Reluctant Tutor to Team-Led Business Owner: How Malika Zaboumi Built Lee Learning Hub
Some businesses begin with a detailed plan, a launch campaign and a founder who knows exactly what they want to build.
Lee Learning Hub began because parents kept asking Malika Zaboumi for help.
Malika had left her role as a secondary-school head of department intending to step away from teaching. But local families knew her experience, trusted her expertise and wanted her support.
What started with informal tutoring requests gradually became a successful education business serving children, teenagers and adults across South East London.
Ten years later, Lee Learning Hub has a team of tutors, a strong local reputation and a client base built overwhelmingly through word of mouth.
The biggest shift was not simply growing the number of students.
It was Malika recognising that she had built a real business and learning to lead it accordingly.
A Business Created by Demand
Education has always been central to Malika’s life.
From a young age, she wanted to make a difference and change lives. She initially imagined working in healthcare, but her talent for languages eventually led her into teaching.
Malika speaks six languages and reads Latin. Before launching Lee Learning Hub, she worked as a head of department in a secondary school.
When she resigned, she planned to stop teaching.
“The demand” changed that plan.
Parents at her son’s school discovered her professional background and began asking whether she could tutor their children.
The business initially focused on French and German, but families soon requested support with English, maths, science and entrance examinations.
Lee Learning Hub evolved around what local families genuinely needed.
“Everything has just always been tailored.”
Today, the business supports learners preparing for private and grammar-school entrance exams, GCSEs and A levels, alongside adults studying languages.
Its youngest learners have been around three years old. The oldest was 77.
Recognising the Business You Have Built
For several years, Malika did not fully see herself as a business owner.
“There was a bit of a denial attitude from myself at the beginning.”
She knew families wanted her help and that the demand existed, but she approached the work passively rather than intentionally building a company around it.
That began to change when she started investing more seriously in marketing, visibility and her personal brand.
Marketing did more than attract attention.
It helped Malika recognise the scale and value of what she had created.
“I realised that I do have a business. I do have a successful business.”
That shift in identity matters.
A founder who sees themselves only as the person delivering the service will often keep everything resting on their own shoulders.
A business owner begins thinking about systems, reputation, team development, capacity and future growth.
Choosing the Best Person for the Child
Malika still loves teaching, but she no longer assumes she should personally deliver every session.
She understands her own strengths and explains them clearly to families. She also recognises that another tutor may sometimes be a better match for a particular learner.
“It’s not a matter of who does what. It’s a matter of who is the best fit for the demand.”
That is the heart of Lee Learning Hub’s team-led approach.
The decision is not driven by ego, hierarchy or who wants the work.
It is driven by the child.
Malika considers:
- The learner’s subject needs
- Their confidence and personality
- The tutor’s particular strengths
- The relationship most likely to help them progress
The team has learned to leave ego out of the conversation.
That allows Malika to step back from some delivery, work on the wider business and still know each learner is receiving the right support.
Reputation Is the Marketing Strategy
More than 95% of Lee Learning Hub’s families come through word of mouth.
That figure says more than any marketing slogan could.
It means families trust the business enough to recommend it to people they know.
That trust has been built through consistent delivery, discretion, strong relationships and results.
Malika wants Lee Learning Hub to be recognised as the best tuition centre, but she does not talk about that ambition in terms of noise or visibility alone.
She wants families to remain proud of the service.
She wants five-star reviews.
She wants the reputation to stay strong.
“The next ten years will be a matter of standing taller and stronger.”
Future growth may include collaborations, partnerships or additional learning hubs in new locations.
But protecting excellence remains the priority.
The Impact Goes Beyond Exam Results
Malika has supported hundreds of learners over the past decade, and some of the impact has only become clear years later.
One former student went on to become a professional footballer, playing for Brighton and later a French team. Malika had taught him Spanish at a time when his mother felt others did not believe in him.
Another student completed an early French GCSE after Malika recognised her ability and encouraged the family to continue when they considered stopping.
The student achieved an excellent result.
Malika has also supported an overseas learner who completed an early French qualification and was celebrated by his school in the UAE.
“We never know how much of an impact we’re making in a tutoring session.”
Tutoring may focus on a worksheet, language skill or examination, but the influence can stretch far beyond the immediate task.
A tutor may be the person who spots a talent, holds belief during a difficult period or encourages a learner to aim higher.
Protecting Energy Is Part of Quality
Malika is also deliberate about protecting her work-life balance.
She became self-employed because she wanted time for her family, health and fitness. She does not believe the business should consume every available hour simply because the work is never technically finished.
“There is no end to running a business.”
At some point, a founder has to decide that enough has been done for the day.
That rest is not separate from quality.
Malika wants to return to teaching with energy, enthusiasm and the ability to inspire.
“For me, it’s knowing I’ve had a break, I can now come back and I’m the best version of myself for that session.”
A team-led model makes that more possible.
It protects the founder’s energy while ensuring clients continue receiving high-quality support.
Watch the Full Interview
Malika Zaboumi’s journey shows what can happen when a founder stops seeing delegation as giving something away and starts seeing it as matching every client with the strongest possible support.
Lee Learning Hub has grown through trust, reputation and a team willing to place the learner above individual ego.
Malika is a finalist for Team-Led Business of the Year in The Class Business Awards 2026.
👉 Watch Malika’s full interview here.
Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Solihull for The Class Business Live, bringing finalists, judges and sponsors together for practical ideas, honest conversations and brilliant sector connection.
Then, from 6:00pm, it’s time to get dressed up and celebrate the people building exceptional teams, businesses and experiences at The Class Business Awards & Afterparty.
