Woodard Corporation

The Woodard Corporation, a charitable federation overseeing 23 independent Christian-ethos schools across the UK, was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Collapsing income from enrolments and unrelenting operational costs pushed several colleges into distress, placing the federation’s legacy, reputation and educational provision at serious risk.

Critical issues included:

• impending insolvency at two to three flagship colleges
• structural cash-flow deficits
• an urgent need for stabilisation without undermining public trust or mission integrity.

BM&T was engaged to provide urgent, high-trust advice, balancing commercial rigour with the sensitivities of a values-led educational charity.

Our response included:

• Rapid triage: Site-level reviews of distressed colleges to assess operational viability and stakeholder dynamics.
• Board-level advisory: Delivering structured strategic guidance to the main and education boards, focusing on liquidity, stakeholder confidence and reputational preservation.
• Latent asset review: Identifying significant unencumbered land across the estate as a potential liquidity source without immediate disruption to core operations.
• Creative structuring: Proposing phased asset-backed solutions that aligned with the Corporation’s ethos and preserved long-term educational continuity.
• Unlocking value: Partnering with specialist land agents to appraise:
  • reclassification and uplift potential
  • community-aligned development strategies
  • hospitality and multi-use partnerships to drive future income.

• Stabilised operations: Avoided insolvency and ensured continuity across key colleges.
• Unlocked liquidity: Released funds through strategic asset leverage, without taking on short-term debt or compromising mission.
• Protected reputation: Maintained trust with staff, students, communities and regulators at a critical moment.‍
• Built resilience: Embedded an asset-led approach to strategic planning, balancing long-term vision with immediate needs.