Meet Clare Smale

Hello! I’m Clare Smale and I am based in Wiltshire in the UK. I work with clients across the world as well as closer to home and I am thrilled and honoured to have recently been awarded Global Coach of the Year for 2023 by the EMCC.

I love being a coach and supervisor. I started my own business with my husband in 2002 after a successful career teaching in secondary schools. I often get asked how I became a coach and the answer is ‘by accident’!

My coaching story began when I attended a free weekend coaching course to keep a friend company. At the time I was designing and delivering leadership & management development programs (CMI accredited) but knew little about coaching and mentoring as a growing profession. I immediately fell in love with coaching, so my next step was to undertake the ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring, This unlocked an opportunity to be awarded a significant coaching contract for three days a week over three years. Wow, that was a baptism of fire and I had to sharpen my practice very quickly to look after the 50 leaders I was supporting. It was during this time that I invested heavily in further CPD and amongst other things, progressed to being an NLP Master Practioner and Trainer.

My core values underpin everything that I do. Integrity, fairness, professionalism, learning, growth, positivity and connection to name just a few. I hope these shine through in my style and approach when I work with you. I love working with managers and leaders to support them to achieve excellence and progression whilst maintaining health and balance in their personal life, whatever that might be.

I hope as you browse this website that you have a sense of who I am, how I work and what is important to me. The photos offer an insight into how much I love nature, landscape and fresh air (I am still a geography teacher at heart!).

I have published three coaching books, including my own leadership and coaching model, VISION. I’ve also contributed to the Coaching Tools series of books. My current work includes coaching in a wide range of organisations. supervising experienced coaches and also the design and delivery of ILM Coaching and Supervision Qualifications at levels 3, 5 and 7. My CPD packages for newly qualified and experienced coaches are becoming increasingly popular.

I am proud to have worked in the NHS, education and schools, emergency services, local authorities, several charities and a diverse range of companies and enterprises.

When I left teaching in 2002, my first project was to create and take to market a successful professional magazine ‘Teaching Expertise’. With subscribers worldwide, I subsequently sold the publication to Electric Word PLC and briefly worked for them in London as editor. I was also a judge for the National Teaching Awards. It was during the development of the magazine and its associated conference, that I began my coaching skills training – the rest as they say, is history.

My first coaching contract in 2008, was to provide leadership coaching for 50 FastTrack teachers (National College for School Leadership) in the west region. This three-year period shaped my coaching practice, due to the requirement to adhere to a robust leadership coaching framework, regular quality inspections, attention to key outcomes and a focus on delivering strategic business critical projects in over forty schools. As a result, I developed an eye for detail and the delivery of clear coaching objectives, plus an ever-growing coaching toolkit.

I am privileged to work with a massive variety of wonderful clients. Once a teacher, always a teacher and I am so lucky to be able to share much of what I have learnt over the years and give back. I take my role as an educator of coaches very seriously. Not only is it energising and rewarding to train coaches, I am also aware of the responsibility given to me in this space for supporting the next generation of coaches into ethical and professional practice.

You might like to read more about my other business inspired2learn. In 2002 I established inspired2learn with my husband and initially, we helped a range of organisations with leadership and management training, including CMI qualifications. Coaching qualifications followed soon after and when Barrie retired in 2022, we decided to close our CMI center. Inspired2learn now concentrates solely on our expertise in delivering ILM qualifications in coaching, mentoring and supervision.

Clare’s Coaching Ethos

Why bother investing in coaching?

I believe that my role as your coach is to ask you questions that nobody else would ask you – this can be achieved through a variety of approaches and coaching tools and it’s definitely not a case of one size fits all! Coaching should be challenging and supportive. I love using different approaches and methodologies for each client and my focus will truly be on you. What do you want to have happen? what are your strengths and what might be holding you back? What is under your control and how can I support you to be at your best?

I uphold the Global Code of Ethics and regularly have both group and 1:1 supervision.

Clare’s qualifications

ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring
Professional Certificate in Supervision – Henley Business School (University of Reading)
NLP Master Practitioner & Trainer (INLPTA)
MiRo Behaviour Modes Practitioner
Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Geography & PE)
BA (Hons) Geography

Professional Memberships

European Mentoring and Coaching Council

Accredited Master Coach
Accredited Supervisor
Global Coach of the Year 2023

Association for Coaching

Personal member and training organisation member
CPD Hours Program recognition
Coach Training Accreditation approval at Award, Certificate, and Advanced Diploma levels

Global Supervisor Network member

ANLP – trainer member
Royal Society for the Arts – Fellow
Institute of Leadership – Fellow
Chartered Management Institute – Member

Testimonials - people like you who have been inspired to fulfil their potential.

★★★★★ 5/5

“I’ve finally done it! I’ve got a director role in another authority…. so after 25 years I leave my job and start there in January. I am very excited. Thank you so much for your coaching!”

“I was offered coaching by my organisation following a promotion to senior leadership which involved a large jump up the ladder with little preparation. Coaching with Clare has been unbelievably valuable. External coaching was offered to stretch and support me in my new role with confidentiality and without judgement. After three sessions, Clare’s coaching has massively guided my thinking.”