Manager School (Online)
A Level 5 ILM-accredited leadership development programme for organisations who want confident, consistent and high-performing teams.
Don't want to chat? Start Straight Away Here
Manager School (Online)
A Level 5 ILM-accredited leadership development programme for organisations who want confident, consistent and high-performing teams.
Don't want to chat? Start Straight Away Here
Most organisations don’t struggle because they have the wrong people.
They struggle because talented people get promoted for their technical ability…
but are never given the management skills needed to lead others effectively.
"Manager School Online has been amazing. It’s more than a course - it’s like a mirror, helping me reflect on my experiences, especially around psychological safety. I’ve discovered strengths I didn’t know I had and feel more confident about stepping into senior management in the future. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me!"
- SB (Housing Manager), July 2025
That gap becomes expensive - quickly.
Miscommunication, conflict and avoidable escalations
Managers unsure how to handle performance or behaviour
Senior leaders pulled into issues that shouldn’t be on their desk
Teams waiting for permission instead of taking ownership
Inconsistent standards across departments
Staff leaving not because of the work… but because of the management
Manager School Online closes that gap - and gives your organisation the confident, capable managers it needs to thrive.
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Built for Organisations Who Want:
Confident, capable managers
Managers who make decisions, hold boundaries and lead without fear or hesitation.
Psychologically safe, motivated teams
Teams who communicate openly, work through issues early, and take genuine ownership.
Consistency across departments
A shared language, shared expectations and shared standards - removing friction and confusion.
More capacity at senior level
When managers can confidently lead, senior leaders are freed from constant day-to-day firefighting.
MSO is a 12-week, ILM Level 5 accredited self-study programme that builds the practical, people-focused management skills every organisation needs.
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"I cannot praise Hayley enough with how well this course has impacted not only my working life, but also my personal life. My mindset and confidence has changed for the better, and this is being shown and noticed within my work... I am so glad I was given this opportunity to be able to develop myself."
- Eloise Kitchen, Orbit Group
THIS IS NOT JUST LEADERSHIP THEORY.
IT'S PRACTICAL, COMPASSIONATE, REAL-WORLD TRAINING. DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR SECTORS WHERE STRONG PEOPLE SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL.
Your managers will learn how to:
- Lead people - not just tasks
- Build self-awareness and learn to leverage it
- Develop your leadership style and practical skills
- Learn to build a high-performing, psychologically safe team
- Understand how to translate strategic into operational thinking
"It has been one of the best investments of staff time and effort I have ever experienced. The leadership programme has transformed the way my colleagues think and behave and the fact that six of them have received promotions since beginning the course is testament to the efficacy of the programme. I couldn’t be happier with the training, and I couldn’t be more proud of my team for embracing the course’s lessons and applying them to their day jobs.”
- Neil Yeomans
The Impact Across Your Organisation:
For Managers
- Higher confidence and capability
- Stronger communication skills
- Less emotional labour and fear of “getting it wrong”
- More accountability and ownership
- Better judgement and decision-making
For Teams
- Psychological safety and trust
- Reduced conflict and fewer escalations
- Motivated, respectful and collaborative behaviours
- Clear expectations and consistent standards
For The Organisation
- Improved retention
- Increased performance and productivity
- Managers who solve problems early
- Fewer escalations reaching senior leadership
- A compassionate, high-performing leadership culture
Introducing Manager School (Online)
A self-paced e-learning programme, ILM Level 5 accredited qualification!
The 12 week, accredited programme offers a rich learning experience, combining core curriculum video learning, live Q&A sessions and implementation workshops to give your staff all the tools they need to be confident AND competent managers.
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"Hayley has enabled me to change the way I manage stressful situations, challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and taught me skills I’ll carry long beyond the leadership course. I now feel more confident, able and equipped with the skills to be a good leader."
- Kirsty Taylor
Here's what's included in Manager School (Online):
12 Weeks Core Curriculum
Learn the fundamentals of Personal Leadership, People Leadership and Organisational Leadership in a drip-fed, video lesson format. Everything is science-backed, and aimed to build your knowledge as a compassionate and respected leader. Access to the content for 12 months.
ILM Accreditation
Gain a Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management as you go, during the programme (with no extra assignment time needed) to recognise and validate your learning experience. Strengthen your CV to future employers and/or for internal promotion.
LIVE Coaching & Implementation
Join extra live sessions online to help your staff embed the learning and personalise learning from the curriculum. Plus sign up for additional implementation workshops in your workplace to ensure consistency and cross-organisational understanding.
MSO isn’t just a programme your managers watch and forget.
To ensure learning sticks and translates directly into real behavioural change, your organisation receives:
4 x Quarterly In-House Implementation Sessions
These sessions are designed to:
Embed the tools and techniques taught in MSO
Address real challenges your managers are facing
Align behaviours and expectations across departments
Strengthen team relationships
Turn learning into measurable, sustained performance improvements
This ensures the programme creates lasting change, not just short-term enthusiasm.
3 Core Modules over 12 Weeks
Here's what we'll be covering in the Core Curriculum:
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"Hayley Just to say a HUGE thank you for this course, I've learnt lots of nuggets of useful information that I'll apply to both my professional and personal life. It has also helped me understand myself through guided reflection and prompts that I would not think about without this course. I loved your delivery as you made us all feel comfortable and supported throughout."
- Bobbie Kondakova
I'm Hayley Gillard
CEO at Compassionate Leaders, and an empowering, engaging, and skilled leadership development facilitator and trainer.
I've worked my way up the ranks, I've been in the trenches wondering how to manage people older and more experienced than me. I've had to deal with the awkwardness of managing friends and I've made a LOT of mistakes! I know how it feels to be desperate for recognition and promotion, but at the same time doubting every decision, overthinking and avoiding the hard conversations.
I'm proud to say, I now run Compassionate Leaders, leading a team virtually, having managed both volunteers and employees at senior, exec and Board level and in my last employed role managed a team of 120. I've made all the mistakes and can help you steer clear of them!
I have qualifications in both Business and Psychology, and I am obsessed with helping the 82% of managers who are "accidental" (and expected to do a great join with no formal training!) develop high-performing teams that are compassionate and psychologically safe.
"You think you know yourself, but you don’t! A refreshing and unique course that allows you to not only learn and grow as an individual but helps you to use those skills to progress your career and be the best leader you can in your own style, whilst learning how to help those around you grow also. Topped off with a fantastic coach who has real passion and drive."
- Jagjit Braitch
FAQ
Everything you might need to know
How much time will this take my managers each week?
MSO is designed for busy operational teams. Each module contains short, focused videos totalling around 60–90 minutes per week, broken into 10–20 minute sections. Most managers complete it during work hours with minimal disruption.
How do we make sure the learning translates into real behaviour change?
This is where MSO stands out. Unlike most self-study courses, MSO includes a quarterly in-house implementation session, ensuring managers apply what they’ve learned to real workplace situations.
We also provide tools, templates and worksheets so managers immediately use the skills — not just understand them.
What if some managers don’t engage or fall behind?
Because the programme is flexible and broken into small pieces, most managers stay on track. However, if someone falls behind, they can easily catch up at their own pace.
Many organisations nominate an internal “MSO Champion” to motivate and check in — and I can support this role. The quarterly implementation workshops help with accountability too!
Is it suitable for new managers or only experienced ones?
Both.
New managers gain the confidence and clarity they’ve never been given before.
More experienced managers fill long-standing gaps in people management, communication, and the psychology of leadership — areas where most have never had formal training.
How does the ILM accreditation work?
Learners complete a simple set of reflective assessments, supported with templates and examples. Once completed, they receive an ILM Level 5 qualification — ideal for succession planning, internal promotion pathways and organisational talent development. There are no additional assignments or time required.
Can we track progress across all our managers?
Yes. Organisations can request periodic progress updates, allowing you to monitor engagement and identify any support needs. I am able to schedule calls with you on a quarterly basis to discuss progress and impact.
I have accessibility requirements, how will my needs be met?
As our company name (Compassionate Leaders) would suggest, we are committed to meet any accessibility needs you may have. We are also aware we are always learning and are very open to feedback and suggestions on this.
As a minimum, every video within the Core Curriculum will be available to download, watch at a slower or faster speed and will be available as a transcript. All live sessions will be available as recordings too.
Please let us know if you require content in a certain format . We will work with you to make the programme accessible.
How is MSO different from traditional leadership training?
Most leadership training is theoretical and doesn’t address the real challenges managers face daily.
MSO is:
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Practical
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Grounded in psychology
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Built specifically for people-focused sectors
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Designed for real behaviour change
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Supported through a quarterly in-house implementation session
This combination creates sustainable improvements — not just a “good workshop.”
How do the quarterly implementation sessions work?
These sessions take place in-house or online, depending on your needs. They are interactive, tailored to your organisation, and focus on:
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Real scenarios your managers are dealing with
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Embedding the tools and techniques
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Creating consistency across teams
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Reflecting on changes in behaviour and outcomes
This turns learning into action and then into habit.
We have inconsistent management styles across teams. Will MSO help with that?
Absolutely — this is one of MSO’s biggest strengths.
The programme creates a shared management approach, shared language and shared expectations, reducing friction and inconsistency across departments.
What size cohort works best?
Most organisations enrol 10–30 managers at a time, but the programme works for both small and large groups. For larger roll-outs, we can stagger cohorts and standardise learning across the year.
What if we want additional support beyond the quarterly session?
You can add optional one to one or group coaching sessions, live Q&As, team workshops, or bespoke in-house sessions tailored to your organisation’s challenges. Many organisations choose this for higher-impact cohorts.
We’ve had training before that didn’t “stick.” How will this be different?
Because MSO combines:
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Bite-sized learning
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Real examples from your sector
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Practical tools
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Reflection and assessment
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Quarterly implementation sessions
…it creates continuous reinforcement.
This is why organisations see genuine behavioural shifts — not just initial enthusiasm.
What are the trainer's qualifications?
Hayley has over 15 years experience managing people, in both strategic and operational capacity. She brings a wealth of knowledge, lessons and expertise from managing small teams, to teams of over 100, volunteers to paid employees and both her friends/peers and people older and more experienced than her.
In addition, Hayley holds the following qualifications:
- MSc Psychology (occupational psychology focus)
- BA (Hons) Business Enterprise
- Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management
- Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and NLP
- plus various vocational qualifications in mental health.
As a member of the BPS (British Psychological Society) Hayley is also committed to CPD and regularly attends industry conferences.
When can we start?
Any time. Because MSO is self-study, your organisation can onboard managers on a rolling basis or as a single cohort.
What’s the investment?
Pricing is based on your chosen tier and number of managers.
Tiered options are available for:
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Online programme only
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Programme + online implementation
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Programme + in-person implementation
Book a call to explore the best fit for your organisation.
What’s the first step?
Simply book a call here.
We’ll discuss your organisation, understand your management challenges and goals, and identify whether MSO is the right fit.
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Start Straight Away Here
This programme as had an incredible impact on myself personally and in the work place. With the help of everything Hayley has taught me and shown me, I have managed to get 2 promotions and my self confidence that has improved massively!
Hayley Cross
We have navigated some difficult situations together and thank you for all your support with this. I would recommend Hayley to any other leader who needs a sounding board, time out for reflection and wants to move themselves and their organisation forward.
Nina Kelly
Hayley is an authentic, energetic and extremely knowledgeable coach and trainer. She helped me understand and overcome many of my fears and shortcomings. I feel I am a better, more aware and insightful person after I've attended her course. Thank you, Hayley! What you do makes a difference!
Bobbie Kondakova
Ready to Build the Confident, Consistent Management Team Your Organisation Needs?
You can transform management capability across your organisation — without the cost or logistics of a full in-person programme.
Book a call and let’s explore how MSO can support your managers, your culture and your organisational goals.
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