Forfar Education, a privately owned school operator based in the UK, has acquired two schools – The Gleddings Preparatory School in Halifax and Cameron House School in Chelsea – EducationInvestor Global can exclusively reveal.

This publication has learnt that Forfar Education, which is bankrolled by private City investors and headed up by chief executive John Forsyth, acquired Gleddings prep in December and Cameron House more recently.

When contacted by this publication, Forsyth said he was “delighted to have acquired two schools that gel so well with the ethos of Forfar”, but declined to give further details relating to the transactions. The values of the deals are unknown.

Forfar Education also owns Brackenfield School in Harrogate. The group’s purchase of Cameron House marks its first in London. Forfar Education also operates – but does not own – several schools in Asia.

Cameron House, described on its website as “a homely and heart-lifting sight amid the bustle of Chelsea”, records annual revenues of around £560,000. Accountancy firm BDO brought the school to market on behalf of its former owners last August.

One source said that Cameron House’s student numbers had been in decline – a claim on which Forsyth declined to comment.  

As of 31 August, 2019, The Gleddings School – which is co-educational and has “around 200 pupils”, according to its website – had net assets totalling £706,664 – up from £664,504 in 2018 – according to corporate filings.