The International Schools Partnership (ISP), a school group with over 60 schools worldwide, has acquired a majority stake in Star International Schools located in Dubai. The two schools, Star International School, Al-Twar and Star International School, Mirdif, sit across three campuses and collectively have over 1,400 students.
The Star schools join The Aquila School, Nibras International School, Aspen Heights British School and Reach British School as ISP schools in the UAE.
Offering the National Curriculum of England, both schools have been rated ‘Good’ by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). Opened by ETA Star Group in 2005, Star International School, Al-Twar is divided between two campuses, with the primary school located in Al-Twar and the newly opened secondary School in Al Ghusais. In the release sent to the media, ISP said it would “accelerate the trajectory of growth and success [of the schools]”, and strengthen their reputation as “leading providers of academic excellence where students embark on their journey of life-long learning”.
Star International School, Al-Twar caters to students from FS1 to Year 12, with annual tuition fees ranging from AED 20,000 to 59,000. Star International School, Mirdif opened in 2009 and currently caters to students from FS1 to Year 11, with tuition fees ranging from AED 27,000 to 48,000.
ISP has not detailed how much it paid or its exact level of ownership. Current owner, Bright Capital Investment, remains a minority shareholder in the schools.
Mick Gernon, Regional Managing Director, ISP Middle East, said:
“We are extremely excited to have the Star International Schools as part of ISP. The schools have built a sound reputation as schools of choice in their communities and are committed to providing personalised learning to their students. This is one of the many things that made the schools an excellent fit for ISP. We will support the vision of the schools to nurture their students to achieve their full potential and positively impact the world around them through the entire range of ISP opportunities.”
Esref Temel, Managing Director, Bright Capital Investment added:
“We are delighted to be joining the ISP family and have no doubt that their experience and expertise will help elevate our schools. By joining this global company, our community will now be able to benefit from the International Learning Opportunities for students and the worldwide connections across ISP, CPD opportunities and professional networks for staff. ISP and Bright Capital Investment share a commitment to student learning and progress, and we look forward to working together to ensure our students receive the best possible personalised learning experience.”
The UAE has seen an uptick in school acquisition over the last 12 months, most notably with Cognita’s acquisition of Horizon English School Horizon International and Ranches Primary, and Taaleem’s acquisition of former Not for Profit, Jebel Ali School.
