective and energising as face-to-face delivery.

Online delivery has practical advantages for organisational training:

  • Lower cost: no travel or accommodation expenses
  • Shorter sessions delivered over time, with practical assignments between
  • Each topic is embedded through demonstration and practice before the next is introduced

In-person delivery is still available for organisations that prefer it, particularly for senior leadership team development. We can advise on which format suits your specific situation.

What accreditation do our coaching courses carry?

Culture at Work is an approved ILM Centre. Many of our courses lead to a recognised coaching qualification, and our Executive Coach Training course meets the coach-specific training requirements for accreditation with the Association for Coaching (AC), and with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) when the optional Extra Module is added.

ILM Recognised, Level 5, and Level 7

The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) is the leadership arm of City and Guilds and the foremost provider of workplace coaching qualifications in the UK. We deliver four ILM credentials:

  • ILM Recognised Certificate and Digital Credential in Coaching and Mentoring. The most popular pathway with our corporate and individual clients, because it requires less theoretical essay writing and costs less than the ILM Levels credentials.
  • ILM Level 5 Certificate or Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring. Equivalent to undergraduate level study.
  • ILM Level 7 Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches. Equivalent to postgraduate level study.
  • ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches. The highest level credential we offer, also at postgraduate level.

CfPAC: Coaching for Performance Accredited Coach

CfPAC is awarded on successful completion of our Executive Coach Training course and our Coach Training for Leaders course. The credential incorporates the title of Sir John Whitmore’s book Coaching for Performance in recognition of his contribution to the design of our coaching courses.

AC and ICF alignment

Our Executive Coach Training course is accredited by the Association for Coaching (AC). Adding the optional Extra Module of 22 hours of one-to-one coaching and mentoring brings the total coach-specific training to 60 hours, which meets the requirement for ICF membership, ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation, and the AC’s Master Coach accreditation. The AC and ICF have their own application processes, fees, and criteria for individual accreditation, and we can advise candidates on the pathway.

For full detail on accreditation, see our coaching accreditation guide.

Why train with Culture at Work

Culture at Work has been delivering coaching courses to organisations and individuals for more than 20 years. Three things differentiate our courses from other ILM accredited providers:

  • Direct lineage to the founders of modern coaching. Our founder Carol Wilson worked directly with Sir John Whitmore, the originator of the GROW model, in the final decade of his life, and our coach training programmes have been shaped by that partnership.
  • Corporate experience at the highest level. Carol Wilson has 25 years of board-level corporate experience, including 10 years as a Managing Director at Virgin reporting directly to Sir Richard Branson. Culture at Work has delivered programmes to organisations in 42 countries, including IKEA, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, KPMG, Procter & Gamble, and the CLM 2012 Olympic Delivery Partner.
  • A consistent quality benchmark. Our courses have been consistently described by participants as the best management training they have attended. Client feedback is available on our reviews page.

Frequently asked questions about coaching courses

How much do coaching courses cost?

Fees depend on the course and the format. Course fees are listed on each course page where applicable. Group rates apply when courses are delivered to organisations. For our Executive Coach training open course, discounts are available for block bookings, charity workers, and state school teachers, and scholarships are occasionally awarded in cases of hardship, for example to unemployed or low-paid candidates. For organisational training delivered in-house, please contact us for a quote.

Are online coaching courses as effective as in-person training?

Yes. We have run our coaching courses both online and in person for several years, and our online programmes have proved to be as effective and energising as our face-to-face delivery. The active-practice structure is what makes the training effective, not the room. Online delivery uses shorter sessions, with practical assignments between to reinforce learning, and works best when participants engage actively rather than treating it as passive viewing.

Which coaching course is right for me?

Start with what you intend to do with the qualification. If you want to coach team members as part of your management role, the Coach Training for Leaders course is the right fit. If you want to qualify as a professional coach, work with executive clients, or build a coaching practice, the Executive Coach Training course is the right fit. If you already coach professionally and want to deepen your practice, Coaching Supervision Training (for coaches with at least 100 hours’ experience) is available as an open course. Advanced Coach Training, Clean Language, and Neuroscience in Coaching are delivered in-house to organisations – please contact us to discuss. If you are unsure, contact us and we will advise based on your specific situation and goals.

Do I need a degree to become a coach?

No. Coaching is not a regulated profession in the UK and there is no legal requirement to hold any particular qualification before practising. However, employers and clients commonly look for coaches who hold a recognised qualification from an awarding body such as ILM, AC, or ICF. Our Executive Coach Training course is open to applicants from any background and provides the recognised qualifications and the coach-specific training needed to apply for professional accreditation. ILM Level 7 is equivalent to postgraduate level study; the ILM Recognised credential is a more accessible alternative for candidates without a degree.

How long does it take to qualify as a coach?

The Executive Coaching Training course is delivered online over approximately two months, as either four full days (six hours each) or six half-days (four hours each), plus assessment. Candidates who pass assessment receive the CfPAC credential and the ILM Recognised Certificate, and the course is accredited by the Association for Coaching. For candidates who wish to apply for ICF ACC credentialing, an optional Extra Module of 22 hours of one-to-one coaching and mentoring brings the total to 60 hours of coach-specific training, which meets the ICF threshold.

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?

Coaching and mentoring sit on a continuum. Traditionally, coaching has been non-directive (the coach asks questions to help the client find their own answers) and mentoring has involved an experienced person sharing knowledge and advice. In modern practice, the boundaries are dissolving: mentors increasingly use coaching skills, and coaches occasionally draw on their experience. For a fuller explanation, see our article on coaching vs mentoring.

Find the right coaching course

If you have a specific course in mind, follow the links above for full details. Dates and fees are published on the course page where applicable. If you are not sure which course is right for you, your team, or your organisation, contact us with a brief description of your situation and we will recommend the most relevant programme.