The Malvern School, a chain of 27 early education schools with locations in Newtown Square and Glen Mills, has been acquired by London-based Busy Bees, writes Lisa Dukart for Philadelphia Business Journal.

Busy Bees is an international company with nearly 1,000 early education and care facilities in the U.S., Asia, Australia, Canada, and Europe.  

The acquisition is part of Busy Bees’ expansion in North America, with a focus on growth in the Mid-Atlantic and tri-state areas.

It now operates over 200 childcare centers in the U.S. under the name BrightPath Kids and has four locations in Philadelphia.

The Malvern School runs 19 locations in southeastern Pennsylvania and eight locations in New Jersey.  It has a combined workforce of 630 people with 2,500 children currently enrolled.  

The 25-year-old Malvern-based company was founded in 1998 by Joe Scandone and Kristen Waterfield.

“This acquisition opens up exciting opportunities for our schools, staff, and, most importantly, the children and families we serve,” Waterfield, the company’s CEO, said in a statement.

The school’s staff and educators are expected to remain, and The Malvern School name will remain.

Find out more about the impact of the Busy Bee acquisition of The Malvern School in Philadelphia Business Journal.