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Major announcement in British Education across the UAE. Excella Repton and Cognita to partner across all Repton Schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Premium Repton Brand “secure.” What does it mean for parents?
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Cognita, a UK-based education provider, has announced a “strategic partnership” with the UAE-based Repton schools and their current operator, Excella – the education arm of Evolvence Capital, a Private Equity company that originated in India.

Excella (previously known as EKI) first partnered with the UK’s Repton School– a prestigious Derbyshire-based private school – in 2006, leading to the launch of Repton School Dubai in 2007-2008. This was followed by two more Repton-related schools launching in the UAE in 2013: Repton Al Barsha (formerly known as Foremarke) and Repton Abu Dhabi. All are hugely respected and established Tier 1 premium schools, much loved by families and the students that attend them. Repton Dubai has been consistently recognised as one of the “Best Schools in the United Arab Emirates” in the Top Schools Awards, the region’s education awards celebrating its most outstanding schools and educators, with a creditable reputation for cultural inclusion and pioneering both British, International and IB education in Dubai.


Read our story on big name school brands in the UAE here


While details are sparse on the nature of Cognita’s partnership with Excella and Repton, it is understood that Cognita has already made a significant financial investment into assets pertaining to Repton schools in the UAE. Which Media asked for further clarification, but Cognita was unable to comment on the question of whether Repton schools will now become ‘Cognita schools’ in the UAE, nor on the extent to which Excella will remain involved in the running of Repton schools in the UAE, or what tangible difference Repton families in the UAE can expect to see in the day-to-day running of the schools.  We will update the story if and when we receive further information from Cognita and Excella.

There is no suggested link between Cognita and Repton School in the UK; the new partnership we understand is only in the UAE.

This is not Cognita’s first such “partnership” with a prestigious English school…

Cognita opened a new international school in Singapore in partnership with Brighton College in August 2020. The UK’s Brighton College leads the educational philosophy, school ethos and curricula, while Cognita leads the day-to-day operation of the Singapore-based school. Although there are currently three Brighton College school in the UAE – Brighton College Dubai, Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Brighton College Al Ain – these are not operated by Cognita, but rather by (world-class) education provider Bloom Education.


Read our story on how British Education is the Best in the World for Power and Influence here.

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Cognita also previously entered into a partnership with Royal Grammar School Guildford in the UK, which led to the launch of The Royal Grammar School (RGS) Guildford Dubai in August 2021. Since this launch, Cognita has been in acquisition mode in the UAE, also acquiring Ranches Primary School, Horizon English School and Horizon International School.


Read our review of Repton School Dubai here.


Commenting on the new partnership between Repton, Excella and Cognita, Cognita representatives said:

“The partnership will bring numerous benefits to the Repton UAE schools, including access to a global network of over 100 Cognita schools and the local network of excellent schools in the UAE.”

“The partnership between Cognita, Repton and Excella marks a significant moment in the history of international private education, with the collaboration of three leading organisations set to benefit students, parents and educators alike.”

How will the Cognita partnership affect parents and children at Repton schools in the UAE?

SchoolsCompared spoke to a prospective parent of Repton Al Barsha, who was unclear on what the partnership means:

“I am planning to start my two children at Repton Al Barsha next academic year.

“I don’t understand what Cognita’s involvement with the school will actually mean. The teachers did not seem to know when I asked yesterday either, although everyone was keen to reassure me that it would be a positive thing.”

Meanwhile, Dr Mahdi H Mattar, CEO of Excella, said:

“We are thrilled to be part of a global network of leading schools that share the same passion and commitment to academic rigour, as well as developing the whole child…”

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Editorial Team
Live news and in-depth reviews reporting from the SchoolsCompared.com editorial and news desk teams reporting from London and the UAE. The SchoolsCompared Editorial Team combines more than a century of global experience in journalism. To contact us with news in confidence please email [email protected].

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