Cognita
Encyclopedia
Cognita is a private company which owns and operates independent schools throughout the United Kingdom. In addition, Cognita operates a number of international school
s in Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam. The company is based in Milton Keynes
, Buckinghamshire
, and is the largest independent schools business in the UK.
Cognita was formed in October 2004 by its management and Englefield Capital, a private equity
firm, now called Bregal Capital. Currently the company employs more than 3,500 teachers, and educates more than 17,500 children in a variety of pre-preparatory, preparatory and senior schools.
The current chairman of Cognita is Sir Chris Woodhead
, the former Chief Inspector of Schools In England.
In 2010 revenue was £151 million, of which £102 million was in the UK.
with parents groups claiming it has "no serious interest in maximising the educational experience of... children if it impacts on their bottom line".
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
s in Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam. The company is based in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and is the largest independent schools business in the UK.
Cognita was formed in October 2004 by its management and Englefield Capital, a private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
firm, now called Bregal Capital. Currently the company employs more than 3,500 teachers, and educates more than 17,500 children in a variety of pre-preparatory, preparatory and senior schools.
The current chairman of Cognita is Sir Chris Woodhead
Chris Woodhead
Sir Christopher Anthony Woodhead was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England from 1994 until 2000 and is one of the most controversial figures in debates on the direction of English education policy...
, the former Chief Inspector of Schools In England.
In 2010 revenue was £151 million, of which £102 million was in the UK.
Schools in the United Kingdom
- Akeley Wood SchoolAkeley Wood SchoolAkeley Wood School is a mixed independent primary and secondary school, with an attached sixth form near Buckingham. It is owned by Cognita, an independent schools company chaired by Chris Woodhead...
, BuckinghamBuckinghamBuckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
, Buckinghamshire - Breaside Preparatory School, BromleyBromleyBromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... - The Charterhouse SquareCharterhouse SquareCharterhouse Square is a historic square in Smithfield, between Charterhouse Street and Clerkenwell Road. It lies in the extreme south of the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London....
School, IslingtonIslingtonIslington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London - Chilton Cantelo SchoolChilton Cantelo SchoolChilton Cantelo School is a small profit-making coeducational Independent school located in the village of Chilton Cantelo near Yeovil and Sherborne in Somerset, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group....
, Chilton CanteloChilton CanteloChilton Cantelo is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Yeo north of Yeovil and east of Ilchester in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 132...
, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the... - Clifton Lodge School, EalingEalingEaling is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, London - Colchester High SchoolColchester High SchoolColchester High School is a profit-making coeducational Independent school located in Colchester in Essex, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group. Colchester High is the only coeducational independent school in Colchester to offer secondary education.-History:The school was...
, ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west... - Cranbrook CollegeCranbrook CollegeCranbrook is an independent co-educational school, located in Ilford, Greater London, England. The Cognita Group own and operate the school. The academic years go up from junior to senior starting from reception then working the way up the academic ladder to Year 11. Pupils usually go on to other...
, IlfordIlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, Essex - Cumnor House SchoolCumnor House SchoolCumnor House School is a junior independent school in South Croydon, Greater London. The school is owned and operated by Cognita, the largest independent schools company in the United Kingdom....
, South CroydonSouth CroydonSouth Croydon is a locality in Greater London, the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon about 1 km in radius, centred on the Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is part of the South Croydon post town and in the London Borough of Croydon...
, London - Downsend SchoolDownsend SchoolDownsend School is a private school located in Leatherhead, Surrey, UK. Founded in 1891 as a non-denominational preparatory school for boys since 1927 aged 8 to 13, it is now a school for boys and girls, and takes on pupils from 6 to 13 years of age. Unusually the school does not have charitable...
, LeatherheadLeatherheadLeatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of... - Duncombe School, HertfordHertfordHertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
, HertfordshireHertfordshireHertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and... - Ferndale Preparatory School, FaringdonFaringdonFaringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... - Ffynone House SchoolFfynone House SchoolFfynone House School is an independent secondary school in Swansea, Wales. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita group. It is situated in the Ffynone area of the city at 36 St. James Crescent....
, SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... - Glenarm College, Ilford, Essex
- Glenesk School, East Horsley, Surrey
- Hendon Preparatory School, HendonHendonHendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, London - Huddersfield Grammar SchoolHuddersfield Grammar SchoolHudderfield Grammar School is a profit-making coeducational independent school located in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 2007 the school has been owned and operated by the Cognita Group. It is the largest independent school in Huddersfield to offer both primary and secondary...
, HuddersfieldHuddersfieldHuddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, West YorkshireWest YorkshireWest Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.... - Hydesville Tower SchoolHydesville Tower SchoolHydesville Tower School is a profit-making coeducational Independent school located in Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group, and is the only coeducational independent school in Walsall to offer secondary education...
, WalsallWalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The... - The King's School, Plymouth, PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with... - Kingscourt School, CatheringtonCatheringtonCatherington is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1 mile northwest of Horndean, just west of the A3 road.The nearest railway station in 3.3 miles southeast of the village, at Rowlands Castle....
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force... - Long Close SchoolLong Close SchoolLong Close School is a profit-making coeducational Independent school located in Upton, Slough in Berkshire, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group, and is the largest independent school in Slough. The school was founded in 1940. It offers a co-educational Nursery,...
, SloughSloughSlough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and... - Meoncross SchoolMeoncross SchoolMeoncross School is a profit-making coeducational independent school located in the village of Stubbington, near Fareham in Hampshire, England. Since 2004 the school has been owned and operated by the Cognita Group. Meoncross is the only independent senior school in Borough of...
, FarehamFarehamThe market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
, Hampshire - Milbourne Lodge SchoolMilbourne Lodge SchoolMilbourne Lodge School is a co-educational pre-prep and preparatory school for children aged four to thirteen.Located in Esher, Surrey, the school is housed in a Victorian mansion situated on of Surrey countryside.-History:...
, EsherEsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, Surrey - North Bridge House SchoolNorth Bridge House SchoolNorth Bridge House School is an independent school in London for 2½ to 16-year-olds. The school has three different locations for different age groups. The first, located in Hampstead on Fitzjohn's Avenue, is for 2½ - 5 year olds. The second, located near the first, on Netherhall Gardens, is for 5...
, HampsteadHampsteadHampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, London - Oakfields Montessori School, UpminsterUpminsterUpminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan, and comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
, London - Oxford House School Colchester, Essex
- Polam Oaks School, BedfordBedfordBedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, BedfordshireBedfordshireBedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east.... - Quinton House SchoolQuinton House SchoolQuinton House School is a profit-making coeducational independent school located in Upton, Northampton, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group...
, NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,... - Sackville School, HildenboroughSackville School, HildenboroughSackville School is a small profit-making coeducational independent school located in the village of Hildenborough, in Kent, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group.-History:...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... - St Clare's School, Newton, Bridgend, Wales
- St Margaret's Preparatory School, GosfieldGosfieldGosfield is a village near Halstead, Essex. It is the location of Gosfield School, an independent school.-External links:*...
, Essex - St Mary's School, Henley-on-Thames, Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire - St Nicholas Preparatory School, KensingtonKensingtonKensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London - Salcombe Preparatory SchoolSalcombe Preparatory SchoolSalcombe Preparatory School is a preparatory school located in Southgate, London, UK. The school is currently owned and operated by Cognita. Founded in 1918, Salcombe is a co-educational preparatory day school for children aged between 3 and 11...
, SouthgateSouthgate-Places:In the United Kingdom:*Southgate, London**Enfield Southgate **Southgate tube station*SouthGate, Bath*Southgate, Ceredigion*Southgate, Cheshire*Southgate, Norfolk*Southgate, Swansea*Southgate, West Sussex...
, London - Southbank International SchoolSouthbank International SchoolSouthbank International School is a selective, mixed independent school located in the City of Westminster, Kensington and Hampstead, London, England. It is an international school for 3 to 18 year olds, from Early childhood to Key Stage 5...
, London
Schools in Spain
- Hastings School of Madrid, MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
- British School of BarcelonaBritish School of BarcelonaThe British School of Barcelona is a private profit-making coeducational bilingual international school located in Castelldefels near Barcelona, Spain.-History:...
, BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... - El Limonar International School, MurciaEl Limonar International School, MurciaEl Limonar International School, Murcia - ELIS Murcia , is a private profit-making coeducational international school located in Murcia, Spain. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group, and educates children from ages 3 to 18 from more than 20 nations...
, MurciaMurcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village... - El Limonar International School, VillamartinEl Limonar International School, VillamartinEl Limonar International School, Villamartin - ELIS Villamartin , is a private profit-making coeducational international school located in Villamartín, Spain...
, VillamartinVillamartinVillamartín is the name of both an urbanisation and a golf course in the Costa Blanca area of eastern Spain. It lies in the municipality of Orihuela, in the province of Alicante in the Valencian Community ....
Schools in Singapore
- Australian International SchoolAustralian International School SingaporeThe Australian International School Singapore is an co-educational international school in Singapore. The school is owned and operated by Cognita...
, Serangoon GardensSerangoon GardensSerangoon Gardens Estate is a residential estate in Singapore.The estate is well known for its food centres, tuition centers, presence of trend setters, and the food and beverage outlets.-History:... - Stamford American International SchoolStamford American International SchoolStamford American International School is a co-educational international school, centrally located at 11 Lorong Chuan in Singapore. The school is owned and operated by Cognita and enrolled its first students in August 2009...
, SerangoonSerangoonSerangoon is town situated in the central part of the city-state of Singapore, within the North-East Region. The Housing and Development Board housing estate of Serangoon New Town in Serangoon is one of the smaller new towns. Its town centre is known as Serangoon Central, and is the target of...
Schools in Thailand
- St. Andrews International School, Rayong, RayongRayongRayong is a city located on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, in the east coast region of Thailand. It is the capital of Rayong Province, and covers the tambon Tha Pradu and Pak Nam and parts of tambon Choeng Noen and Noen Phra, all within Mueang Rayong district...
- St. Andrews International School, Sathorn, BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
- St. Andrews International School, Sukhumvit, Bangkok
Schools in Vietnam
- International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC), Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
- American Academy of Vietnam (AAVN)(2012) , Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
International Expansion
Cognita runs schools in Spain, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, and is looking to expand into China.Criticisms of Cognita
Cognita has run into serious criticism of its management of Southbank International SchoolSouthbank International School
Southbank International School is a selective, mixed independent school located in the City of Westminster, Kensington and Hampstead, London, England. It is an international school for 3 to 18 year olds, from Early childhood to Key Stage 5...
with parents groups claiming it has "no serious interest in maximising the educational experience of... children if it impacts on their bottom line".