Police Promotion Academy: Why One Officer Rates It 9/10 (And What's Missing That 1 Point)
Real Feedback from a Serving Officer Who's Actually Used Our Academy
When we asked Andy, a serving officer who's been through our Police Promotion Academy, to rate his experience on a scale of 1-10, his response was immediate: "It's brilliant... take it as a 9 or 10."
But what makes our Academy programme so effective for officers seeking promotion to sergeant or promotion to inspector? And what keeps it from being a perfect 10? Let's dive into honest feedback from someone who's actually experienced the programme firsthand.
Beyond Promotion Boards: Real-World Impact
What surprised us most about Andy's feedback wasn't just his high rating—it was how he uses what he's learned in his day-to-day policing:
"I've found what we've done in promotion academy not just helpful obviously for preparing for promotion but also in the operational side of things... I'm not just thinking oh I can recite this in a promotion board, I'm actually able to put them into practice in some cases on the job as well and it makes a massive difference."
This insight reveals something crucial about effective police promotion preparation: it shouldn't just help you pass a board—it should make you a better leader and officer.
The Foundation: Peel's Principles in Practice
Andy highlighted something that sets our approach apart from traditional promotion preparation:
"Blue light forms a kind of ideology of policing in your mind, it gives you a philosophy of policing which is built on Peelian principles... what you end up often doing in the police and your training is you know it might be an hour or half an hour looking at the Peelian principles whereas with blue light what I've had is the Peelian principles applied in real time and in operational contexts."
This philosophical grounding isn't academic theory—it's practical wisdom that shapes how you approach every aspect of policing leadership.
What Makes Our Academy Different
1. Four Years of Accumulated Wisdom
Our Academy includes approximately 200 recorded webinars spanning four years of weekly sessions. This isn't just quantity—it's a comprehensive library covering every conceivable promotion board scenario and leadership challenge.
2. One-to-One Coaching That Makes the Difference
While the webinars provide foundation knowledge, Andy emphasised that "it's the one-to-one coaching with the coaches that puts the icing on." This personalised attention ensures your specific development needs are addressed.
3. A Team with Unmatched Integrity
Our coaching team collectively brings over 250 years of police management experience. But more importantly, every coach has "walked the line" in challenging situations:
Challenged inappropriate behaviour at significant personal cost
Made difficult decisions that resulted in arrests of their own team members
Stood up to corruption and statistical manipulation
Demonstrated moral courage in the most challenging circumstances
This isn't theoretical knowledge—it's hard-won experience from officers who've faced the toughest leadership challenges policing can present.
The Missing 1 Point: There's Always Room for Improvement
When pressed about what prevents a perfect 10 rating, Andy acknowledged: "There's always space, Brendan, isn't there? There's always space."
This attitude—that continuous improvement is always possible—reflects both the mindset we cultivate in our Academy and the realistic expectations we set. Perfect scores suggest there's nothing left to learn, which isn't true in leadership development.
Beyond Promotion Preparation: Developing Future Leaders
What drives our Academy isn't just helping officers pass promotion boards—it's our responsibility to positively influence the future leaders of the police service. As we discuss in our weekly team meetings, we're helping shape the kind of leaders who will guide policing for the next generation.
In many ways, we're providing the comprehensive leadership development that should have been available through other channels but often isn't.
The Real Test: Operational Application
The true measure of any police promotion programme isn't just board success—it's whether officers can apply their learning operationally. Andy's involvement in specialist networks and his ability to implement Academy principles in real-time policing situations demonstrates this practical value.
This operational relevance ensures that when you do achieve promotion to sergeant or promotion to inspector, you're not just carrying new rank slides—you're equipped with genuine leadership capabilities.
A Philosophy of Policing, Not Just Exam Preparation
What emerges from Andy's feedback is that our Academy provides something deeper than promotion board preparation—it offers a coherent philosophy of policing rooted in Peelian principles but applied to modern challenges.
This philosophical foundation helps officers navigate complex decisions, challenge inappropriate behaviour effectively, and lead with integrity—exactly the qualities that promotion boards are looking for and that effective police leaders require.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Andy's experience reflects what we see across our Academy members: officers who don't just pass their promotion boards but become more effective leaders and better police officers in the process.
This comprehensive development explains why our members consistently achieve promotion success and why many, like Andy, continue to find value in the programme long after their initial board.
Ready to Accelerate Your Police Promotion Journey?
🚀 Want to guarantee your success and secure that promotion spot?
Our Academy programmes offer expert advice, plus access to a range of valuable resources such as online content, sample exercises, small group webinars, recorded sessions, and personalised 1-2-1 coaching. Plus, we back our services with a money-back guarantee if you don't pass.
Book a Police Promotion Discovery Call (for serving officers)
Book a call now to discover whether the Academy is a good fit for you - and learn how to develop both promotion board success and operational leadership skills.
Police Promotion Discovery Call
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📺 Watch the Full Video
Want to hear Andy's complete feedback and learn more about how our Academy shapes policing philosophy? Watch the full video on our YouTube channel.
⭐ Don't Just Take Our Word For It
Check out our 750+ five-star Trustpilot reviews from officers who've successfully achieved their promotion goals using our proven methods:
Don't settle for promotion preparation that only gets you through the board—choose development that makes you a better leader for life.
Take care out there - you're doing an amazing job keeping our communities safe.
