Cheadle-based independent advice firm Sylvan Financial Management has launched its own adviser school to train up the next generation of advisers.
The firm’s founding directors, Jane Patrick, Adrian Edwards, and Ed Painter (pictured above), created the adviser school in response to increasing demand for high-quality independent advice, coupled with a significant decline in advisers in the market.
Recent FCA data obtained by Begbies Traynor found the number of UK financial advisory firms fell from 6,283 in Q1 2022 to 5,304 in Q3 2025.
The school offers a structured programme similar to a graduate scheme, aiming to blend technical training with soft skills development. Graduates begin in administrative roles to gain an understanding of the client journey, progressing to paraplanning while studying toward chartered financial planner status.
There are monthly meetings which set clear objectives, and graduates receive tailored CPD and mentorship from all Sylvan advisers.
“We’ve seen many independent firms sell to private equity or move toward in-house investment solutions,” Edwards said. “We wanted to do something different, which I feel is to preserve and pass on the values that make independent advice so powerful.”
Sylvan is a small advice firm founded in 2020, but it says that this means unlike larger national advice firms, it can offer a “highly personalised” experience for new advisers.
“We don’t have the monetary firepower of the big firms, but we offer something more bespoke,” said Painter. “Our graduates grow with our ethos from day one, so there is no need to unlearn habits from elsewhere.”
Edwards added: “Even if someone doesn’t stay forever, they add value while they’re here — and they leave better equipped to serve clients wherever they go. That’s good for everyone.”
Two graduates, Matt Faulkner and Callum Berry, pictured above alongside the team, are already progressing through the programme.
