Make your weaknesses your strengths

Group CEO, Ruth Minhall, of Kent-based Tuition Extra Group, provides exceptional education programs for 4 to 25-year-olds with special educational or complicated requirements who cannot attend regular schools. These needs often manifest as behavioral and mental health issues, anxiety, school refusal, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The company promotes innovative thinking and aims to eliminate obstacles to learning, believing that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the potential to improve their life opportunities and become more effective learners.

In 2013, Ruth singlehandedly founded her business with a fresh response to inclusive educational opportunities for children, especially those with neuro-diverse profiles who might otherwise struggle to flourish in a mainstream schooling system. With her business expertise and understanding of education, she created the Tuition Extra Group. A decade on, the company has 150 staff members with plans to grow its impact throughout the UK, supporting and influencing government policies on inclusive education.

Ruth has always believed in meaningful student outcomes that reflect true progression and achievement. Facilitating this success with students in her care can be challenging, particularly for those who struggle to engage or present with trauma responses. Combining wellbeing and emotional development for academic success helps to remove barriers to learning; the result is outstanding grades and aspirational outcomes.

The company has three branches: the Tuition Extra tutoring service, the Maypole Farm animal therapy and vocational site, and the Haven Nook independent special school. These services work cohesively to support students, staff, and families. Ruth has also started a charity, The Maypole Foundation, to help at-risk youth and support animal rescue and environmental initiatives. Tuition Extra focuses on meeting children's needs and helping them to overcome learning obstacles to achieve personal growth, well-being and academic success. The staff at Tuition Extra prioritize the individual's well-being using therapeutic interventions and emotional development strategies to achieve academic excellence.

Ruth became a leader after struggling in school with her unique way of thinking. With an ADHD and dyslexic profile, she had a challenging time focusing and applying information in a traditional way. As a girl, this undermined her academic confidence and made her question her capabilities and intelligence. Rather than giving up, she kept pushing herself, seeing the difficulties and barriers as a personal challenge to overcome while learning to apply her creative mindset to solutions and alternative pathways of learning. Despite encountering obstacles and even receiving ridicule from a teacher, she persevered and sought assistance from a fellow teen named Joss. This childhood friend helped Ruth to make sense of her ideas and her thinking processes, recommending strategies, one of which was to read her work aloud to improve her syntax. This small step had a huge impact, leading to exam success and a school English prize. Ruth believes that failure is an important part of success and she encourages others to learn from their mistakes and to keep trying; true leaders represent resilience and are brave and creative in overcoming obstacles.

As a live singer and recording artist, Ruth has maintained a strong passion for world travel and music throughout her life. She has worked in various roles across industry in different countries and cultures. Despite a busy schedule, she continues to work on music projects to satisfy her creative desires while also dedicating her time to raising her son and supporting animal welfare through her charity, The Maypole Foundation. Ruth's passion for animals drives her commitment to helping vulnerable individuals and creating positive change in the world, particularly for those without a voice. Her relationship with her rescue horses resonates this - enabling these sensitive creatures to become therapy animals for students, begins with a foundation of appreciation, respect and trust. The horses in turn extend this understanding to the young people in her care. It is an enriching experience for all!

Marion, Ruth's mother, encouraged Ruth to launch her company and take risks. Her parents taught her the value of preparation, having a clear plan, working collaboratively with others, trusting herself, focusing on the solution, and thinking big! Her strategic ability and a strong drive to 'close' and succeed contribute to her success in achieving goals. While she can be somewhat obsessed with her work, her team of talented co-workers has helped to bring her ideas to life. Ruth jokes that she is the one driving everyone to success on a crazy adventure bus! Her team trusts her direction and leadership. This mutual trust and respect have led to impressive growth, echoing the company’s mantra, ‘Stronger Together.’

Ruth believes that teamwork, communication and learning from mistakes are important for organizations to do well. It is critical for employees to be honest and accountable for actions and outcomes while working in a supportive and transparent environment. Company structure, as well as clear roles and responsibilities within an organization, are vital components for healthy growth. Additionally, managers need to be skilled and supported in order to excel within their jobs. This takes strategic preparation and workforce investment to build long term and sustainable development. Ruth's company sets flexible goals, harnessing a strategic and ambitious vision that places value on the wealth of professionalism and experience of her co-workers. She trusts her instincts, taking smart risks that embrace her style of decisive leadership while empowering her management team's abilities. By embracing her visionary proclivities, Ruth is able to transform inspirational thinking into action, effectively moving concepts to reality. This energy is exciting, if somewhat unnerving at times!

Tuition Extra responds to students’ abilities, interests and needs, succeeding where others fail by fostering an attitude of innovation, aspiration and courage for fresh thinking within the workplace. Ruth attributes the organization's incredible impact to their amazing students, who remain central to the company's growth and all that it has achieved. Everything that Ruth and her team do is centered on supporting young people and their goals, as well as challenging life chances to make young lives better. The company’s ethos matches the beliefs and aspirations of its diverse and talented staff, building a connected sense of purpose.

To be a successful leader, Ruth recognizes the importance of sharing the company's values and goals with her team, of cheering them on when they do well, and of putting people first. Investment in training, building trust and expertise amongst staff, and ensuring that each person has a clear role helps to maintain organizational health while positively impacting young lives.

The simplicity of Tuition Extra Group's business approach is a competitively distinguishing factor that has helped the company build strong links with local government authorities. An accountable, supportive and expansive mindset continues to drive the business.

Like many successful CEOs, Ruth has made mistakes, but crucially, she has learned from them. She takes her job seriously, and her people believe in her direction. Ruth's business success story is a rising star in motion, taking the world of education by storm and affecting life-changing outcomes through creative thinking without boundaries!