Royal Hospital School in Suffolk, UK, has been sold to , it was announced today.
The addition of the 313-year-old HMC school comes following the for-profit group鈥檚 recent acquisition of and Holme Court in Cambridge. It also owns , among others.
Headmaster Irfan Latif said that day-to-day operations, leadership and educational provision at RHS would 鈥渃ontinue as normal, with planned investment in facilities and opportunities鈥.
The prestigious boarding school was founded in 1712 as part of the charitable Greenwich Hospital in London, moving to its 200-acre Suffolk site in 1933.
Up until the early 2000s, most of the students were supported by the school’s owners Greenwich Hospital, a Crown charity that supports serving and retired personnel of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and their dependants. It continues to support these students, but the intake is now far wider.
Greenwich Hospital said the transition of the school to Inspired Learning Group would be “carefully managed” and is expected to be complete by mid-November.
The 11 to 18 co-educational school currently has around 545 students, , but capacity for 820.
, the former chartered accountant who founded Inspired Learning Group in 2014, said:
鈥淭he arrival of Royal Hospital School is a defining moment in ILG鈥檚 journey. It is a school of exceptional quality, with a proud heritage and values that align perfectly with our vision.
鈥淎longside recent developments 鈥 Clayesmore, Holme Court, this move demonstrates our commitment to scale with quality, to diversify our provision, and secure long-term sustainability. We are honoured to build on Greenwich Hospital鈥檚 legacy and excited to invest in the school鈥檚 future. We have agreed measures to safeguard the school鈥檚 heritage and ongoing support for naval families.”
Irfan Latif, headmaster of Royal Hospital School, added: 鈥淲e are excited to join Inspired Learning Group at such a pivotal time in its growth. ILG鈥檚 commitment to educational excellence, investment in people and facilities, and sector expertise will allow us to build on our strong foundations while opening up new opportunities for our pupils, families, and staff. Our day-to-day鈥 operations, leadership, and educational provision continue as normal, with planned investment in facilities and opportunities鈥
Including Royal Hospital School, Inspired Learning Group now educates more than 4,000 pupils across 32 schools and nurseries in the UK, a statement said.
The aquisition of the school comes amid frantic mergers and aquisitions in the independent school sector, with announcements coming every week, as VAT on fees deters families from the independent sector.
According to research by Ecclesiastical insurance, two in five independent schools were merged or acquired in the 12 months leading up to June 2024, .
