Syper - Tutoring service
Syper Support – Leaving no child behind
Caitie Glover, Owner and business leader of neurodivergent tutoring service ‘Syper’, Chelmsford, explains how the Group2Grow Peer Network programme has helped her define her marketing strategy, assisting her to make new connections and take the time to structure her thoughts and goals.
It has been reported that 1 in 7 of us are neurodivergent. Neurodiversity is a term often used to describe different ways of thinking, processing, learning or behaving, that deviates from the societally defined ‘normal’. Neurodiverse conditions include ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette's syndrome. Neurodivergent individuals often react to situations differently, or approach tasks from a different angle, which in the past has often created barriers in both education, and the workplace.
17 year old Caitie Glover is all too familiar with these struggles. Being neurodivergent herself, having Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, and more recently diagnosed with ADHD, her time in education has at times been extremely difficult. Without the support and strategies in place to help her cope, and take in the information being provided to her, she found herself in bottom sets, barely keeping her head above the water. Looking around her, she noticed just how many others were in the same position as her, certainly not lacking in intelligence, but being labelled as ‘difficult’, or ‘disruptive’, for not being able to absorb information in the way the rest of the class did.
Caitie however was one of the lucky ones. With a background in learning and development and a Masters in Neuroscience, Caitie’s Mum Naomi was able to recognise her daughters struggles and help her to develop strategies and coping mechanisms to help her with her work and the classroom environment. Adopting these strategies assisted Caitie to thrive in her Education, quickly moving up sets and on track to achieve success in her GCSEs, but she couldn’t take her mind off the others that perhaps wouldn’t be so lucky.
“I wanted to help others, who weren’t able to access the support and tools they needed to help them. I wanted to give them someone to look up to, and the fair access to education that they deserve. No child should feel embarrassed to be different, or feel like they don’t deserve an education. And most importantly they need to feel safe.”
Caitie Glover, Syper
As a young entrepreneur, Caitie decided to try and do something to help those who needed it, and so she setup ‘Syper Education’ a tutoring service for 6-16 year old neurodivergent students. With a group of 8 tutors of mostly A Level students, Caitie’s USP is that her staff have all struggled with traditional learning themselves, some with diagnosed conditions, and some that simply slipped through the cracks in the current educational system. Being able to be tutored by someone that truly understands your barriers, and has used the techniques suggested themselves, makes her team approachable, relatable and most importantly credible. Caitie herself is an inspirational role model for any child doubting what they can achieve, she accepts her differences and celebrates them, being a spokesperson for equality and change.
“There was a study that found that just over 50% of prisoners in Chelmsford Prison have Dyslexia and 17% had ADHD and this is far more than the general population. You could look at that statistic and think that neurodivergence leads to a life a crime, but I look at that statistic and feel sad.
Those people probably didn’t have the support they needed to do well at school, they were probably not even diagnosed until much later in their lives, if at all. The feeling of worthlessness and the lack of life prospects will be leading people to crime – not the neurodivergence itself. Imagine if diagnosis was more commonplace and schools had more support available for neurodivergent people… perhaps those statistics would be different.” Caitie Glover, Syper
Having launched her business and already gaining momentum and clients, Caitie started to think about how she might broaden her reach and get access to potential clients further afield than her hometown. Attending the NOVO Awards in Essex, she was introduced to Sarah, one of the Business Coaches for Group2Grow who recommended the programme to her. There was going to be an all-female cohort starting and Sarah felt Caitie would be the perfect participant.
Group2Grow is a Peer Network Programme run by Backing Essex Business. Fully-Funded by Essex County Council, this service offers free advice and support to businesses looking to grow in the county. The Group2Grow Programme brings together groups of 8-10 business professionals for eight x 2 hr sessions to discuss common challenges, experiences and solutions. The sessions are led by experienced business coaches, who also offer 3 hours of 1-2-1 support alongside the group sessions. Bringing together leaders of all industries and of all ages, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from peers, and network with those who might not normally have the opportunity to meet.
“I wanted a broader reach for my service, and so being able to not only learn and get advice from others, but also to have the one-to-one time with Sarah was invaluable. For me particularly, I needed the time to take myself away from the business to focus. The opportunity to sit down and really think about what I want to achieve is priceless”
Each session of Group2Grow is different, with the participants selecting topics that they want to cover during each one. Topics could include leadership, marketing, sales, technology, recruitment, accounting and many more. Caitie’s group, who were all female, focused quite a lot on marketing.
“In our group we had a lot of passionate people, but they lacked the confidence to approach people and really sell themselves. Sarah really helped us all to recognise our worth, showing us the value of what we all do. Being an all-female cohort I think was really beneficial. We all really connected with each other, and understood each other, and so we were all very frank, open, and vulnerable in our conversations. I’m not sure it would have been the same had it been mixed gender. I felt safe and able to express myself.”
Having now completed the programme, Caitie is now focused on the future and what she wants to achieve with her business. Thanks to the programme she has now joined the Federation of Small Business (FSB) to be able to expand her business connections, and she is driven to help as many Neurodivergent children as she can, fighting for earlier diagnosis, and more resources to be available in schools for those that might need a different approach. Her business is already growing through
word of mouth and the success she has had with her existing clients, and we wish her the very best for the future. A true entrepreneur whose ambition and passion is sure to drive change in the future.
