Who Owns Batutinhas?

Batutinhas was founded in 2008 in Brazil as a premium early childhood school brand. The name Batutinhas is a Brazilian Portuguese word meaning "little conductors" or "little leaders," reflecting the brand's philosophy of nurturing leadership qualities and individual potential in very young children from the earliest stages of development.

The brand was established to provide high-quality early childhood education for children aged 1 to 5 years, with a focus on play-based learning, nurturing care, and holistic development. The early childhood education market in Brazil has grown significantly in recent decades, driven by increasing awareness of the importance of early childhood development for long-term educational and life outcomes, and by the growing number of Brazilian families seeking high-quality private alternatives to the public early childhood education system.

Batutinhas was designed to serve this market, offering a premium early childhood education experience that combines play-based learning with structured developmental activities, qualified teachers, and high-quality facilities designed specifically for very young children. The brand's educational philosophy reflects the research consensus that the years from birth to age 5 are the most critical period for brain development, and that high-quality early childhood education during these years has lasting positive effects on children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

Over its first decade, Batutinhas developed a reputation as a leading early childhood education brand in Brazil, building a network of schools across the country. The brand's focus on play-based learning, qualified early childhood educators, safe and stimulating environments, and high-quality facilities distinguished it in Brazil's competitive premium early childhood education market.

In May 2022, Inspired Education Group acquired Escola Eleva Global Schools, a Brazilian premium education group that included Batutinhas among its portfolio of school brands. The acquisition also included Gurilandia, a related early learning and primary school brand, and Escola Eleva, a premium secondary school brand. Together, these brands gave Inspired a comprehensive presence across the full spectrum of private education in Brazil, from early childhood through secondary school.

The acquisition marked Inspired's entry into Brazil's premium education market, one of Latin America's largest and most dynamic private school markets. Brazil's large population, growing middle class, and strong cultural emphasis on education make it an attractive market for premium private school operators. The Escola Eleva Global Schools acquisition brought Batutinhas into Inspired's global portfolio of more than 125 premium private schools across 30 countries.

Under Inspired's ownership, Batutinhas gains access to the company's global educational resources, early childhood curriculum development support, teacher professional development programs, and the broader Inspired network of schools. Inspired's philosophy emphasizes that each school in its portfolio should maintain its individual identity and local character while benefiting from the company's global resources and standards.

For Batutinhas, this means preserving the brand's distinctive play-based learning approach, its connection to Brazilian culture and communities, and its focus on the specific developmental needs of very young children, while benefiting from Inspired's international expertise in early childhood education and its global network of educational resources.