How we've helped Language Tree

Wind the clock back 365 days, and Joel Ashton was planning for a bumper summer with Language Tree in Truro. The language school’s books were full – with around 150 students booked in to join the school’s core program – and Joel and his team were gearing up for the busy, warmer months. That, as we all know, never happened.

Language Tree is a language school with a difference, with groups of students or individuals coming to Cornwall for a couple of weeks to enjoy a mix of a cultural language course alongside a holiday experience around the county.

The school, which started in 2017, has steadily grown and Joel puts this down to the point of difference in terms of the learning environment on offer here.

“I’d been a language teacher for 20 years abroad but grew up here and it was a long-term dream to have a language school in Cornwall and show people the best bits about this beautiful part of the country,” he said.

When the first lockdown struck the school, like so many businesses, Language Tree was forced to close its doors. However, there has been a silver lining that came with this, with the pause in operations allowing Joel to spend time on gaining British Council accreditation, an integral tool for being able to welcome students from all over the world.

“We’ve hibernated for the last 12 months as an open business, but behind the scenes I’ve still been doing lots of bits and bobs to try and get that British Council accreditation, which we did get, which was incredibly important,” he said. 

Working with the Skills Hub has also provided Joel with the opportunity to improve his skill set when it comes to marketing the business abroad.

“I felt uncomfortable, unsure and lacking in confidence doing sales pitches to agents, so the support from the Skills Hub and the coaching I received from Trevor Lee and David Bone gave me great tips and advice,” Joel said.

British Council accreditation now gives the school recognition around the world, furthering Language Tree’s desire to introduce Cornwall to students from all over the world, and there is an air of positivity around what lies ahead for the business.

“Our business plan sees us pushing to have around 500 students here across the year. We are focused on bringing students here as individuals or in small groups. We feel this is what we are hearing people want. They want to go somewhere safer, cleaner and quieter so I feel we’re in a good place by being in Cornwall once things open up again,” Joel said.

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 -  June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.  The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. 

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub from October 2017 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project  received £2,885,993 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.