Issue 7: A Briefing on the Business of Education and Creative Thinking
From Dubai to Barnet, November activity shows independent education moving in two directions with expansion abroad and consolidation at home.
ANALYSIS / End of Month Update
The market activity tracker has reached 148 activities, with 113 strategic deals this year alone. Below is an overview of the activity tracked this month for November:
Rugby School Dubai, a co-educational British curriculum day school (ages 3–18), opens August 2026 in Nad Al Sheba in partnership with Aldar Education.
Repton Dubai opens its Sports Village, a major capital investment featuring two full-sized 3G rugby and football pitches, a 1,600m² multi-sport astro-turf with cricket square, an athletics track, and extensive indoor facilities, strengthening its premium education infrastructure and long-term asset base.
Cognita has named CFO Andreas Tolpeit as interim CEO after Frank Maassen’s exit, signalling leadership uncertainty.
COBIS has been officially recognised by Saudi Arabia’s Education & Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) as a licensed accreditor for British and international schools, supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Blenheim Schools, part of Outcomes First Group, has acquired Mount House School in Barnet.
Robin Pyper appointed as Headmaster of Sedbergh School’s Senior School (starting April 2026), joining from Dollar Academy; appointment led by Saxton Bampfylde.
PeopleCert acquires City & Guilds’ awarding and skills businesses.
F&T Advisors Ltd education consultancy founded by Nisha Kaura, focusing on governance, strategy, and financial management in schools.
GSM and CoolSide Development announce plans for an international school in Limassol’s Pyrgos district to meet demand for world-class education.
Queen Elizabeth’s School Barnet announces its first international campus partnership with GEDU Global Education.
Sophie Green has been permanently appointed Head of St Helen’s College, part of the Forfar Education group.
Inspired Education Group partners with Newton’s Grove School to enter the Canadian market.
Inspired Learning Group (ILG) acquires Shrewsbury High School from the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST).
Formation of the St Paul’s School Group, with St Paul’s Junior rebranding as St Paul’s Prep and merging with Durston House and Shrewsbury House.
Summary
Taken together, November’s activity shows two clear trends shaping the independent schools landscape:
International focus:
Projects such as Rugby School Dubai (with Aldar Education) and GSM/CoolSide’s new school in Limassol highlight the continued global demand for British-branded education. Inspired Education reinforced this direction by entering the Canadian market through its partnership with Newton’s Grove School.Ongoing consolidation in the UK:
Blenheim Schools’ acquisition of Mount House School, ILG’s purchase of Shrewsbury High from GDST, and the formation of The St Paul’s School Group signal continued structural and strategic adjustment. This is being driven by financial efficiency, cost pressures, and long-term sustainability. Leadership changes, including Cognita appointing Andreas Tolpeit as interim CEO, show further movement across the major operators.
Overall, the market remains active but increasingly split: international expansion is gathering pace, while UK organisations are concentrating on consolidation, repositioning, or in some cases, survival. This raises a question: What will expansion abroad and consolidation at home mean for the sector in the long term?
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ART / THE LONG NOW: Saatchi Gallery at 40
5 November 2025 - 1 March 2026
Spotted in a colleague’s Art Department: Saatchi Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary with The Long Now, a major exhibition exploring past, present and future in contemporary art. Spread across two floors, it brings together bold new works and pieces that shaped the Gallery’s history.
Highlights include Richard Wilson’s iconic 20:50, a room filled with recycled engine oil that creates a striking mirror effect, aiming to carrying fresh meaning in the age of climate change. Other works address themes of technology and fragility with large-scale paintings and installations.
The exhibition is asking us to think long-term and challenge throwaway culture. Importantly, it continues Saatchi’s tradition of giving artists space for ambitious ideas.
The exhibition is asking us to think long-term and challenge throwaway culture.
TEACHING / Two AI Courses Launching Soon
We’re opening early access to The Geography of AI, a six-lesson course exploring how artificial intelligence shapes thinking, extraction, infrastructure and global systems. You’ll get an intro video, curated readings and a structured pathway covering the areas every ambitious pupil (14–19) should know for the topic.
Three options for early pupils:
Basic – course videos
Premium – videos + notes, readings and resources
Coaching – everything above + three 1:1 sessions with Jonathan Lloyd
Founders’ cohort places include a discount across all tiers.
We’re also preparing Understanding AI – Level 2 Award, an Ofqual-regulated 5-credit qualification introducing the fundamentals of AI. It covers how AI works, where it’s used, and the ethical and social questions it raises - with no formal entry requirements for ages 14–18.
Join the early access list to receive the founders’ discount, preview materials and release details for both courses.
👉 Click below to register your name, email and country.
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