Learning to plant the seeds for future growth

“When I saw the course at Greenwich Business School, I thought it would be like a university lecturer and loads of writing, nothing practical.” 

The reality was very different. 

“Going through the models, there was always something that I would come back and apply to my business. I think the practical aspects of this were very, very good.” 

One of the most significant lessons came through work on mission, vision and values. 

Gloria revisited the principles behind School2U and realised that the company was providing more than an educational programme. Its work gives young people who had disengaged from school a sense of hope and belonging, helping them to find a route back into education. 

“That changed the whole idea of School2U. So, now we’re not seeing ourselves as, ‘Oh, we’re just delivering a programme.’ This is actually an infrastructure that supports young people who are disengaged.” 

The shift changed how Gloria thought about the organisation, its purpose and the people she needed to work with. 

“If we hadn’t attended the course, I think we’d have just stuck with this is just a provider or a practice provider, as compared to it being an infrastructure.” 

The course also gave Gloria a more structured approach to managing the business. 

Before the course, she describes her workload as one long to-do list. A strategy model helped her separate the different strands of running and growing the organisation, including finance, people, growth and impact. 

The change helped Gloria identify where she was spending too much time and where other areas of the company needed greater attention. 

By allocating specific time to each area, she says she has been able to work more efficiently and save time. 

Another important change has been Gloria’s approach to external support. 

The course’s mentoring and wider network have helped her become more confident about identifying what support she needs and asking for it. 

“I’ve got more confidence in asking for help and also being clear as to what help I need and what it looks like.” 

That clarity has helped School2U access new expertise and contacts. Gloria says she has been able to move more quickly rather than spending weeks trying to work everything out herself. 

The support has continued beyond the formal course. Mentoring sessions were particularly valuable, while the wider network has provided opportunities to connect with other businesses and specialists. 

For Gloria, a more important outcome has been putting the right foundations in place. 

The organisation has designed a blueprint for the infrastructure it wants to build and is now seeking funding to pilot it.  

The new positioning has also opened doors. School2U has received a formal letter of academic support from the University of Bath’s Connected Belonging team and has already held a meeting with the Department for Education. The next goal is to establish a local authority partnership and secure funding for the pilot. 

Gloria believes the course has helped her understand not just what she needs to do, but where she needs to focus her time and investment to create an organisation with the potential to grow. 

“It’s gone from a business that was centred on me to a business that should outgrow me.” 

That is the ambition behind the next phase of School2U. To create a company with the structure, values and partnerships to make a lasting difference to young people who have become disengaged from education. 

And for Gloria, the course has provided the foundations to make that possible. 

Find out more about the Help to Grow: Management Course here.