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OFG Education snaps up 3 schools in international push
Deals for schools in Spain and the United Arab Emirates take the group’s total to four international settings, with the promise of more to come
OFG Education has announced the acquisition of three schools - two in the United Arab Emirates and one in Spain - as it consolidates its move into the international school market.
The group, which has also rebranded from OFG to OFG Education, said the deals align with its strategy of creating a “diverse international education group”, with chief executive David Leatherbarrow saying it will “continue to grow internationally”.
The schools acquired are Escuela IDEO in Madrid, a private school with around 1,200 pupils; Crown American Private School, an American curriculum K-12 school in Ajman, UAE; and The Gulf International Private Academy in Abu Dhabi, also a K-12 American curriculum school.
While the schools are not specialist provision providers like the settings OFG Education , each has a wider focus on inclusion and early intervention alongside academic outcomes.
Focus on inclusion
Mr Leatherbarrow said it is clear that this is the direction the market is moving in, so the schools are “a strong fit for our group”.
“Schools today are responding to a rapidly changing world. Student needs are evolving, technology is reshaping how young people learn, and expectations around wellbeing and outcomes have never been higher,” he said.
“Understanding individual needs and adapting education accordingly is something we have focused on for more than 20 years.”
OFG Education first entered the European market in January when it in Madrid from Globeducate.
Across the international school market, growth is very much the strategy, with Dukes Education picking up new schools in Europe and GEMS Education aiming for as many as 100 new schools in the next four years through its GEMS School Management arm.
Meanwhile, specialist provision providers in the UK such as Moon Hall School, in Reigate, Surrey, are exploring how to take their expertise in special educational needs and disabilities overseas. Moon Hall has opened an assessment and therapy centre in Cairo, Egypt, ahead of possibly opening a school in the country.
