Nord Anglia Education

Growth by acquisition

Kevin McNeany founded the company in 1972 to teach English as a foreign language. It moved into British education and ran nurseries before it turned to international schools. By 2008 it had sold the nurseries.

Growth has come mostly from buying schools. It bought six from Meritas in 2015, among them Collège du Léman in Geneva. Seven British Schools Foundation schools followed in 2017, five Oakridge schools in India in 2019 and Avenues in New York and São Paulo in 2023.

Schools of many kinds

The schools came from many founders, and they still differ. Some carry British names and teach the English curriculum to IGCSE, then the IB Diploma or A-levels. Others are bought local schools, such as Escola Móbile in São Paulo, or bilingual Swiss boarding schools.

Fees vary just as widely. The group's school finder gives starting fees from about USD 1,850 a year at Oakridge in Visakhapatnam to USD 119,700 at Collège Beau Soleil, a boarding school in the Swiss Alps.

In Southeast Asia and the Gulf its schools include Dover Court International School in Singapore, Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong, Nord Anglia International School Dubai and Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai, The British International School of Kuala Lumpur and Mont'Kiara International School, which joined in August 2026, and Nord Anglia School Jakarta.

Two decades under Fitzmaurice

Andrew Fitzmaurice has run the group since 2003, through its share listing, two private-equity sales and most of its school purchases.

Two top jobs are filled on an interim basis. Jing Kuan Tan is interim finance chief, and Vanessa Nicholls has been interim commercial chief since April 2026. A new general counsel, Janet McCarthy, arrived from Belron in September 2026.

Owners and borrowing

The current owners are a consortium of EQT, Neuberger Berman, CPP Investments, the Spanish investment group CF Alba and Dubai Holding. Their purchase, at a value of USD 14.5 billion, closed on 20 March 2025.

The group borrows heavily.

In January 2023 it raised term loans of EUR 1.5 billion and USD 610 million, due in 2028. In December 2024, Bloomberg reported a further USD 1.75 billion to fund the stake sale, including a USD 1.25 billion payment-in-kind loan from private credit funds. Interest on that kind of loan is added to the debt rather than paid in cash.

For the year to August 2021, Moody's put revenue at about USD 1.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA at USD 468 million, with debt at 8.7 times earnings. It rated the group B2, well below investment grade.

Fees city by city

Fees have risen at most of its schools. At BSKL the oldest pupils' fee went up 10.8 per cent in 2025/26; at the Jakarta school it rose 10.9 per cent for 2026/27. Hong Kong rose 6.6 per cent. Dubai held its fees flat for 2026/27.

Where its schools sit differs by city. In Dubai, Nord Anglia International School tops out at AED 105,288 and Swiss International Scientific School at AED 118,400, both above GEMS Wellington and well above Jebel Ali or JESS. That is the expatriate and corporate band.

In Hong Kong the school tops out at HKD 237,200: above the English Schools Foundation, below Harrow or Hong Kong Academy. Dover Court in Singapore, at SGD 51,171, sits under Tanglin, Dulwich and Singapore American School, which puts it in reach of more families paying their own way.

In Kuala Lumpur, Mont'Kiara and BSKL charge up to MYR 140,916 and MYR 135,261, close to ISKL. Both serve expatriate and well-off Malaysian families. Nord Anglia School Jakarta stops at age 12 and costs up to IDR 389 million, about 60 per cent of the top fee at Jakarta Intercultural School.

Compare the schools side by side before you choose.

Inspectors, teachers and partnerships

Dubai's regulator, KHDA, rated Nord Anglia International School Dubai outstanding in 2023/24, the last round before it paused inspections for 2025/26.

Some teachers describe a group that varies school by school. Several say the head matters more than the brand, and that the centre watches enrolment and money more than teaching. Some report good pay and resources; others describe heavy teaching loads at particular schools.

Its partnerships with MIT, the Juilliard School, UNICEF and IMG Academy feature in every announcement. The group's own page gives no pupil numbers or costs for any of them. What it describes is curriculum material, visits from Juilliard staff, online sessions, and week-long trips to MIT and IMG and summer courses that pupils apply for.

For most children these are brand programmes, not a weekly class.

Read more on how school groups took over the market and in our school groups section.

FAQ

Who owns Nord Anglia Education?

A consortium led by EQT, with Neuberger Berman, CPP Investments, CF Alba and Dubai Holding. Its purchase, valuing the group at USD 14.5 billion, closed in March 2025.

How many schools does Nord Anglia have?

91 in 37 countries, the newest Mont'Kiara International School in Kuala Lumpur, which joined in August 2026.

Are Nord Anglia schools good?

It depends on the school. Its Dubai school was rated outstanding by KHDA, but the group grew by buying schools of very different kinds, so judge each one by its head, results and inspections.

Is Nord Anglia a good place to teach?

Some teachers say it varies by school and leader. Some praise pay and resources; others describe heavy timetables and a strong focus on enrolment.

What do the MIT and Juilliard collaborations give pupils?

Mostly curriculum material, visits and online sessions. The campus trips and summer programmes take pupils who apply, and the group publishes no numbers or costs.