Private equity giants are circling one of the biggest owners of private schools in the UK, as its owners tee up a sale that could value the business at £5 billion. Jacobs Holding, the Swiss investment group, has appointed advisers from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to explore a sale, or possibly a stock market listing, of Cognita, which operates more than 100 fee-paying schools around the world. It is understood that private equity firms including Permira, CVC and Blackstone are among the potential buyers of Cognita, which was co-founded by the late Sir Chris Woodhead, the government’s former chief inspector of schools. Cognita owns 39 schools across the UK, from Swansea’s Oakleigh House School, which educated Lord (Michael) Heseltine and Eddie Izzard, to Salcombe

Source: The Times April 20, 2025 00:03 UTC