Bellevue Education
{{Short description|Group of private schools}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| type = Education
| founded = 2003
| founder = Mark Malley
| location_city = London
| location_country = United Kingdom
| locations = 21 schools across the UK, France and in Switzerland
| key_people = Mark Malley (CEO), Steven Wade (Schools Director), Jay Varkey (Board)
| industry = Independent schools and colleges
| logo = Bellevue Logo.png
| homepage = [http://www.blvue.com/ www.blvue.com]
| parent = Bellevue Education International Limited
}}
Bellevue Education is an international private schools group founded in 2003 and based in London, UK.{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04924426|title=Company House|date=|website=Company House}} By 2019 it has grown to consist of 19 schools in the UK and 1 each in France and Switzerland.{{cite news|title=Bellevue Education continues empire building|url=http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=3012|accessdate=9 November 2014|work=Education Investor Website|publisher=Education Investor|date=22 October 2012|archive-date=10 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110002450/http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=3012|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.blvue.com/our-schools/|title=Bellevue Schools|website=Our Schools|url-status=dead|access-date=3 January 2016|archive-date=23 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123011334/http://www.blvue.com/our-schools}} The Group also provides educational support to Bellevue Place Group,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bpet.co.uk/|title=Bellevue Place Trust|website=Bellevue Place Trust}} a group of Free Schools to which Bellevue's CEO, Mark Malley, and its Group Schools Director, Steve Wade, are Trustees.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bpet.co.uk/about-us/trustees/|title=Bellevue Place Trustees|website=Our Trustees|access-date=8 September 2019|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115181156/https://www.bpet.co.uk/about-us/trustees/|url-status=dead}} Bellevue Education was acquired by GEMS Education in 2018, and is a UK and European subsidiary of the Group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theassignmentreport.com/articles/20180831_27|title=GEMS Global completes acquisition of a controlling stake in Bellevue Education|website=Assignment Report}}{{Dead link|date=May 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In 2019, CVC acquired a 30% stake in GEMS Education, which also includes its stake in Bellevue Education.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ab178020-a309-11e9-a282-2df48f366f7d|title=CVC-led consortium to take 30% stake in Dubai's GEMS Education|website=Financial Times}}
History
Bellevue Education was founded under the name House Education by Mark Malley in 2003, when he bought Norfolk House preparatory school in London.{{cite web|url=http://www.dellam.com/04924426-BELLEVUE%20EDUCATION%20GROUP%20LIMITED.html|title=BELLEVUE EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED|website=Dellam Corporate Information Limited|accessdate=9 November 2014}}{{cite web|title=Mark William Malley: Director Summary|url=http://companycheck.co.uk/director/913742040|website=Company Check|accessdate=9 November 2014}} He also became the headteacher, and when the school was inspected in 2007 it was reported to be significantly improved from its previous inspection.{{cite web|title=2007 Inspection Report on Norfolk House School|url=http://isiservice.devprocess.com/HtmlReportViewer.aspx?r=1217_07.htm|website=Independent Schools Inspectorate|publisher=Independent Schools Inspectorate|accessdate=23 January 2016}}
In 2008 House Education was renamed The Really Great Education Company Limited (EDCO) and purchased Weston Green School in Surrey.{{cite web|title=EDCO|url=http://www.theagencyforeducation.co.uk/work.php?item=edco&sub=2|website=The Agency for Education|accessdate=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109213100/http://www.theagencyforeducation.co.uk/work.php?item=edco&sub=2|archive-date=9 November 2014|url-status=dead}} It also purchased Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School in East Sussex in 2010.{{cite web|title=EMC brokers a bright new future for Skippers Hill Manor School|url=http://www.emcltd.co.uk/news/success-stories/emc-brokers-a-bright-new-future-for-skippers-hill-manor-school|website=EMC|accessdate=9 November 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Croft|first1=James|title=Profit-Making Free Schools: Unlocking the Potential of England's Proprietorial Schools Sector|url=http://www.adamsmith.org/sites/default/files/resources/ASI_School_report_WEB.pdf|publisher=Adam Smith Institute|accessdate=9 November 2014}}
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.
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. 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.{{cite web|title = Bellevue Education Limited – Annual Accounts|url = https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/company/documentextract/56750437|website = Companies in the UK|publisher = Bellevue Education Group Limited|accessdate = 9 November 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141110003623/https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/company/documentextract/56750437|archive-date = 10 November 2014|url-status = dead}}{{cite web|title = Bellevue Education International Limited: Shareholders|url = http://companycheck.co.uk/company/08028529/BELLEVUE-EDUCATION-INTERNATIONAL-LIMITED/group-structure|website = Company Check|accessdate = 9 November 2014|archive-date = 11 June 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160611051108/https://companycheck.co.uk/company/08028529/BELLEVUE-EDUCATION-INTERNATIONAL-LIMITED/group-structure|url-status = dead}} The parent company completed the acquisition of a Swiss boarding school, Surval Mont-Fleuri, subsequently renamed as Surval Montreux.{{cite news|url=http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=3012|title=Bellevue Education continues empire building|date=22 October 2012|work=Education Investor Website|publisher=Education Investor|accessdate=9 November 2014|archive-date=10 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110002450/http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=3012|url-status=dead}} 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.Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Josh Boswell for the Sunday Times 10 April 2016 [https://web.archive.org/web/20160424124502/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1686389.ece Saudi oil tycoon revealed as investor in schools company]
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.{{cite web|title=Bellevue Place Education Trust Free Schools: Master Funding Agreement|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/school.pl?urn=139775&downloadfs=pdf&numfile=0|website=Department for Education: School Performance Tables|publisher=Department for Education|accessdate=10 November 2014}}{{cite web|title=Bellevue Place Education Trust: Director's Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31st August 2013|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/school.pl?urn=139775&downloadar=pdf|website=School Performance Tables|publisher=Department for Education|accessdate=10 November 2014}} The Group's CEO, Mark Malley, and School Director, Steve Wade, form part of the Trustees of Bellevue Place.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bpet.co.uk/about-us/trustees/|title=Bellevue Place|website=Our Trustees|access-date=8 September 2019|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115181156/https://www.bpet.co.uk/about-us/trustees/|url-status=dead}}
Bellevue Education was acquired by GEMS Education in 2018, and is a UK and European subsidiary of the Group. 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.
The Group has continued its growth with its new shareholders, and acquired Farlington School in September 2019.{{Cite web|url=http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/showarticle.aspx?ID=8127&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1|title=Bellevue acquires UK school|website=Education Investor}}{{Dead link|date=May 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}