Study Group
Study Group is a private international education provider offering university pathway, foundation, and English-language programs for students preparing to study abroad.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Study Group is a United Kingdom-based international education provider whose principal business is preparing overseas students for university study. It operates International Study Centres in partnership with universities, primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where students take foundation, pre-sessional, undergraduate-pathway, and postgraduate-pathway courses before progressing to degree programs. The company also supports international students through partner institutions in North America and Asia and works with a global network of more than 3,000 education agents. The business traces its origins to British Study Group, which Andrew Colin and Duncan Greenland acquired in 1989. Its early operations were based in Hastings and Brighton, England, with a further language school opening in Hove. Colin had previously acquired Bellerbys College, a sixth-form provider serving international students. In 1994, the business was incorporated and expanded through the involvement of John Collyer and the combination of related education operations. Study Group’s pathway model places international students in specialized academic and language programs before they begin a university degree. Initially, these programs were delivered at International Study Centres located on or near partner-university campuses. The model allowed universities to recruit internationally while providing students with academic preparation, English-language development, and support in adapting to a new education system. By 2021, Study Group had also developed an online pathway offering. The company expanded materially during the 1990s. In 1996, Daily Mail Group acquired a 40 percent interest, and Study Group expanded into the United States and Australia. Daily Mail Group subsequently acquired full ownership in 1999 in a transaction reported at approximately £44 million. During the following decade, Study Group broadened its language-school presence through the acquisition of the Center for English Studies chain in the United States and Canada. That business was later known as Embassy CES and Embassy English; Embassy English was sold to EC in 2018. Ownership changed several times as Study Group grew. Australian private-equity firm CHAMP acquired the company from Daily Mail Group in 2006 for a reported A$176.4 million. In 2010, Providence Equity Partners became the owner in a transaction reported at A$660 million. Ardian announced the acquisition of a majority stake in February 2019. In February 2020, Study Group acquired insendi, a learning-experience platform intended to support development of its digital and online pathway activity. Study Group’s portfolio and geographic footprint have also evolved in response to changes in international student mobility and regulatory conditions. Its Australian accreditation, including the accreditation associated with Taylors UniLink, was cancelled by the Australian Government effective 16 January 2019. In 2022, the company closed its Brighton-based Bellerbys College. In 2024, it introduced Bellerbys Global, intended to deliver foundation programs closer to students’ home countries. The company is led by chief executive Ian Crichton, with academic oversight involving Provost and Chief Academic Officer Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon and an Academic Board chaired by Professor Sir Keith Burnett. A reference supplied for this dossier states that Study Group announced an acquisition by Arete Education in May 2026; that event is retained as a reported ownership development but should be independently checked against current company records.
History
Study Group developed from a British language and international education business associated with Andrew Colin and Duncan Greenland. The business dates its origins to 1989, when Colin and Greenland acquired operations trading as British Study Group, with centres in Hastings and Brighton. A further language school opened in Hove. Colin’s earlier acquisition of Bellerbys College gave the developing group an established sixth-form education operation serving international students. In 1994, Colin and Greenland incorporated the company and added John Collyer as a shareholder and director through a merger of related operations. The company’s central educational model became the International Study Centre. Rather than placing international students directly into a university degree, Study Group prepared them through academic, language, and study-skills programs delivered in collaboration with universities. Students could then progress to undergraduate or postgraduate degrees when they satisfied the relevant academic and language requirements. The approach addressed both university recruitment needs and the transition challenges faced by students entering a foreign higher-education system. Study Group entered a new phase of ownership and geographic expansion in 1996. Daily Mail Group acquired 40 percent of the business, which became known as Study Group International, and the company expanded into the United States and Australia. In 1999, Daily Mail Group acquired the remaining ownership for a reported £44 million. Under this ownership, Study Group continued to build education and language operations in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America. A notable expansion came through the acquisition of the Center for English Studies chain in the United States and Canada. The acquired schools operated in cities including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. The chain was subsequently renamed Embassy CES and later Embassy English. In November 2018, Embassy English was acquired by EC, separating that language-school network from Study Group. In 2006, Australian private-equity firm CHAMP acquired Study Group from Daily Mail Group in a transaction reported at A$176.4 million. The group also invested in its physical infrastructure: in 2007, its Brighton school and United Kingdom head office moved to purpose-built premises in the New England Quarter beside Brighton station. Providence Equity Partners took ownership on 1 July 2010 in a transaction reported at A$660 million. The 2010s brought both international expansion and regulatory pressure. Study Group Australia Pty Limited, including Taylors UniLink, lost its Australian Government accreditation with effect from 16 January 2019. In February of the same year, Ardian announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Study Group. The company subsequently emphasized digital education as well as campus-based delivery. Its February 2020 acquisition of insendi supplied a learning-experience platform for the development of online pathway programs. By 2021, Study Group was offering an online pathway option in addition to its established centre-based model. The organization has continued to adjust its portfolio to shifts in international student demand. Study Group closed the Brighton-based Bellerbys College in 2022. In 2024, it launched Bellerbys Global, repositioning the Bellerbys foundation concept so that programs could be delivered closer to students’ home countries. The company’s current operating model combines university partnerships, pathway and foundation provision, English-language education, digital learning, and recruitment relationships with thousands of agents. The supplied reference also reports a May 2026 acquisition by Arete Education, although this future-dated ownership claim should be confirmed through an authoritative current source.
- 2024
Bellerbys Global launch
[1]Study Group launched Bellerbys Global, offering foundation programs closer to international students’ home countries.
- 2020
Insendi acquisition
[1]Study Group acquired insendi to support development of online pathway learning.
- 2019
Ardian acquires majority stake
[1]Ardian announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Study Group.
- 2010
Providence Equity Partners acquisition
[1]Providence Equity Partners took ownership of Study Group on 1 July 2010.
- 2007
Brighton headquarters relocation
[1]The Brighton school and United Kingdom head office moved to purpose-built premises in the New England Quarter.
- 2006
CHAMP acquisition
[1]Australian private-equity firm CHAMP acquired Study Group from Daily Mail Group.
- 1999
Daily Mail Group assumes full ownership
[1]Daily Mail Group acquired the remaining ownership in a transaction reported at approximately £44 million.
- 1996
Daily Mail Group takes minority stake
[1]Daily Mail Group acquired 40 percent of the company, which became Study Group International, while the business expanded into the United States and Australia.
- 1994
Incorporation and merger
[1]The business was incorporated by Colin and Greenland and expanded through a merger involving John Collyer.
- 1989
Origins as British Study Group
[1]Andrew Colin and Duncan Greenland acquired the business identified with the origins of British Study Group, operating centres in Hastings and Brighton.
Products and positioning
Study Group positions itself as a bridge between international students and universities, combining academic preparation, English-language development, student support, and progression into partner degree programs.
University pathway education
International Study Centres
Study Group’s International Study Centres deliver academic preparation, English-language development, and study-skills training in collaboration with partner universities. Programs are designed to prepare international students for progression into undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. The centres connect recruitment, teaching, student support, and university progression within a structured transition program.
International higher-education preparation
Foundation and pathway programmes
These programs provide routes into university degrees for students who need additional academic preparation, English development, or experience with the expectations of a different education system. Offerings cover preparation for undergraduate and postgraduate study and are generally delivered through university partnerships in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with additional international partnerships.
Digital education · 2021
Online pathway programme
Study Group developed an online pathway option to complement its campus-based International Study Centres. The digital offering is intended to provide academic and language preparation through online delivery and was supported by the acquisition of insendi, a learning-experience platform, in 2020.
International sixth-form and foundation education
Bellerbys College
Bellerbys College was an established part of Study Group’s international education portfolio, serving overseas students through school-level and university-preparation education. Its Brighton-based operation closed in 2022 as the company adjusted its approach to international student mobility.
International foundation education · 2024
Bellerbys Global
Bellerbys Global was launched in 2024 as a foundation-program model intended to bring international education closer to students’ home countries. It represents a geographically distributed evolution of the Bellerbys proposition rather than a traditional single-campus model.
English-language schools
Embassy English
Study Group expanded its language-school operations in North America through the acquisition of the Center for English Studies chain, later known as Embassy CES and Embassy English. The Embassy English business was acquired by EC in November 2018 and is no longer part of Study Group’s portfolio.
Brand decisions
2026
Reported acquisition by Arete EducationM&ABackground
The supplied reference states that Study Group announced an acquisition by Arete Education in May 2026.
Action taken
The reference reports that Arete Education acquired Study Group.
Aftermath
Completion, ownership structure, and post-acquisition operating arrangements require verification because the supplied material does not provide independent transaction details.
2024
Launch of Bellerbys GlobalProduct launchBackground
The company was adapting its international education model to changing mobility patterns and demand for education delivered nearer to students’ home markets.
Action taken
Study Group launched Bellerbys Global as a foundation-program offering for international students.
Aftermath
The launch extended the Bellerbys proposition beyond the former Brighton-based model; detailed enrollment and financial results are not provided.
2022
Closure of Brighton-based Bellerbys CollegeStrategyBackground
Study Group cited changing patterns of international student mobility in the context of its Bellerbys portfolio adjustment.
Action taken
The company closed its Brighton-based Bellerbys College.
Aftermath
The closure was followed by the launch of Bellerbys Global in 2024, which aimed to deliver foundation programs closer to students’ home countries.
2020
Acquisition of insendiM&ABackground
Study Group sought to develop its online pathway and digital learning capabilities alongside its established centre-based programs.
Action taken
Study Group acquired insendi, a learning-experience platform.
Aftermath
The acquisition supported the company’s online pathway offering, which was available by 2021.
2019
Response to Australian accreditation cancellationStrategyBackground
The Australian Government cancelled the accreditation of Study Group Australia Pty Limited, including Taylors UniLink, effective 16 January 2019.
Action taken
The accreditation status of the affected Australian operations was cancelled. The available reference does not specify a detailed corporate remediation plan.
Aftermath
The event represented a significant regulatory development for Study Group’s Australian operations, but the supplied material does not provide sufficient detail on student, financial, or operational consequences.
Recent events
- 2026
Study Group announces acquisition by Arete Education[1]
M&A
The supplied reference states that Study Group announced it had been acquired by Arete Education in May 2026. The timing and completion status require verification.
- 2024
Study Group launches Bellerbys Global[1]
Product launch
The company launched Bellerbys Global to provide foundation programs for international students closer to their home markets.
- 2022
Bellerbys College closes Brighton site[1]
Other
Study Group closed its Brighton-based Bellerbys College amid changing patterns in international student mobility.
- 2020
Study Group acquires insendi[1]
M&A · Product launch
Study Group acquired insendi, a learning-experience platform intended to support its online pathway development.
- 2019
Australian accreditation of Study Group Australia cancelled[1]
Regulation
The Australian Government cancelled the accreditation of Study Group Australia Pty Limited, including Taylors UniLink, effective 16 January 2019.
- 2019
Ardian acquires majority stake in Study Group[1]
M&A
Private investment firm Ardian announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Study Group.
Sources2 sources
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