Culture Eats Coaching for Breakfast — But It Doesn't Have To

In any school, coaching lives or dies by its culture. Trust, openness, reflection, and a genuine desire to grow aren't things you can mandate. They're cultivated slowly through example, relationships, and consistency. The best coaching systems in the world won't work if the environment isn't right.

But what if the right tools could nudge culture in the right direction?

At STAR21, we believe thoughtfully designed technology can shape a school's culture as much as it supports its systems. Starlight, our AI-powered coaching platform, isn't just about feedback. It's about making professional growth normal, non-judgemental, and valued.

Culture is the Foundation

Too often, coaching is tangled up with appraisal. When feedback is linked to performance management, it triggers defensiveness. Teachers retreat into survival mode. But when coaching is positioned as developmental—as something you opt into because you want to improve—it creates a very different energy.

Starlight is built on that second energy.

• Teachers record lessons on their terms

• Feedback is private, timely, and evidence-based

• Insights are designed for the teacher, not for line management

  
  

"It felt like a mirror rather than a magnifying glass." — Starlight user

By making reflection quick, personal, and non-invasive, tools like Starlight help normalise the idea that we're all still learning.

Nudging Culture With Design

Technology often fails in schools because it’s built around data, not people. We’ve taken the opposite approach. Everything about Starlight—from the language it uses to the speed it delivers insights—is designed to make feedback feel encouraging, human, and helpful.

It’s coaching that feels like a conversation with a trusted colleague, not a checklist from a clipboard.

"It was so affirming. I saw the good stuff I’d missed, and it helped me spot one or two simple things I could tweak. That’s what real coaching should do."

The more teachers use it, the more coaching becomes part of the background culture. Not a bolt-on. Not a performance. Just the way we work around here.

Culture + Coaching + Technology = Growth

Great schools are built on cultures of reflection and trust. Coaching thrives in those spaces. Technology can support that—but only when it’s designed with teachers in mind.

If we want coaching that lasts, we need tools that reinforce the culture we’re trying to build. That’s what Starlight was made for.

The Insight Engine is written by Adam Sturdee, co-founder of Starlight, the UK's first AI-powered coaching platform, and Assistant Headteacher at St Augustine’s Catholic College. This blog explores the intersection of coaching, education, and AI—sharing practical insights, emerging research, and real-world stories about how technology can support human growth. Whether you're a teacher, school leader, coach, or curious innovator, you’ll find ideas here to spark change—one insight at a time.

Adam Sturdee

Co-founder of Starlight | Assistant Headteacher | Coaching Enthusiast

www.starlightmentor.com | www.coaching.software