Helen Kenworthy and the Creative Pathway Partnership ‘Of Course You Can’ Sponsor Strategic Lead of the Year at The Class Business Awards 2026
When we talk about leadership in the class-based sector, we often focus on visibility, growth and results.
But real strategic leadership runs deeper than that.
It’s about clarity when things feel uncertain.
It’s about building structures that protect both people and performance.
And it’s about creating pathways where others only see barriers.
That’s why I’m incredibly proud to announce that Helen Kenworthy and the Creative Pathway Partnership – ‘Of Course You Can’ will be sponsoring Strategic Lead of the Year at The Class Business Awards 2026.
This category couldn’t be more aligned with the work they do.
Leadership That Runs Deeper Than Results
Helen leads a powerful collaboration between RYTC Creatives CIC, Education Selection Box and Give Get Go Education. Together, they deliver the Creative Pathway methodology, Of Course You Can – a practical, evidence-informed framework designed to re-engage young people who are often described as “brilliantly underestimated.”
Their work spans alternative provision, EOTAS, home education, flexi-learning and professional coaching, supporting neurodiverse and emotionally based school avoidance students alongside creative and entrepreneurial learners seeking a more personalised route to success.
At the heart of their partnership is a belief that confidence, creativity and connection are not extras in education – they are the foundations of meaningful progress. Every learner begins with a strengths-based starting point, often through creative or enterprise-led projects that rebuild trust in learning, develop intrinsic motivation and support emotional regulation. From there, tailored academic pathways, qualifications, employability skills and future planning are introduced in ways that feel achievable and relevant.
This is strategic leadership in action.
What Strategic Lead of the Year Really Represents
Strategic Lead of the Year is not about job titles. It’s about recognising those who:
- Create clarity where there is complexity
- Build sustainable systems that stand the test of time
- Lead with integrity, courage and long-term vision
- Shape environments where others can thrive
Helen’s reason for sponsoring this category speaks directly to that mission:
“We’re proud to sponsor Strategic Lead of the Year because strong leadership changes outcomes – not just for organisations, but for the people they serve. Strategic leaders create clarity, opportunity and momentum where it matters most. Celebrating those who lead with vision, courage and integrity feels both timely and essential.”
Education That Adapts to the Learner
Of Course You Can demonstrates how creative and relational methodologies can sit alongside rigorous governance and measurable outcomes. Their model integrates tutoring, mentoring, wellbeing support, creative arts, enterprise education and practical life skills – ensuring young people not only achieve qualifications, but also develop confidence, resilience and purpose.
Education should adapt to the learner – not the other way round.
That philosophy mirrors what we see across the class-based sector. The strongest organisations are those led by people who think beyond today’s delivery and build frameworks that allow others to succeed.
Strategic leadership is often quiet. It’s the decision made before anyone sees the result. The system built before the scale. The clarity created before the momentum.
And that’s exactly why it deserves to be recognised.
To learn more about Helen and the Creative Pathway Partnership, Of Course you Can, visit:
www.helenkenworthy.com
www.educationselectionbox.com
www.rytc.co.uk
Helen, thank you for backing this category and championing the kind of leadership that truly changes outcomes.
