For more than a quarter of a century the Saxoncourt Group has been dedicated to the teaching of English. For us this does not start and stop at the classroom door, but extends to ensuring that every component of quality language instruction is covered.

Despite the challenge of less than favourable trading conditions in a number of core markets, the Saxoncourt Group continues to grow. With total global turnover amounting to over 33 million pounds sterling last year (calendar year 2005), the Head Office of the Saxoncourt Group were pleased to announce their 2005 calendar year results.

In 2005 the Saxoncourt Group employed 1,700 people globally, taught 85,055 students at 267 schools in eight countries (117 of the schools are franchised and 150 directly owned) and earned revenue of GBP 33,105,000.

Saxoncourt, the holding company of Shane English Schools (in non-English speaking countries) and the Shane Global Language Centre chain (in English speaking countries) continues to expand. Current operations span a diverse range of EFL related markets such as language instruction (English and Chinese), publishing and bookselling, teacher training and recruitment as well as the running of younger learner examinations. Saxoncourt Group operates in countries including Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa and Poland. “Saxoncourt is involved in all areas of the English language business” says Shane Lipscombe, Founder of the group.

The group has faced many challenges over its 29 years of operation, with particularly rough trading conditions in 2004 and again throughout 2005. However, the trend is changing and the Saxoncourt Group continues to gain market share, even in countries widely-known as being merciless to the EFL market.

In New Zealand, for instance, where the market is still suffering from a number of problems, “we are pleased to be able to report a strong turnaround from the latter part of 2005” says Mr Lipscombe.

The areas of the Saxoncourt business that saw the most growth in 2005 were the schools in Vietnam and the business of Independent Publishers International (IPI). Shane English Centre Vietnam (SECV) is attracting the attention of Shane English School Japan students through the group’s Vietnam study tours. These tours combine study with tourism and have lead to increased profitability for SECV. Successful courses were also held for young British and Australian GAP volunteers in-country in 2005.

In 2005 IPI, the group’s wholesale bookselling operation, continued to expand and currently have close to 30 exclusive distribution agreements with small and medium sized publishers from around the world including Black Cat from Italy and Compass from Korea. Craig Larsen, IPI’s Managing Director says “as a direct result [of the Black Cat readers], and the subsequent increased awareness of the series, sales boomed! In fact, the number of books sold in 2005 was three times the total amount sold in 2004”.

Another development across the Group in 2005 was the attainment of EU Funding for the Target/Shane English School operations in Poland. Shane English School was one of only 3 language schools in Poland to receive such funding. Marcin Blazejewski, Managing Director of the operations in Poland says he is “looking forward to a very good 2006”. The funding has increased the number of students in the schools as well as raised the profile of the outside teacher placement business. The prestigious funding has also attracted a lot of very welcome Polish media attention.

Shane in Taiwan had a particularly good 2005 with a significant upturn in the franchise business and the total number of schools reaching 40.

The largest part of the Saxoncourt Group remains in Japan. Operations there continue to spread across the country with more schools opened on the island of Kyushu, in the south and continued growth in Nagoya in the country’s centre.

The Saxoncourt Group expect growth to continue throughout the rest of 2006 and look forward to reporting an even higher group turnover at the end of the current financial year.

The Saxoncourt Group welcomes enquiries from industry associations, potential clients and business partners wishing to work with us on a variety of exciting projects around the Globe.

Shane Lipscombe
Founder, Saxoncourt Group

E-mail: enquiries@saxoncourt.net
Web: http://www.saxoncourt.net