Bath-headquarterd law firm Royds Withy King has advised on the sale of a Somerset school management software business to Australia’s leading educational tech company.
Yeovil-based Double First, which has worked with independent schools in the UK for more than 30 years, is now part of the Education Horizons Group (EHG) following the deal. 
Over the past decade Double First has leveraged its Engage high-performance school management system to grow internationally, servicing some 600 schools across more than 60 countries.
Engage, a cutting-edge school management information and finance product, will now form part of EHG’s suite of end-to-end school software products that support administration, finance, teaching and learning, property and location data management and distance education.
London-based Royds Withy King head of corporate John North said the sale highlighted the strength of the corporate deal pipeline, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite the global slowdown due to coronavirus, the mergers and acquisitions pipeline is still strong and the UK, with its strengths in edtech and the wider tech sector, remains one of the premier destinations for in-bound investment,” Mr North, pictured below, said.
“Having seen Double First’s business grow over the years we were delighted to work with the management and shareholders on this international transaction and so contribute to the development of one of the world’s leading edtech platforms.” 
EHG said the acquisition of Double First was a central pillar of its international growth strategy supported by its majority owner, Australian tech-focused private equity firm Potentia Capital.
Double First’s international presence expands EHG’s predominantly Australia and New Zealand operations, creating a global business servicing more than 1,900 schools and one million school users in 60-plus countries across UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as Australia and New Zealand.
EHG CEO and managing director Tim Dawson said: “This acquisition is the next step in developing our end-to-end school software offering and growing Education Horizons Group into the world’s leading K-12 (kindergarten to 12th grade) education software provider.”
Double First CEO Barry Anns and his team will continue to work from their Yeovil base, Mr Anns assume the new role of group head of international, leading EHG’s international growth push.
EHG was advised on the transaction by Herbert Smith Freehills, Ernst & Young and Genesis Advisory while Double First was advised by Polestar Capital in addition to Royds Withy King. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
