Creative skills 🇬🇧 Cheadle, United Kingdom Since 2012 1.8 · 416 ratings

Centre of Excellence

Online CPD courses in holistic therapy, psychology, wellbeing, crafts and history.

Visit centreofexcellence.com All companies
online courses
1,000+
customers in 150 countries, according to CoE
2M+
a diploma course, one-off
£127
on Trustpilot, 7,788 reviews
4.9

About Centre of Excellence

Centre of Excellence is an online course provider from Cheadle, near Manchester, run by Centre of Excellence Online Limited. Sara Lou-Ann Jones started it in 2012 with a course in neuro-linguistic programming. The shop lists more than 1,000 self-paced courses in holistic therapy, psychology, counselling, wellbeing, animal care, crafts, history and business. On 15 October 2026 a diploma course costs £127, and the Grow Access All membership costs £16 a month, billed £192 a year. Most courses carry CPD points and CMA or Quality Licence Scheme endorsement, and these are not Ofqual regulated qualifications.

Centre of Excellence sells online courses that learners study at their own pace. Courses are split into modules with written lessons, some videos and a listen-along audio mode. Learners answer short, long and multiple-choice assessments, and a marker grades them. A finished course gives a downloadable Centre of Excellence diploma and a CPD certificate. Course materials stay in the learner’s Learning Centre with no time limit.

Sara Lou-Ann Jones taught classroom courses in neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy before she started the business in 2012. She began in her living room as a single parent, and the first product was an online NLP course. Centre of Excellence Online Limited was incorporated in England on 27 February 2013. Since 2021 it has belonged to Centre Of Excellence Group Limited, and its registered office has been at Cheadle Place in Cheadle since February 2024.

The company says it has sold 1.5 million courses and earned more than £40 million in revenue since it started. In 2023 Jones told LDC that more than 2 million students in 150 countries had taken a course and that the company had added courses in Spanish. In 2026 it sells the Grow Access All membership, a library of all online and audio courses for a yearly fee. It also sells a City & Guilds Level 2 Award, a regulated qualification taught live on Zoom or Teams.

History

  1. 2012 Sara Lou-Ann Jones starts Centre of Excellence with an online neuro-linguistic programming course.
  2. 2013 Centre of Excellence Online Limited is incorporated in England on 27 February.
  3. 2015 Centre Of Excellence Group Limited, the future holding company, is incorporated on 11 February.
  4. 2018 Jones is shortlisted for Scale Up Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. About Manchester reports £6 million turnover since founding.
  5. 2021 Centre Of Excellence Group Limited becomes the controlling shareholder on 20 February.
  6. 2021 The Centre of Excellence app for iPhone and iPad appears on the App Store in November.
  7. 2023 Jones tells LDC the company has more than 1,000 courses and 2 million students, and has added courses in Spanish.
  8. 2024 The registered office moves from Manchester to Cheadle Place, Cheadle, on 22 February.
  9. 2025 Accounts for the year to 28 February 2025 show 16 employees on average, up from 15.
  10. 2026 Sells Grow Access All for £16 a month billed yearly. Monthly Grow plans are no longer sold to new members.
  11. 2026 Lists the City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Supporting Wellbeing and Mental Health of Self and Others, taught on Zoom or Teams.

Leadership

  • Sara Lou-Ann Jones Founder, CEO and sole director

Role from the Centre of Excellence about page and the Companies House register of Centre of Excellence Online Limited on 15 October 2026.

How studying with Centre of Excellence works

study time for most courses
50–250 h
usual time to mark assessments
14 working days
CPD points for the CBT diploma
150
  • Lifetime access to bought courses
  • No set start dates
  • Listen-along audio for every module
  • Desktop, tablet and mobile
  • Printed or PDF course materials at extra cost
  • CoE diploma and CPD certificate
  • Optional QLS Certificate of Achievement
  • CMA membership after CMA-accredited courses
  • Facebook study group
  • Reward points for finished courses

Course categories at Centre of Excellence

Therapy and wellbeing11

  • Holistic Therapy
  • Reiki
  • Aromatherapy
  • Reflexology
  • Massage
  • Herbalist
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Mindfulness
  • Fitness & Well-Being
  • Healthy Ageing
  • Beauty Therapy

Mind and people8

  • Psychology (43 courses)
  • Counselling
  • CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Neuro Linguistic Programming
  • Life Coaching
  • Autism & Special Needs
  • Child Education
  • Corporate Wellness

Interests and skills12

  • Hobby & Craft
  • Writing
  • History
  • Language
  • Science
  • Earth Sciences
  • Psychic & Supernatural
  • Animal Care
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Essential Skills
  • AI
  • Courses for Kids

Formats4

  • Audio courses
  • Course bundles (33)
  • Business Masterclasses (6)
  • Free courses (27)

Categories on centreofexcellence.com/shop on 15 October 2026, grouped by us. The shop page lists 37 sections, including stationery and gifts. The home page speaks of 32 categories and the about page of 30.

Products

  • Diploma courses Self-paced online courses at £127 each, with modules, assessments, a CoE diploma and a CPD certificate. The CBT diploma has 21 modules, 4 videos and up to 150 hours of study for 150 CPD points. CBT diploma
  • Grow Access All All online and audio courses for £16 a month, billed £192 a year. Up to 10 courses in progress at a time, a member hub and at least 10% off printed certificates and materials. Grow membership
  • City & Guilds Level 2 Award A regulated qualification in supporting wellbeing and mental health, Ofqual number 610/5951/1. 8 hours of guided learning on Zoom or Teams and one online multiple-choice test. Excluded from Grow. Course page
  • CoE app Courses, Grow courses and the Learning Centre on iPhone, iPad and Android, with 50K+ downloads on Google Play. App Store
  • Study group A Facebook study group with 80,000 members, according to Centre of Excellence, where learners share progress and questions. About CoE
  • Free courses 27 free courses, among them a full Mindfulness diploma without a card. Some “Random Act of Kindness” courses unlock after 3 invited friends join. Free courses
  • Business Masterclasses 6 programmes on building a business from a skill, such as coaching or herbalism, at £127 to £297. Excluded from Grow. Masterclasses

How much is Centre of Excellence?

  • Free courses £0 27 courses, some unlock after inviting 3 friends
  • Audio course £15 one-off, for example the CBT audio course
  • Most courses Diploma course £127 one-off, lifetime access
  • City & Guilds Level 2 Award £299 £129 shown on 15 October 2026, live on Zoom or Teams
  • Grow Access All £16/course £192 a year, billed yearly, all online and audio courses

Is Centre of Excellence free?

27 free courses, including the Mindfulness diploma without a card, and a free Improve Your Memory diploma at sign-up. There is no free trial of Grow. Course pages show a 14-day money-back guarantee. Courses bought one by one can be paid in instalments, Grow annual cannot.

Prices on centreofexcellence.com on 15 October 2026, in GBP, including the Grow page and course pages. The site also shows prices in USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD and INR. Grow Access All is £16 a month billed yearly, “available for a limited time only”, and the site gives no other current Grow price. The FAQ quotes £25 plus postage for a printed certificate and £29.50 plus postage for printed materials.

How to cancel Grow and get a refund from Centre of Excellence

Terms
  • Grow membership ↗
    1. Cancel the membership at any time, and Centre of Excellence stops further charges
    2. Membership stays active until the end of the current year
    3. Grow courses leave the Learning Centre after the term ends, progress is saved
  • Course refund ↗
    1. Contact support through the widget on any page or enquiries@centreofexcellence.com
    2. Ask within 14 days of buying a digital or audio course
    3. Grow refunds are reviewed case by case
  • Digital and audio courses can be exchanged or refunded within 14 days.
  • Refunds are void if the course has been consumed, if a learner asks for refunds too often, or if the account is restricted.
  • PDF course materials are not refunded after purchase.
  • A Grow member has 15 minutes to remove a course added by mistake, after that only support can remove it.

Refund rules

Grow membership
Renews automatically. Cancel within 14 days if no benefits were used, otherwise partial refunds may apply.
Printed products
Refunds only after the goods come back in original condition, and returns need approval first.
Price changes
Grow prices may change at renewal.
Therapy courses
For CPD and enhancement only. They do not qualify learners to diagnose or treat others.

From the Centre of Excellence terms and conditions and the Grow page FAQ, checked on 15 October 2026. The terms show no date.

Ratings and app

4.9Trustpilot · Excellent 7,788 reviews · company profile claimed in February 2017

Is Centre of Excellence worth it?

What learners like

What learners criticise

  • A learner writes that the canine hydrotherapy diploma is a CPD course and does not qualify anyone to practise.Geri, Trustpilot, May 2025
  • A member writes that a cancelled yearly Grow plan was charged to a new card. The company refunded it.Nenad, Trustpilot, June 2026
  • Courses added through Grow disappear from the account when the membership ends.Grow page FAQ
  • The Android app has 1.8 stars from 416 reviews.Google Play, UK

What learners write in reviews, not our rating. Most 5-star reviews describe flexible study at home. Most 1-star reviews describe refunds, Grow renewals and the value of CPD certificates for professional practice.

Centre of Excellence reviews

  • Great way of learning
    “Great way of learning - affordable and quick feedback.”
    Nicola Downie · 12 October 2026 · App Store
  • The Canine Hydrotherapy Diploma Course
    “This is not suitable for people wishing to be a professional canine hydrotherapist because it is not a qualification.”
    Geri · 16 May 2025 · App Store

Latest news

  1. Where are they now: Sara Lou-Ann Jones, founder of Centre of Excellence, LDC
  2. Manchester-based Centre of Excellence shortlisted for Scale Up Entrepreneur of the Year, About Manchester

Contacts and company data

Legal entity
Centre of Excellence Online Limited, F38 & F39 Cheadle Place, Stockport Road, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 2GL, United Kingdom
Company number
08422343, England and Wales
Incorporated
27 February 2013
Status
Active, last accounts to 28 February 2025
SIC code
74909, other professional, scientific and technical activities
Parent company
Centre Of Excellence Group Limited, 09433299
CPD provider number
10898, CPD Certification Service
Ofqual
Not a recognised awarding organisation

Alternatives to Centre of Excellence

How we built this profile

  1. Sources. Facts come from the company’s own website, press room, imprint and careers page, from Wikipedia, the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. Every source is listed on the page.
  2. Checks. Kinescope checked every number on 15 October 2026. Prices, ratings and job counts change, and we refresh them with each update.
  3. Our words. Descriptions are written by the Kinescope team. Quotes from reviews are marked with the author and source, and we do not rate the company ourselves.
  4. Corrections. The company can send new facts or corrections, and we update the profile.

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Centre of Excellence FAQ

An online course provider in Cheadle, near Manchester, run by Centre of Excellence Online Limited. Sara Lou-Ann Jones founded it in 2012. It sells more than 1,000 self-paced courses in holistic therapy, psychology, wellbeing, animal care, crafts, history and business.

On 15 October 2026 a diploma course costs £127 and an audio course £15. Grow Access All gives all online and audio courses for £16 a month, billed £192 a year. 27 courses are free.

Most courses are accredited for CPD by the CPD Certification Service, and a number of them are accredited by the Complementary Medical Association or endorsed under the Quality Licence Scheme. CPD and QLS endorsement are not Ofqual regulated qualifications. The City & Guilds Level 2 Award in Supporting Wellbeing and Mental Health, number 610/5951/1, is regulated by Ofqual.

A Centre of Excellence diploma or certificate and a CPD certificate, both to download. A printed diploma costs £25 plus postage. QLS courses also offer an optional Certificate of Achievement and Learner Unit Summary, benchmarked at Level 3 or 4.

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