Sovereign in £34 million MBO of World Class Learning Schools

Sovereign Capital, the UK private equity buy & build specialist, is pleased to announce its successful facilitation of a Management Buy-Out ("MBO") of World Class Learning Schools & Systems Limited ("WCL"). WCL, based in London, operates six schools educating over 2,000 pupils at its five British schools in the USA and one in Qatar. WCL's School Management Services division, known as Fieldwork Education, provides education management services to Shell's international schools and has developed the International Primary Curriculum ("IPC") which is used in around 400 schools in 44 countries.

WCL's schools offer British and international pupils a high quality learning environment with the highest standards of academic rigour and discipline. The UK trained staff aim to help create independent thinkers with a global outlook. This approach has allowed WCL to open three new schools in the last two years and achieve an overall pupil growth rate of 55% CAGR since September 1998.

Sovereign first formed a relationship with WCL in 2001 and has tracked its progress closely as it has grown to be a substantial educational provider.  The London based WCL management team are led by CEO Marcel van Miert, whom Sovereign have known since 2003 and includes the respected educationalist Martin Skelton.

Commenting on the transaction, Ryan Robson, Managing Partner at Sovereign, said: "We have known WCL for a long time and it is a well respected and high quality business in the large, and growing, international schools and educational services market.  The schools with their characteristically predictable incomes, represent a solid platform for further growth and the application of Sovereign's proven buy & build strategy.  In addition, the successful IPC product allows the group the opportunity to provide more primary schools in the UK and overseas with an exciting new international curriculum."

Marcel van Miert added: "We have known Sovereign for many years and are delighted to be working with them to continue to meet the growing demand for access to high quality education in a highly fragmented, international market. Their resources and experience of helping high quality educational providers to expand together with our team and products is a powerful combination."