Introduction
St. James’s Place (SJP) is the UK’s largest and most respected wealth management businesses, with a long-established internal Academy at the heart of how it develops advisers.
Each year, we train hundreds of trainee financial advisers, through the Academy. Professional development has always been part of the firm’s culture, and maintaining high standards of learning, assessment and support is critical to long-term success.
St James’s Place has partnered with Redmill Advance since 2020 to support the academy, delivering a blended learning approach that combines face-to-face delivery, digital study content and on-demand support, while maintaining consistently strong outcomes, including an average 92% first time exam pass rate*, which is significantly above the professional body average.
“Development has always been part of the culture here. The challenge was finding a partner who could evolve with us.”
Lewis Prosser, Exams and Professional Development Consultant, St James’s Place
The Challenge
Before working with Redmill Advance, St James’s Place had already been running its Academy successfully for more than a decade. In 2019 the opportunity arose to explore new providers and different training solutions to evolve the training for the SJP Academy, with a desire to utilise emerging technologies to enhance training and development of our Academy Advisers.
Training had historically been delivered almost entirely through face-to-face workshops. While effective, this approach lacked the flexibility required to support a growing, geographically wide mix of delegates all of whom had different learning styles and needs.
At the same time, expectations were changing. Learners increasingly wanted on-demand access to content. Digital and video-based learning were becoming essential rather than optional. Governance, reporting and insight were also becoming more important, enabling SJP to understand not just whether training was happening, but whether it was genuinely working.
Crucially, SJP wanted to protect its strong development culture while modernising delivery, not dilute it.
Why Redmill Advance
Redmill Advance stood out not because of any single feature, but because of the overall blended proposition, quality learning content and highly capable and knowledgeable team.
SJP valued the fact that Redmill Advance offered a true blended approach that included live training, structured digital learning and on-demand content, that is available 24/7 and is supported by its own market leading platform and deep reporting. Course material was structured in a way that recognised different learning styles and broke down complex topics into easily digestible examples.
Redmill Advance was also ahead of the market in how it approached content evolution, including the early adoption of AI-powered video learning. This allowed material to stay current, be updated efficiently, and meet the expectations of a new generation of advisers who value flexible, accessible learning.
Just as importantly, the relationship was open, honest and collaborative. Both teams shared an “always evolving” mindset, with a focus on doing what was right for learners rather than rigidly sticking to a predefined model.
The Solution
Today, Redmill Advance plays a central role in supporting the St James’s Place Academy through a blended learning model designed to work at scale.
The partnership supports:
- Hundreds of trainee financial advisers each year through the SJP Academy
- Hundreds of qualified SJP advisers progressing to chartered financial planner status
- Learners with different needs, learning styles and accessibility requirements
Redmill Advance delivers a combination of expert-led workshops, structured digital self-study and on-demand content that allows learners to follow a pathway that ensures they are maximising their chances of exam success.
A particularly important element of the solution is inclusivity. St James’s Place supports a neurodiverse audience within the Academy, including individuals with disabilities. Redmill Advance’s adaptable approach, including one-to-one support where appropriate, has helped create a positive, empowering learning environment where individuals feel supported to succeed.
“CII exams and learning materials can be challenging, but the way it’s delivered by Redmill makes it feel achievable.”
The Impact
The impact of the partnership is visible both in outcomes and experience.
From a performance perspective, St James’s Place continues to achieve an average 92% exam pass rate*, even as learner numbers scale these pass rates are maintained.
From a learner perspective, training feels more accessible, more flexible and better aligned to real needs. On-demand content has become increasingly popular, particularly within the Academy and apprenticeship routes, and learners feel supported rather than overwhelmed.
For the organisation, the relationship itself has matured into a trusted partnership focused on quality, consistency and continuous improvement, not just delivery.
The “This Is Working” Moment
For St James’s Place there was an early acknowledgment that the relationship was thriving with the training feedback results and pass rates that were being achieved. A defining moment came in 2023 when Redmill Advance demonstrated the innovative way they utilised A.I as early adopters, integrating their training team as A.I avatars back into their exam programmes. It was that moment it became clear that Redmill Advance embraced technology, something SJP was also a pioneer of with their Virtual Reality training as part of their academy programme.
If Redmill Advance Disappeared Tomorrow
St James’s Place has strong internal learning capability and infrastructure. Certain elements of training delivery could, in theory, be recreated over time.
However, what would be difficult to replace quickly is the embedded expertise and working rhythm built over the years.
Redmill Advance understands how the Academy operates, its standards, pace, expectations and culture. That depth of familiarity enables them to anticipate needs, respond quickly, and enhance delivery without friction.
It’s not simply about content or trainers in isolation. It’s about the combination of:
- Sector-specific expertise
- High-quality delivery
- Operational understanding
- And a partnership mindset that integrates seamlessly with the Academy team
That kind of alignment cannot be replicated overnight.
Above all, Redmill Advance operates as an extension of the Academy, evolving with it, challenging it when needed, and continuously enhancing the learner experience rather than just fulfilling a brief.
The Result
Today, the partnership between St James’s Place and Redmill Advance underpins a learning model that scales without losing quality, and is delivered in line with SJP’s culture. Hundreds of advisers progress each year through quality training support that is rigorous, inclusive and technically sound, supported by digital flexibility and expert-led delivery.
Exam outcomes remain strong, learner confidence is high, and the Academy continues to support a diverse group of learners with different needs and aspirations. Just as importantly, there is confidence that the learning approach will continue to evolve as the academy grows and technology rapidly advances.
The partnership continues to go from strength to strength, because it is built on trust, openness and a shared commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes, for learners and for the business.
*First time pass rates results calculated May 2026
“This works because Redmill Advance grows with us in partnership and helps us continue to scale our academy.”
Lewis Prosser, Exams and Professional Development Consultant, St James’s Place
