COACHER for Development Coaches
A strong progress review should do more than fill a form. It should create a meaningful discussion, pull out clear examples, surface barriers, link learning to the workplace, and give the AI enough rich detail to generate a fuller and more useful Progress Review report.
Use COACHER as your progress review crib sheet
If the discussion is too vague, the report will be too vague. Use this structure to guide the conversation, ask better follow-up questions, and draw out the kind of detail that leads to stronger reviews and more meaningful action planning.
Check Progress
Start by building a clear picture of where the apprentice is right now.
- How do you feel things have gone since the last review?
- What are you most pleased with?
- Where do you feel behind or less confident?
- What has improved since we last met?
Observe Learning
Focus on actual learning, not just attendance or completion.
- What have you learned recently?
- What knowledge, skills or behaviours have developed?
- What topic or task has stood out most to you?
- What do you understand better now than before?
Ask for Evidence
Push for examples that the AI can turn into meaningful narrative.
- Can you give me an example from work?
- What tasks, assignments or activities show that progress?
- What have you done since the last review that links to your apprenticeship?
- Where have you applied your learning in practice?
Clarify Barriers
Be clear on what is genuinely getting in the way.
- What has been the biggest challenge since the last review?
- Is it time, confidence, workload, understanding, or support?
- Where are you getting stuck most often?
- What is stopping you from moving forward faster?
Help Shape Solutions
Turn problems into practical support and action.
- What would help you most right now?
- What support do you need from me, your employer, or your peers?
- What changes could make things more manageable?
- What can we put in place before the next review?
Explore Employer Input
Make sure the workplace link is discussed properly.
- How is your line manager supporting you?
- What opportunities have you had to apply learning at work?
- What support are you getting from the workplace right now?
- What more do you need from your employer?
Review Readiness
Finish with clarity around readiness, priorities and next steps.
- How confident do you feel about what comes next?
- What gaps still need closing?
- What should your main priorities be before the next review?
- What specific actions are we agreeing today?
Questions that lead to better AI-written reviews
The AI can only build from what is actually said in the review. Strong reports come from specific, reflective answers. Weak reports come from one-word replies, generic comments, or moving on too quickly.
Ask for examples
- Can you give me an example of that?
- What did that look like in your role?
- What actually happened?
Ask for impact
- What difference did that make?
- How has that helped you at work?
- What changed as a result?
Ask for reflection
- Why do you think that went well?
- What would you do differently next time?
- What have you learned from that?
Ask for specifics
- Which topic was that linked to?
- Which piece of work are you referring to?
- When did you use that in the workplace?
Ask about support
- What support have you had?
- What support are you missing?
- What should happen next to help you move forward?
Ask about confidence
- How confident do you feel in this area now?
- What still feels difficult?
- What do you feel least ready for at the moment?
What the coach should make sure gets covered
Progress and current position
- A clear sense of whether the apprentice is on track, ahead, or behind
- What has improved since the last review
- Any areas still slipping or causing concern
KSBs and real learning
- Specific knowledge, skills and behaviours discussed in the review
- Examples of how learning links to the standard and the job role
- Evidence of application, not just completion
OTJ hours and quality of learning activity
- How many hours have been completed
- What those hours were spent on
- Whether OTJ is meaningful, planned and sustainable
Safeguarding, wellbeing and pastoral check-in
- Any wellbeing concerns affecting progress
- Any safeguarding or health and safety concerns
- Whether the apprentice feels safe, supported and able to continue
English, maths, British values, Prevent and EDI
- Natural examples from work or learning where these can be discussed
- A real conversation rather than a rushed tick-box exercise
Employer involvement
- Whether the line manager is engaged
- What workplace support is happening in practice
- Any missed opportunities to strengthen employer input
Readiness and action planning
- How ready the apprentice feels for what comes next
- What gaps remain
- Clear, specific, measurable next steps with ownership
Phrases that improve the conversation
To deepen a point
- Tell me a bit more about that.
- Talk me through that example.
- What do you mean by that in practice?
To challenge gently
- What is the main reason that has not moved forward?
- What has stopped that happening so far?
- What needs to change before the next review?
To create ownership
- What will you commit to doing next?
- What would a good next month look like?
- What should we hold you accountable for by next time?
To link learning to work
- Where have you used that in your role?
- How does that connect to your workplace?
- What would your manager say has improved?
Final reminder for coaches
A better conversation creates a better report. If you want the AI-generated Progress Review to be fuller, more accurate and more useful, the apprentice needs room to reflect and you need to draw out detail, examples, barriers, support needs and next steps.
Use COACHER as your structure and treat it as a guide, not a script.