Number of Chinese investors buying UK indie schools grows again

Since 2014, 30 schools and their brands have been purchased by Chinese investors and companies – marking a 400% growth in the number of schools bought in the nine-year period, according to information compiled by Venture Education.

Top of the leaderboard for buying these brands is Bright Scholar, which over the years has bought The Guildhouse School, The Worthgate School, Cats Colleges, Bournemouth Collegiate School, Bosworth Independent College and St Michael’s School.

“In the independent school sector, there are 11 boarding schools and 19 mixed day schools among the 30 schools surveyed,” the report said.

“Of all the schools, 68% of the schools are private, and 32% are charitable,” it added.

The vast majority – 87% – are situated in England, while 10% are in Wales and 3% are in Scotland. None have been purchased in Northern Ireland. Moreover, 23% of the schools in England are in London.

“Despite a global decrease in M&A activity, the education sector continued to show growth, experiencing only a modest decline in deal value and a surge in transaction volume,” the report explained.

“According to L.E.K., while 2023 saw an overall drop in M&A activity by 25-30%, the educational sector remained robust, with only a 13% decline, demonstrating its resilience amid broader economic fluctuations.”

Market demand from Chinese families seems to be one of the chief drivers among investors, with “rising incomes” and “increasing awareness of the importance of education” and, interestingly, the concern around education quality at home in China.

The report noted that internationalisation could be on the table more frequently, with an investment in a UK school in China opening more access to the global education market.

Of all the schools, 68% of the schools are private, and 32% are charitable

Venture Education report

“Many British schools, particularly independent schools and boarding schools, have a long-standing reputation for academic excellence that is highly regarded internationally, especially by academically-focused Chinese parents,” the reported noted.

Looking at the 12 investors, which also included Access Education, Confucius International Education Group, Achieve Education and Horizon Education (among others), the motivations generally stem from a want to internationalise.

“These companies are actively expanding their operations beyond China, with investments in UK private schools being a key part of this strategy,” the report said.