After helping to build one of the fastest-growing Kumon centres in the South West, Colin Gillespie and his wife Susan have now brought their experience to Bath with the launch of Kumon Bath South.
Kumon provides individualised maths and English study programmes for children of all ages and abilities, helping students progress at their own pace while developing confidence and independent learning skills.
Colin and Susan already run a highly successful Kumon centre in Salisbury, where they support almost 300 students. The centre has become an Elite Digital Centre and is ranked among the top 50 Kumon centres across Europe and Africa.
When the opportunity arose to open a second centre, Bath felt like a natural choice.
“I was running the Salisbury centre with my wife Susan when I was approached by Kumon Head Office to see if I would be interested in running a second centre,” explained Colin. “That came about because of the success and growth of Salisbury, which has been one of the fastest-growing centres in the South West and one of the first digital-only centres in the UK.
“We felt Bath was a really good match for us. We’re from Frome and spend a lot of time in Bath, whether that’s shopping, going to the theatre or just enjoying the city, so it felt like a very perfect opportunity.”
Education is very much a family business for Colin and Susan. Susan has worked in psychology and education since university and has been a Kumon instructor since 2007. Colin joined the business as Centre Manager in 2020 before becoming increasingly involved in instruction.
Both of Susan’s children studied Kumon from pre-school, progressing to A-Level standard in maths and English while still at primary school. Her eldest son is now studying Computer Science at the University of Oxford.
“We both have a real passion for supporting children to learn and develop their skills,” said Colin. “Anyone who knows us will tell you that we genuinely love the work we do.”
Bringing Salisbury’s success to Bath
Colin and Susan are now hoping to bring the same approach that has worked so well in Salisbury to families in Bath. “We have nearly 300 students in Salisbury and we would like to support Bath students in the same way,” he said.
Their ambition is for the new centre to become a trusted resource for local families looking for additional support with maths and English. “We would like to develop Bath into the community’s go-to centre for professional support for their children with maths and English study. We want to work in partnership with parents and students to help them reach their full potential.”
An individual approach to learning
For Colin, one of the biggest attractions of the Kumon method is that children do not all work through the same programme at the same pace. “The Kumon style of tutoring is completely individualised and each student is doing work specific to them,” he said.
“Manageable daily study helps our students to develop the skills to work ahead of the level expected for their age. We aim for our students to develop their confidence and love of learning so they can reach their full potential.”
Kumon Bath South offers maths and English programmes for children across a wide range of ages and abilities.
“The Kumon method is available for maths and English for children of all ages and abilities,” said Colin. “The worksheets range from pre-school right up to A-Level standard.”
And while improving academic skills is at the heart of the programme, Colin believes the benefits extend much further.
“Alongside strong maths and English skills, we build lifelong skills such as self-correction and self-learning,” he said. “Most importantly, we help children develop the confidence to enjoy learning independently.”
When and where are the sessions?
Kumon Bath South classes take place every Monday and Tuesday from 3.30pm-6pm at Claverton Down Community Hall, Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 6DT.
Families interested in finding out more can book an assessment at https://www.kumon.co.uk/book-assessment/bath-south, call 07944 022020 or email email hidden; JavaScript is required.
