The remaining shareholding has been taken by the original owners, Sam Huang and Joe Chen, who built up the business under its original name, Kaishi.

“We hope we will be able to expand within China and also to other geographies in the future”

The two Shanghai centres are based in Minhang, where the curriculum is arts-focused, and in Jinshan, where students follow the UK or US based curriculum.

They offer Chinese students the opportunity to gain an international education, within China, for grades 10 and 11 before progressing to either CATS (UK or US) or Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts for their final year of high school.

CEG told The PIE that the students will then sit the following qualifications: CATS UK – University Foundation Program, CATS UK – High School Diploma and CSVPA – Extended Diploma.

In line with CEG’s existing CATS schools, the centres are modern and well-equipped with boarding facilities that reflect CEG’s strong positioning in the education market.

Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Education Group, Michael Ioakimides described the move as an “exciting first step” into a new model for CEG.

“We have been looking at expanding into transnational education, that enables us to make our excellent teaching model available in geographies outside the UK and US, and have worked closely with our investors, Bridgepoint Capital, to identify this excellent first opportunity in China,” he said.

“This is an exciting first step into a model that we hope we will be able to expand within China and also to other geographies in the future.”

Earlier in 2018, CEG announced a new partnership with Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, aimed at widening the institution’s “global reach, diversity and international population”.