Coaching, an apprentice-based approach to support professional and personal development towards achieving set goals, is a well-established practice in the fields of sports training and management and one of the fastest growing professional development methods in the education field. How the coaching partnership fosters leadership and improves practices that directly impact on the social/emotional development of students and their academic achievement is of interest to educators, policy makers and school communities alike. Recent findings have started to define the type of leadership that results from a coaching partnership, the lasting benefits on teaching quality and the positive impact on student performance. By reviewing and reflecting on the current literature on this apprenticeship approach, this article explores strengths and strategies that could further contribute to the organization of schools around high learning outcomes for all students while fostering leadership and accountability at the management, classroom and student levels.