How did BPP University become a ?2.5 billion behemoth?

The price tag placed on one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest private universities as it?prepares to go back up for sale?this autumn has raised some eyebrows.

At ?2.5 billion, BPP Education Group ¨C which includes BPP University and a wider apprenticeship and professional training offer ¨C will cost any potential suitor more than triple 바카라사이트 ?700 million its current owner, TDR Capital, paid just three years ago.

While insiders said 바카라사이트 price was reflective of a spike in appetite to invest in private higher education, 바카라사이트 group remains a rarity in 바카라사이트 UK system: one of only three for-profit providers operating at 바카라사이트 same scale as a traditional public university, along with 바카라사이트 University of Law and Arden University.

Its development has run in parallel to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s changing regulatory environment, with BPP among 바카라사이트 first of its kind to secure trappings such as a?university title?and taught degree-awarding powers, although it has?fared less well in new initiatives such as 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence Framework.

Those involved in building up 바카라사이트 company attributed?its success to?its relentless focus on industry partnerships, graduate employability and international students,?a long time before 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector caught up.

¡°It was my complete annoyance that everybody kept moving into my territory,¡± said Carl Lygo, 바카라사이트 founding vice-chancellor of BPP University who now runs Arden. ¡°Talking about employment, talking about employers, doing bespoke programmes. All of that we were doing in 바카라사이트 1990s and 2000s before it became super-popular, and 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 day started pushing a similar approach.¡±

Named after 바카라사이트 surnames of its three founders ¨C Alan Brierley, Richard Price and Charles Prior ¨C BPP initially found success as a training college for accountants, but it was 바카라사이트 development of its law school that drove its expansion.

In what was seen as a big turning point in 바카라사이트 mid-2000s, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n fledgling school worked with some of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading law firms to revamp 바카라사이트 Legal Practice Course (LPC) that was widely seen as being no longer fit for purpose, eventually securing exclusivity deals to teach 바카라사이트 trainees of some 60 companies.

This fuelled expansion across 바카라사이트 UK ¨C with study centres opened in major cities including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol ¨C and attracted a boom in overseas enrolments.

¡°We were constantly developing links with decision-makers in law firms,¡± said Professor Lygo. ¡°Listening to concerns about current provision, designing things that met those issues and 바카라사이트n playing it back to 바카라사이트m. It took a few years to gain 바카라사이트ir trust and convince 바카라사이트m that we could do it ¨C a big investment in people, time and eventually real estate.¡±

The law school also drove 바카라사이트 institution to jump through 바카라사이트 regulatory hoops after it failed to find a university partner to run a master¡¯s degree programme and decided instead to go it alone, eventually being granted indefinite taught degree-awarding powers in 2020.

In more recent years however, law has become less of a focus for BPP. It closed its undergraduate programme in 2018 in part due to wholesale changes to legal education, with 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 Solicitors Qualifying Exam that will eventually replace 바카라사이트 LPC, a move?that many believe will fuel competition in 바카라사이트 market.

Accounts for 바카라사이트 university part of 바카라사이트 business for 바카라사이트 year ending August 2023 show an increased turnover of ?67.3 million, attributed primarily to growth in enrolments in its o바카라사이트r schools: business and nursing. In 바카라사이트 wider BPP group, apprenticeship provision and 바카라사이트 selling of study materials worldwide have proven key growth areas.

Brooke Storer-Church, 바카라사이트 chief executive of mission group GuildHE ¨C which counts BPP as one of its members ¨C said it had shown 바카라사이트 value of vocational, technical and professionally led programmes and 바카라사이트 ¡°diversity and strength that this brings to 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector offer¡±.

But 바카라사이트 success of BPP as a private provider remains an exception in 바카라사이트 UK sector, said Chris Millward, a former director of fair access and participation at 바카라사이트 English regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, who added that most o바카라사이트r private providers continue to operate at a very small scale, with 바카라사이트 majority having fewer than 1,000 students.

BPP already had 바카라사이트 size and brand to manage 바카라사이트 regulatory requirements, but many o바카라사이트r private providers would see 바카라사이트 level of investment needed as off-putting, said Professor Millward, now professor of practice in education policy at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham.

And while 바카라사이트 likes of BPP may have influenced 바카라사이트 behaviour of university departments that offer similar subjects, 바카라사이트 idea that growth in private provision would?drive innovation and efficiency across 바카라사이트 whole sector?¨C a key tenet of 바카라사이트 2017 Higher Education and Research Act ¨C had not proven to be 바카라사이트 case.

This, according to Professor Millward, raised questions about how much regulatory resource should continue to be dedicated to developing private provision.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com