Great to meet you at the conference.

Steve Lay-Flurrie was an experienced instructor who already had many tools and techniques at his disposal. However, he found himself viewing the Standards Check as a collection of individual boxes to be ticked, rather than an integrated assessment of his teaching practice. Steve had previously failed his Standards Check, and his analogy for the experience was both vivid and revealing: "I felt a bit like Eric Morecambe. I was playing the right notes but not necessarily in the right order…..Fiona helped me see the standards check as a single issue not a list of boxes to be ticked."

Steve worked with Fiona on coaching and client-centred learning (CCL). He also attended the BTEC Level 3 Training (2 Day Course). "An excellent course and I would highly recommend it to any ADI who was looking for a different approach. Fiona with her mentoring skills was a dream to work with and her techniques for getting the best out of people really worked. Many thanks." Steve Lay-Flurrie LCGI DSA ADI In a separate comment, Steve described his experience returning to the industry after a break: "I have been an ADI for 10 years now but was off work for the past 2 and a half years. I have recently returned to the industry which has changed so much. Realising I needed to develop new skills in coaching and CCL, I searched for help which is when I had the pleasure of meeting Fiona. Fiona is a the most kind and down to earth individual I have met in a long time. She knows what she's talking about and it makes sense. Fiona is very approachable and easy to talk to and boosted my confidence levels which I was lacking. Her Coaching and CCL techniques, advice and encouraging vibes have helped me turn my lessons around which I and my learners thoroughly enjoy. Thank you for getting back to me even at 6am"

Steve moved away from viewing assessment as a collection of individual boxes to tick, towards an integrated understanding of his teaching practice. He developed his coaching and CCL techniques, and his confidence grew.

Steve achieved a Grade A in his Standards Check. Fiona's response to Steve's feedback captured the significance of the achievement: "You did such a great job evaluating your strengths, Steve. I am so pleased that you got what you truly deserve getting that 'A'." Steve also reported: "had my standards check today and thanks to your help got an A (47/51)." The primary story is not simply "instructor achieves Grade A"; it is the journey of an experienced professional who already had the tools, but learned how to bring them together into a coherent, integrated practice.