When young people in Birmingham are given the right tools, the right environment, and someone who genuinely believes in them, they grow. That is the heart of YouthMAX coaching Birmingham, the group leadership development programme I deliver in schools, sixth forms, and youth organisations across the city. YouthMAX is built on John Maxwell’s proven leadership principles, adapted for young people aged 13 to 18. It is not a one-off talk or a motivational assembly. It is a structured, session-by-session programme that gives young people a real framework for understanding themselves, leading others, and making better decisions. As a life coach in Birmingham, certified by the John Maxwell Team, with over 10 years’ experience working with teens and schools, this programme sits at the core of what I do. My work has been featured in IE Today Magazine, Connections Radio, and The Sylbourne TV show.
What YouthMAX Is
YouthMAX is a structured group leadership development curriculum designed specifically for young people. It is not individual coaching. It is not a classroom lesson. It is a facilitated group experience where participants work through John Maxwell’s leadership principles together, applying them to the real situations young people face: friendship dynamics, peer pressure, identity, how to handle failure, and how to contribute positively to a group.
The curriculum covers five core areas:
- Self-leadership — understanding your own values, strengths, and what drives you
- Decision-making under pressure — a practical framework for choosing well when it matters
- Communication and listening — how to speak clearly, listen actively, and resolve conflict
- Leading peers — what it means to influence others without authority
- Character and values — why who you are matters more than what you achieve
Sessions are interactive. Young people discuss, reflect, and complete structured activities. They are not passive. By the end of the programme, participants have not just heard about leadership — they have practised it in a safe, supported setting.
The John Maxwell Foundation
John Maxwell is one of the world’s most respected leadership thinkers. His 5 Levels of Leadership framework — Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Pinnacle — forms the backbone of YouthMAX, adapted into language and scenarios that make sense for a 16-year-old navigating school life.
Maxwell’s core conviction is that leadership is not a title; it is influence. That principle is as important at 16 as it is at 40. When a young person learns that they already have the capacity to influence the people around them, and that developing that capacity is a choice they can make, it changes how they see themselves.
As a certified member of the John Maxwell Team, I have completed formal training in applying Maxwell’s principles to coaching and group facilitation. My work through leadership coaching with adults drew me to YouthMAX because the same character-first approach that transforms leaders in organisations also transforms young people in schools.
Who YouthMAX Is For
The programme is well suited to:
- Student leaders and prefects who have been given responsibility but have not yet received structured development to go with it
- Sixth-form cohorts preparing to step into leadership roles at university or in employment
- School councils looking to operate more effectively as a team
- Young people identified by staff as having leadership potential who would benefit from a structured programme rather than individual coaching alone
Importantly, YouthMAX is also appropriate for young people who do not yet see themselves as leaders. One of the most consistent things I hear from participants at the end of the programme is that they did not think it would apply to them. A significant part of what YouthMAX does is expand the room: who gets to think “leadership is for me”? The answer should be far more young people than currently believe it.
For young people working through personal challenges alongside leadership development, teen life coaching offers a one-to-one alternative that may be a better starting point.
How the Programme Is Delivered
YouthMAX sessions are delivered in person at your school or organisation in Birmingham. Groups typically consist of 6 to 10 young people, which is intentional: small enough for everyone to contribute, large enough for real group dynamics to emerge.
Sessions run for 60 to 90 minutes each and are delivered weekly or fortnightly depending on what works within your timetable. Most schools run the programme over 6 to 8 sessions, giving enough time for the curriculum to build and for participants to develop trust in the group.
What the school or organisation needs to provide is straightforward: a private room, the group of young people, and a named staff member or safeguarding lead who is available at the site during sessions. I handle the facilitation, the materials, and all session planning.
I am DBS checked and operate to current safeguarding standards throughout. If you have specific safeguarding requirements or policies, I am happy to discuss these before we agree how the programme will run. For more information about working with schools, visit the schools page or read about school coaching programmes in Birmingham.
What Participants Develop
By the end of a YouthMAX programme, participants consistently report:
- A clearer sense of their own values — they can articulate what matters to them and why
- Improved communication skills — particularly listening, which most had not considered a learnable skill before
- Experience of leading peers in structured activities — not just being told they have potential, but actually exercising it
- Greater confidence in group settings — the ability to contribute without waiting to be picked
- A decision-making framework — a practical approach to thinking through choices, especially under social pressure
These are not abstract outcomes. They are the specific things young people tell me they are carrying forward. And they are the things teachers and youth workers tell me they observe after the programme: young people who are more self-aware, more willing to listen, and more confident in taking initiative.
The development mirrors what I see in the leadership coaching work I do with adults — the principles are consistent, because good leadership always starts from the inside out.
Frequently Asked Questions About YouthMAX
How is YouthMAX different from PSHE?
PSHE is a curriculum subject delivered to whole classes by teaching staff, covering a broad range of health, relationship, and life skills topics. YouthMAX is a facilitated group experience, not a lesson. It is delivered to a small group of 6 to 10 young people by an external coach, and the content is interactive rather than instructional. Participants are active contributors to every session, not passive recipients of information. The focus is on developing leadership character from the inside out, not on meeting curriculum objectives.
Is YouthMAX appropriate for young people who are not confident?
Yes, and in practice some of the most significant growth I see through YouthMAX comes from young people who did not walk in thinking of themselves as leaders. One of the core things the programme does is expand who gets to think that leadership applies to them. The small group format and structured activities create a safe environment for quieter participants to contribute and lead in ways that might feel impossible in a classroom.
How much does YouthMAX cost?
Pricing depends on the size of the group, the number of sessions, and the location. I do not publish standard rates because I want to make sure the structure fits your organisation before we discuss investment. The best way to find out is through an initial conversation, which carries no obligation. Get in touch and we can talk about what the programme would look like for your school or youth group specifically.
Can YouthMAX be run alongside individual teen coaching?
Yes. Some young people benefit from both. YouthMAX works on leadership development in a group context; individual coaching addresses personal goals, confidence, and specific challenges in a one-to-one setting. The two approaches are complementary and some schools and families run both in the same term. If you are unsure which is the right starting point, teen life coaching explains what one-to-one work with young people looks like, and an initial conversation can help you decide.
How to Enquire About YouthMAX
If you are a school leader, head of year, pastoral lead, or youth organisation coordinator and you would like to explore whether YouthMAX is right for your group, the first step is a conversation.
There is no obligation. I will ask about your young people, what you are hoping they will gain, and how a programme might fit into what you are already doing. From there, we can work out a structure and timeline that suits your organisation.
Get in touch via the contact page, by phone on 07505 784546, or by email at info@ovpcoaching.co.uk. You can also read more about my work with young people through teen life coaching and on the schools page.
Leadership development does not have to wait until adulthood. The young people who learn to lead well now, with real support, are the ones who will lead well for the rest of their lives.