The Progress Group

Employee appointment  ·  The Progress Group
Paula Thompson Appointed Chief Operating Officer of Progress Education

Progress Education, the education division of The Progress Group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Thompson as Chief Operating Officer for Future Pathways. Paula brings extensive leadership experience in education, careers guidance and marketing, and will oversee Progress Careers, Progress Futures, Progress Community and Progress Connect, brands that are designed to expand opportunities and life chances for young people.

With a rich background as Managing Director and Careers Executive at Progress Careers and senior roles in leading institutions, Paula has consistently championed high-impact, evidence-based careers advice for young people. Her qualifications include a postgraduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and masters in career development at Nottingham Trent University.

This appointment comes as the latest Youth Census and ONS data shows that almost 13% of young people aged 16-24 in the UK—around a million individuals—are classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), with figures increasing over the past year. The Youth Voice Census underscores how NEET young people report the lowest confidence levels; fewer than a third feel informed about employer expectations, and roughly 40% don’t believe they have the qualifications needed to get started in work.

Through Progress Connect, Paula will drive new partnerships and targeted support, ensuring vulnerable and disadvantaged young people receive tailored, sustained help to re-engage in education, training, or employment. The programme seeks to reduce barriers, build employability, and deliver clear progression pathways for those at risk of becoming or remaining NEET.

National and local political initiatives have highlighted the urgent need to improve skills and employability provision, with new statutory requirements for high-quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) in schools and the roll-out of the government’s National Skills Drive. Expanding and innovating provision in this area is essential to meet demand and to address long-term social mobility and labour market needs – and that’s just what Progress Careers aims to do within schools and Progress Futures within the post-16 space.

Jayne Worthington, Group CEO of The Progress Group said:

“We are delighted that Paula will be taking the reins of our future pathway brands as Chief Operating Officer. Her deep expertise and commitment to evidence-led careers guidance will be crucial as we support more young people to develop the life skills, confidence, and vision they need to progress and thrive in a changing world. At a time when the number of NEET young people is rising, our work has never been more vital.”

Paula added:

“I am honoured to step into this role at this important juncture. We are facing a situation where the number of young people with additional needs is rising, coupled with increased numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training. We believe that now is the time to act. We want to build strong partnerships and targeted solutions to help young people, especially those most at risk, that helps to develop the confidence, skills and opportunities they need to succeed.”

The Progress Group
The Progress Group Recognised as One of the Top 200 Women-Powered U.K. Businesses

The Progress Group is thrilled to announce its inclusion in the prestigious “Top 200 Women-Powered U.K. Businesses Report” from J.P. Morgan Private Bank for 2025. This annual report celebrates organisations across the United Kingdom that exemplify the power of women’s leadership, significant impact, and remarkable growth, innovation, and social value.

At the helm is Jayne Worthington, who joined as Deputy CEO in 2019 before becoming Group CEO in 2020, succeeding founder and former MD Sandra Kirkham. Jayne has built upon a strong foundation, accelerating the organisation’s growth and expanding its positive influence. Under her leadership, The Progress Group’s Senior Leadership Team is now predominantly female, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to gender parity and opportunity at every level.

Over the past five years, The Progress Group has driven strategic growth through acquisitions, including Grey Matter Learning, AC Education, and MyWorkMode (now collectively known as Flourish), and the recent acquisition of Nugent House School (now Progress Arc). These actions have significantly broadened The Progress Group’s provision and sectoral impact in education and training.

Official Companies House records and independent reviews confirm that The Progress Group continues to achieve strong financial results, with sustained turnover growth and year-on-year expansion. Importantly, social value analysis illustrates that for every £1 invested, the organisation creates £4.09 in social value—demonstrating a purposeful and innovative approach to business.

The Group has also been recognised by The Times as one of the 100 Best Places to Work for two consecutive years—a testament to the commitment to people, culture, and excellence that has defined The Progress Group during Jayne’s tenure.

Celebrating the achievement, Jayne Worthington commented:

“I am immensely proud of this achievement. To be benchmarked against some of the leading businesses across the UK in the Top 200 Women-Powered Businesses Report is testament to the passion and dedication of our team. Together, we have shown what’s possible when we put purpose, people and progress at the heart of everything we do. This recognition inspires us to keep breaking new ground and making an even greater impact for our learners, communities and future leaders.”

The Progress Group’s inclusion in the J.P. Morgan Top 200 Women-Powered U.K. Businesses cements its status as a national leader in women-powered business, social innovation, and inclusive growth—setting the pace for sector-wide impact in the years ahead.

For more information about The Progress Group, visit theprogress-group.co.uk.

Progress Arc
Award winning  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group Expands Specialist Education Provision with Addition of Nugent House School

The Progress Group, a leading education and training specialist, has expanded its specialist provision with the addition of Nugent House School, an independent special school previously operated by Nugent.

Located in St Helens, Nugent House School supports mixed‑gender pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), where the primary identified need is Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH). Becoming part of The Progress Group will ensure stability, continuity of care, and access to a wider range of specialist resources for pupils and staff.

Jayne Worthington, CEO of The Progress Group, said:

“We are incredibly proud that Nugent chose us to be the custodians of Nugent House School. As two organisations with strongly aligned values, we are confident this move will unlock further opportunities for the young people we serve. The addition strengthens our presence in St Helens and reinforces our position as a national leader in inclusive education.”

Jo Henney, Chief Executive of Nugent, added:

“Our priority has always been the welfare of pupils and staff. The Progress Group shares our vision and commitment to high‑quality provision, and we are confident they will build on the school’s strong legacy.”

From September 2025, Nugent House School will be renamed Progress Arc and join Progress Education — the newly launched education arm of The Progress Group. Progress Education’s distinctive “education biosphere” model takes a holistic approach that nurtures academic, social, and vocational growth, helping raise attainment, boost social mobility, and close the skills gap.

Award winning  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group Named As A Top Place To Work By The Sunday Times Best 100 Places To Work

The Progress Group has been named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for 2025 — marking a second year of national recognition for its standout workplace culture and commitment to colleague wellbeing.

This prestigious list, powered by employee engagement experts WorkL, celebrates companies across the UK that go above and beyond to create exceptional working environments. The Progress Group, a leader in the education and training sector, achieved an impressive 78% Workplace Happiness Score in the 2024 WorkL survey, reinforcing the Group’s dedication to empowering and supporting its people.

“At The Progress Group, our people are at the heart of everything we do,” said Jayne Worthington, Group CEO. “Being recognised again by The Sunday Times is a testament to the values we live by every day — care, compassion, and opportunity. It’s our belief that to truly change lives through education and training, we must first support the people who make that change happen”.

In the past 12 months alone, The Progress Group, which includes subsidiary brands Progress Schools, Progress Careers, Complete Skills Solutions and Flourish has launched new initiatives such as a Summer Friday Flex scheme. This initiative, that was trialled across four Fridays last Summer, was a roaring success, with 102 days/382.5 hours of time being gifted to colleagues, helping boost their wellbeing.

There has also been a key focus on Mental Health and wellbeing for the 200+ colleague base, with free Menopause Cafes and menopause training being made available, online meditation sessions offered to all colleagues and Group-wide initiatives for Blue Monday and Mental Health Awareness Week taking place.

And to support colleagues professionally, The Progress Group and its subsidiaries also invested an average of £3,500 per colleague on training and development between 2023-2024.

But never ones to stand still, the group of education and training specialists plans to launch new colleague initiatives in the coming months including an enhanced Summer Friday Flex scheme, ‘Duvet Days’ to banish any blues, and additional perks that reward long service.

This strong commitment to supporting colleagues’ personal and professional development is a true testament to the ethos of the Group, that colleagues come first, always.

The Progress Group Named As A Top Place To Work By The Sunday Times Best 100 Places To Work
Award winning  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group Named As A Top Place To Work By The Sunday Times Best 100 Places To Work

Liverpool headquartered education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have recently been named in The Sunday Times Best 100 Places To Work for medium sized businesses. The accolade, which is on the back of a national survey and benchmarking analysis, celebrates employers who prioritise making their workplace happy and healthy places to be. Recognised for their competitive employee perks such as extended maternity and paternity pay, life assurance, flexible working, retail discounts and much more, The Progress Group places colleague happiness front and center.

With a Group-wide head count of over 200, The Progress Group is made up of five education and training businesses, each of which share the same purpose and values. This shared purpose creates a strong sense of belonging as every colleague, regardless of age, seniority, or length of service, are all striving to achieve the same thing, to change lives through the power of education and training. The Group-wide values define a set of behaviours embraced by all colleagues and these are embedded into the culture of the business through peer recognition schemes and appraisals.

The strong sense of culture, purpose and recognition was reflected in the annual employee feedback scores, conducted, and analysed by WorkL. The employee engagement survey found that 94% of colleagues enjoyed their job. Confidence in management ranked at 86% against an industry benchmark of 74%, and 88% of colleagues felt that their achievements were celebrated.

The Progress Group CEO Jayne Worthington said:

“I am immensely proud of this achievement. To be benchmarked against some of the leading businesses across the UK and recognised as one of those who is leading the way in workplace satisfaction is incredible, and a true testament to the value we place on our colleague’s happiness.

“The list is made up of companies who promote the likes of a healthy work-life balance, a positive culture and strong professional development opportunities, and that’s us to a tee. We have worked incredibly hard to build an organisation where our people are front and foremost, because I genuinely believe that without them constantly striving to deliver excellence, we will not succeed. Our people are our engine room, and we invest in them so that they can invest in each and every one of our learners or students.

“We’re now setting our sights on making it into the top 10 for our size next year.”

Rachel Tully, The Progress Group
Business Growth  ·  The Progress Group
Progress People: Rachel Tully, our talented Head of People

Leading the charge as Head of People for The Progress Group is Rachel Tully, a passionate and driven professional who is as dedicated to supporting our colleagues as she is her family. From her full-time role as People lead to completing a level 5 Chartered Institute of Personnel Development apprenticeship, there’s no stopping this modern-day superhero.

Outside of work, Rachel has her twin, 4-year-old boys to keep her on her toes, as well as her two French bulldogs, who she says were “my babies before my babies”. With a jampacked household, Rachel and her wife, Katie, often joke “our house is like Noah’s ark, there’s two of everything”.

When we sat down with Rachel, she discussed how she ended up at The Progress Group, saying “As I’ve gotten older, my career has evolved with my family. I’ve chosen to take roles that have allowed me to balance my life outside of work with my work, which is exactly what The Progress Group allows.”

With a strong background in retail that spans 21 years, Rachel has developed a solid understanding of HR and honed her people skills. Through working a variety of roles, from Checkout Operator to Administrative roles, to People and Operations, she solidified her skills and gained a multitude of experiences that she draws on in her current role. This breadth of knowledge has given Rachel the ability to see a different or unique perspective than most would have, “I think and react to things in a different way, which is great, diversity gives us strength.”

Rachel made the decision to leave retail as she wanted a role that would allow for her to have more time to spend with her family. Her wife, Katie, who worked at Progress Schools at the time, recommended a role within The Progress Group, which aligned with work she had previously done. The role also offered more flexibility and weekends off to spend time with her boys, making it, as Rachel put, “the right fit”.

Currently, Rachel is the Head of People, responsible for developing the People Strategy for the Group and its subsidiaries, she works closely with colleagues to create an environment where we can champion better working lives for all.  This means looking after the entire colleague life cycle from attraction to exit, alongside her team, which includes recruitment, payroll, assets, and more. She also ensures that we have policies and processes in place that support our colleague to be able to do their best work. 

Rachel really champions the work she does for the Group and discussed how she feels supported by her manager and colleagues, a must for her optimal working environment. Rachel gushed about those around her, saying “our colleagues are sensational, they work hard to ensure that our customers, students, and learners get the best possible service and experience from us daily, in what can be challenging circumstances, and they are all really nice people too, which helps”.

A big advocate for working at The Progress Group, Rachel says she “would and I have” recommended roles to others. She describes the work as “so rewarding”, even though originally this wasn’t a motivating factor for why she applied for the role. However, since working at The Progress Group, she says this is an added bonus to the role, saying, “it is really inspiring what our collective achieves”. And being the Head of People, she had to discuss our colleagues, stating “because of the people who work here” as her main reason for recommending the business to others, describing them as hardworking and genuine.

One for living in the moment, Rachel said she’s “never had a 5-year plan”, but her goals for the next year are to complete her level 5 apprenticeship. Afterwards, she wants to use the skills and knowledge gained to make The Progress Group an even better place to work for everyone. Her motto from day one has always been, “do a great day’s work today” and she lives by this, evident from the admiration of her colleagues and recognition received from external awarding bodies who recently awarded her with The Sue Thompson Level 5 CIPD Award.

When we quizzed her on how she felt when she found out that she had swooped the award, she said:

“I was astonished when I heard that I had been nominated for the award, I was and still am genuinely honoured that time was taken to consider me. When I won, I was elated! It’s a testament to everyone around me that’s enabled me to do great work; from my family who support me unconditionally, to my colleagues, who make it a great place to be, to my line manager, who understands what I need and supports me to be my best, but also to me, who works full time, who has a wife, 2 little boys and 2 dogs to keep me busy outside of work. I work hard to balance all of that, and the award just cements that I’m doing an OK job of it.”

And what’s next for this talented individual? Well, she’s already set her sights on going on to complete her Level 7 CIPD in Strategic People Management at some point in the future. Rachel is an asset to The Progress Group, a true leader who optimises our values in abundance, and we are so proud that she has received the recognition she truly deserves.

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Business Growth  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group generates over thirty-eight million pounds of social value

Leading education and training specialists, The Progress Group, are on a mission to change lives through the power of education and training. Underpinning this mission is understanding the value of the outcomes and impacts they have, and the extent to which they have transformed lives.

For the past three years The Progress Group have commissioned the services of The Connectives, to independently audit and analyse the interventions and outcomes of the organisation’s combined activities and quantifying these using the Social Return on Investment methodology. This gives an independent evaluation into each of the Group’s businesses and how they are achieving their purpose.

The results are nothing short of incredible.

Between April 2021 – March 2022, The Progress Group generated £38,102,368 of social value across all business units. They saved the public purse over £16,052,932 via their support helping to prevent young people from becoming NEET, getting individuals back into work and working with offenders to help rehabilitate them via their prison education programme to name just a few. Perhaps the most incredible value is the £4.09 of social value generated for every £1 spent across the organisation, meaning that for every £1 invested in one of their services, The Progress Group are collectively producing £4.09 in value.

The Progress Group CEO, Jayne Worthington said:

“We have always known that we make a significant difference to people’s lives through each of our education and training businesses, but each year when we received our social accounts, I was blown away. Not only are we transforming the lives of the people we work with, but we are also supporting communities and generating significant savings for the public purse.

“I am passionate about our purpose; it’s why we exist and ingrained in our DNA. But seeing incredible impacts like these in black and white is totally game changing. It reminds me of the importance of what we do, from supporting some of the most vulnerable young people who simply cannot thrive in mainstream schooling at Progress Schools, to supporting businesses to recruit, train and retain their best talent; each of our businesses play a vital role in servicing their respective sectors and for that, I am immensely proud.”

The Progress Group is made up of five businesses who work across multiple sectors to support those aged 11+. From impartial careers education, information, advice, and guidance via Progress Careers, to supporting those who are out of work or on a reduced income to get a job or climb the career ladder via Complete Skills Solutions, The Progress Group offer a comprehensive education and training offer to tens of thousands of individuals and thousands of businesses each year. In recent years, they have acquired multi-award-winning eLearning training provider Grey Matter Learning and more recently specialist training provider for education and children’s services AC Education who are leading the way in delivering high-quality, agile, and accessible training solutions for the social care and education sectors.

To read the full social impact report, click here.

The Progress Group welcomes new Financial Controller
Business Growth  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group swoops second acquisition of the year

Award-winning education and training provider, The Progress Group, are ending the year on a high, announcing their second acquisition within seven months.

The acquisition of MyWorkMode, an innovative digital marketplace that connects care providers with qualified care workers in their area, will further strengthen the Group’s scaling digital division.

The deal comes two years after The Progress Group acquired market-leading eLearning training provider, Grey Matter Learning, and just seven months after they added AC Education to their growing portfolio. This latest acquisition is a further step towards vastly enhancing the market offer for the social care sector.

Chief executive of The Progress Group, Jayne Worthington said:

“The addition of MyWorkMode to our digital division comes at a time when we know there is a crisis within the care sector. With scaling costs, a lack of available workers and an aging population, the care sector is under immense pressure. MyWorkMode offers an affordable, accessible, and reliable solution for care providers seeking to source care professionals at short notice, without significant overhead costs.

“With a tried and tested model that instantaneously allows a prospective care provider to find a care worker with the skills and qualifications they need, MyWorkMode can save the care provider up to 30% on fees compared to other recruitment methods. And what’s more, the care worker then often receives a higher rate of pay because the provider can afford to offer this, driving the levels of quality and competitiveness in the market.”

Founder and Operations Director for MyWorkMode, Tatjana Golubovic added: “After growing MyWorkMode through mostly organic activity for the past few years, I am excited to see what the next chapter holds as we join The Progress Group and invest in our platform, systems, and brand recognition.

“Having been in the healthcare sector since 2000, I have first-hand experience of the challenges facing those operating and working within the sector. There are days when providers simply do not have adequate numbers of colleagues available to meet their demands, and that’s why I created MyWorkMode. I wanted to give the sector an intuitive and accessible solution to their staffing challenges, at an affordable cost to the provider.

“We operate in a fair and transparent way and are truly committed to helping to resolve a problem faced by tens of thousands of providers each and every day. I think our company ethos is perfectly harmonised with that of The Progress Group, who pride themselves on changing lives through the power of education and training. I am delighted to be joining forces with them to accelerate the next stage of our evolution and cannot wait to see what the coming months and years brings.”

Charitable Giving  ·  Corporate Social Responsibility  ·  Giving back  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group name The Nursery at Blackburne House as the Charity of the Year

The Progress Group name The Nursery at Blackburne House as the Charity of the Year

Multi award winning education and training organisation, The Progress Group, have today announced The Nursery at Blackburne House as their 2023/24 Charity of the Year. As an organisation which is driven by changing lives through the power of education and training, The Progress Group sought a charitable organisation who shared their passion for transforming lives, and where better than within a nursery setting?

The Nursery at Blackburne House is an Ofsted graded ‘Good’ provider that offers places for up to 36 children aged between 0-5 years of age. The dedicated team of professional’s pride themselves on offering a nurturing and highly supportive environment for young people, some of which have complex emotional and behavioural needs. Their approach to supporting the children in their care is one driven by warmth, compassion, and complete dedication to priding the absolute best support for the child. This approach is perfectly aligned to The Progress Group, who pride themselves on delivering a person-centered learning experience across each of their five businesses.

The Progress Group CEO Jayne Worthington remarked:

“I am elated that we have chosen The Nursery at Blackburne House as our nominated charity for this academic year. I am a massive advocate for early interventions having significant impacts later in life, so to support the nursery hopefully means that we are helping to give their young people the very best opportunities in life.

“Like any charitable organisation, funds are often limited and sparce which means that the ‘nice to haves’ simply cannot happen. But we want to change that for The Nursery at Blackburne House this year by raising funds for various items such as cultural resources and decoration costs to enable the team to give the nursery a makeover. Every penny that we fundraise will make a significant difference to the children who attend the nursery, and that to me is priceless.”

Quick to get started, Progress Schools, one of the subsidiaries of The Progress Group, have already donated £700 to the nursery. Funds which were used for the construction and early reading resources for the children in their preschool rooms.

Blackburne House CEO, Andrea Rushton said:

“Support from organisations such as The Progress Group provides an invaluable assistance to organisations such as our own, and we are particularly excited to work with a company whose values and culture is so aligned to our own.

“We have already welcomed colleagues from The Progress Group to see The Nursery at Blackburne House, and I know that both the nursery staff and progress colleagues have enjoyed learning more about each other and discussing the ways in which The Progress Group plan to support us. From sponsored walks to attending their all-staff conference, we are really looking forward to working alongside them.”

The Nursery at Blackburne House is the latest charity that The Progress Group is supporting, with other organisations supported across the Group including Young Minds, Cancer Research UK and Care Workers Charity to name just a few.

Sumita
Awards  ·  Business Growth  ·  The Progress Group
The Progress Group Secure £200k Innovation Funding to Develop EdTech AI Platform

National education and training specialists, The Progress Group, have successfully secured £200k investment from InnovateUK to develop pioneering digital technology that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to shape a student’s learning and development in alternative provision.

Working with Edge Hill University, Progress Schools, a subsidiary of The Progress Group will build on research and edtech already in development, moving to a new phase of innovation that will create individualised learning for students unlike anything yet created for the sector.

Progress Schools is a nationally based organisation operating 13 independent secondary schools across England, from Tees Valley to High Wycombe. They provide supportive and inspirational teaching to 13-16 year olds at Key Stages 3 and 4 which is appropriate to their individual needs, with the aim of helping to ensure a positive progression post 16 or reintegration back into mainstream education. The organisation specialises in offering alternative provision to students, many of whom have been diagnosed SEND/SEMH (or are awaiting diagnosis), and/or have been excluded from at least one mainstream school.

The Progress Group entered the Innovation Sprint Programme with Edge Hill in November 2021 as part of the ERDF funded LCR High Growth Programme, with the aim of designing and building a commercialisation strategy for Progress Schools, which encompassed an increase in the number of physical schools as well as an introduction of a Virtual Learning Environment for students. This sprint programme was as a direct result of the increased demand for alternative education provision following the Covid-19 pandemic which saw.

a surge in demand for specialist services where the individual needs of students are increasingly complex.  Progress Schools are hoping to harness new technologies to not just cope with demand but improve the student experience and ambition.

Desktop research conducted while working with Edge Hill found an increase of 12% in the number of young people being home schooled following the pandemic.  Market analysis has also shown a high number of fixed and permanent exclusions, especially in the Northwest and Northeast of England. The Northeast for example had a Permanent Exclusion Rate of 0.08 of all students on roll, and a suspension rate of 6.97.  Further data shows that there were 473,300 children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans as of January 2022, an increase of 10% from January 2021.

As part of their partnership work with Edge Hill, The Progress Group developed a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for Progress Schools, enabling them to meet the demands of the sector whilst raising aspirations of young people. The VLE uses data from BKSB and Britannia, along with speech recognition and SSO technology to offer students an immersive and engaging virtual learning solution. Now in the second phase of development thanks to the Knowledge Transfer Partnership funding, the product will use artificial intelligence to help shape personalised learning and delivery, giving the business the opportunity to scale and provide a greater educational experience for students.

Transformation and Innovation Director of The Progress Group, Sumita Chopra, said of the investment.

“Our students are diverse in their needs and learning styles, and a native digital generation.  Therefore, we need to use technology to create innovative education solutions that will appeal to generation alpha and enable those young people to build ambition and achieve their potential.

“Artificial intelligence can help us to advance our technical capabilities much faster, and we are excited for the next phase of development for our virtual learning environment.

“Already we’ve been able to improve the quality of education provided to our students by connecting them with subject experts digitally.  Our new technology will allow us to advance and personalise their learning experience, inevitably supporting them to be more engaged with their education and take charge of their future.”

Through digitising their offering Progress Schools will be able to work with students beyond the physical classroom, to support those being home-schooled and even in time, those in the likes of youth offending settings.

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