JOHANNESBURG - PRIVATE education group Curro has acquired St George’s Preparatory school in Port Elizabeth as it pursues its growth streak.
Group chief executive Andries Greyling said yesterday that the acquisition added to two the number of schools the group managed in the Eastern Cape.
“This acquisition is aligned with our intention to expand Curro’s geographical footprint and to extend our education offering in accordance with our vision of making independent education accessible to all South Africans.
“We are indeed looking forward to welcoming the St George’s learners and staff to the Curro family,” said Greyling.
StGeorge’s was established in 1936 and provided high-quality independent education to learners from Grade 000 to Grade 7. Greyling said the school would form part of Curro’s Select schools’ model.
“This means that the heart and identity of the school will remain untouched, although learners and parents could over time see some changes in staff and infrastructure to align with future growth strategies,” he said.
The campus head at St George’s, Alex Hall, said that the school’s mission was to prepare learners for life by equipping them to be socially responsible and compassionate people in an ever-changing world. “This aligns well with Curro’s aim to provide an education space where learners can flourish into leaders, and we’re excited to see St George’s learners grow under the Curro banner. “2021 needs to be a year of hope and kindness and we have no doubt that we will be even better equipped now to provide this to all our learners and parents,” said Hall.
Curro also manages Westbrook Estate, in Port Elizabeth, that provides high-quality education for learners from Grade R to Grade 9, with higher grades phasing in annually. The group said in a business update in July last year that the fundamentals of the business remained sound and prospects for growth over the medium- to longterm remained strong. Curro rose 0.63 percent on the JSE yesterday to close at R9.60.
BUSINESS REPORT