Bellevue Education is an international private schools group founded in 2003 and based in London, UK.[1] By 2019 it has grown to consist of 19 schools in the UK and 1 each in France and Switzerland.[2][3] The Group also provides educational support to Bellevue Place Group,[4] a group of Free Schools to which Bellevue's CEO, Mark Malley, and its Group Schools Director, Steve Wade, are Trustees.[5] One of the group's previous investors is Tarek Obaid, the founder of the oil company PetroSaudi, which has been implicated in the 1MDB scandal.[6] Bellevue Education was acquired by GEMS Education in 2018, and is a UK and European subsidiary of the Group.[7] In 2019, CVC acquired a 30% stake in GEMS Education, which also includes its stake in Bellevue Education.[8]
 | |
| Company type | Education |
|---|---|
| Industry | Independent schools and colleges |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Mark Malley |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Number of locations | 21 schools across the UK, France and in Switzerland |
Key people | Mark Malley (CEO), Steven Wade (Schools Director), Jay Varkey (Board) |
| Parent | Bellevue Education International Limited |
| Website | www.blvue.com |
History edit
Bellevue Education was founded under the name House Education by Mark Malley in 2003, when he bought Norfolk House preparatory school in London.[9][10] He also became the headteacher, and when the school was inspected in 2007 it was reported to be significantly improved from its previous inspection.[11]
In 2008 House Education was renamed The Really Great Education Company Limited (EDCO) and purchased Weston Green School in Surrey.[9][12] It also purchased Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School in East Sussex in 2010.[13][14]
The company adopted the name Bellevue Education Group in 2011, prior to acquiring three more independent schools: Edenhurst Preparatory School in Staffordshire, Brabyns Preparatory School in Cheshire, and Gateway School in Buckinghamshire.[9]
In 2012, Bellevue Education Group was reported to be jointly owned by Mark Malley, with a 35% stake, and its chairman Marwan Naja, owner of Plato One Ltd and Plato Two Ltd.[2] Further investment in that year by Plato Two Ltd coincided with the establishment of Bellevue Education International Limited, of which Bellevue Education Group became a wholly owned subsidiary.[15][16] The parent company completed the acquisition of a Swiss boarding school, Surval Mont-Fleuri, subsequently renamed as Surval Montreux.[17] The group's early growth was driven by funding derived largely from Tarek Obaid, the founder of the oil company PetroSaudi, which has been implicated in the 1MDB scandal.[6]
Bellevue Education formed a joint venture with Place Group, the Bellevue Place Education Trust (BPET), which operates seven, state funded, primary "Free Schools" across London and the South-East.[18][19] The Group's CEO, Mark Malley, and School Director, Steve Wade, form part of the Trustees of Bellevue Place.[20]
Bellevue Education was acquired by GEMS Education in 2018, and is a UK and European subsidiary of the Group.[7] In 2019, the private equity group CVC Capital Partners acquired a 30% stake in GEMS Education, which also includes its stake in Bellevue Education. Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia's sovereign fund, owns a 3% stake.[8]
The Group has continued its growth with its new shareholders, and acquired Farlington School in September 2019.[21]
References edit
- ^ "Company House". Company House.
- ^ a b "Bellevue Education continues empire building". Education Investor Website. Education Investor. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Schools". Our Schools. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "Bellevue Place Trust". Bellevue Place Trust.
- ^ "Bellevue Place Trustees". Our Trustees. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ a b Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Josh Boswell for the Sunday Times 10 April 2016 Saudi oil tycoon revealed as investor in schools company
- ^ a b "GEMS Global completes acquisition of a controlling stake in Bellevue Education". Assignment Report.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "CVC-led consortium to take 30% stake in Dubai's GEMS Education". Financial Times.
- ^ a b c "BELLEVUE EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED". Dellam Corporate Information Limited. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Mark William Malley: Director Summary". Company Check. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "2007 Inspection Report on Norfolk House School". Independent Schools Inspectorate. Independent Schools Inspectorate. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ "EDCO". The Agency for Education. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "EMC brokers a bright new future for Skippers Hill Manor School". EMC. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ Croft, James. "Profit-Making Free Schools: Unlocking the Potential of England's Proprietorial Schools Sector" (PDF). Adam Smith Institute. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Education Limited – Annual Accounts". Companies in the UK. Bellevue Education Group Limited. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Education continues empire building". Education Investor Website. Education Investor. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Place Education Trust Free Schools: Master Funding Agreement". Department for Education: School Performance Tables. Department for Education. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Place Education Trust: Director's Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31st August 2013". School Performance Tables. Department for Education. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Bellevue Place". Our Trustees. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Bellevue acquires UK school". Education Investor.[permanent dead link]