Many of us look back on our schooling days and wonder if we received the ideal educational support. How much  did  our performance in the classroom, SAT’s, 11 plus, GCSE and GCE materially influence our lives and careers. Do the teaching resources  really mould our destiny or merely steer us to explore other  latent talents.   We have been granted permission to reproduce an article by Bill Whiting, retired CEO of  B&Q International  and main board director of Kingfisher, that explores this dichotomy. It’s a fascinating read of a boy from a very ordinary background, the schooling he endured, and his progression through a career that took him to the high echelons of global commerce. The article “Does School Help or Hinder the Road to Success of a Chief Executive” will be serialised here over the next 8 weeks.