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Dukes Education has continued its European expansion with a deal for International School Westpfalz (ISW), its first school in Germany.

The school, in Landstuhl in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the west of the country, serves around 240 students aged 4 to 18, and uses the Cambridge curriculum from early years to A level.

The acquisition takes Dukes’ European presence to 27 schools in 10 countries, underlining the group’s desire to grow into new regions after it snapped up a school in Canada, another new market for the business.

Dukes founder Aatif Hassan has made no secret of his intention to grow its portfolio of schools, telling ����Vlog at the start of the year that he hoped to enter the Middle East, too - a plan that remains on the table despite the impact of war in the region.

New school ‘aligns closely with Dukes’ values’

Commenting on this deal, Mr Hassan said Dukes was confident ISW was the perfect fit for the group and an ideal first school in Germany.

“Its commitment to developing confident, globally minded young people aligns closely with the values at the heart of Dukes Education,” he said.

Jodi Fillingame, head of school at ISW, added that the move into Dukes will help the school continue to grow and deliver on its ambition to deliver “academic excellence” alongside a core focus on “wellbeing, kindness and a deep sense of belonging.”

The international school sector is experiencing strong growth despite global events causing uncertainty in some markets, with UK private schools such as Epsom College unveiling growth plans - it is opening two new schools in the United Arab Emirates - and GEMS Education entering new markets including Zanzibar and Georgia.