Yvonne O’Toole, principal, and Peter Kearns, managing director, at the Institute of Education

Private schools operator Dukes Education has bought The Institute of Education, a Dublin-based international schools group.

Founded in 1969 by the late Ray Kearns, The Institute of Education has over 1500 full time pupils and many part time pupils. Following the acquisition, the principal Yvonne O’Toole will stay on with the group and continue in her current role.

Established in 2015 by founder and chairman Aatif Hassan, Dukes operates a network of 32 boarding and day colleges, schools and nurseries.

With the addition of The Institute of Education, Dukes has further expanded outside of the UK, following its acquisitions of United Lisbon International School (ULIS) in Portugal last year and Copperfield International School in Switzerland last month.

Hassan said: “I am delighted to be marking the entry of Dukes Education into Ireland while also welcoming the prestigious Institute of Education into the Dukes family of schools. This is a strategically important step for Dukes and a fitting legacy for the Kearns family who created and built the Institute up over five decades to become one of Ireland’s best known educational facilities.”

Clearwater Corporate Finance advised the vendors.