Local and expat investors open first royal school in Romania

A group of 13 local and expat entrepreneurs have recently opened a new private school in Cluj-Napoca, in north-western Romania. This is the only school in Romania that has been granted permission to utilize the title ‘Royal’ in its name by His Majesty King Mihai I of Romania, hence its name: The Royal School in Transylvania. The schools is supported by the School 4 Europe Foundation, which includes several local entrepreneurs from Cluj-Napoca, as well as foreign investors. Among the expat members of the foundation are Carl Widell (Sweden), the owner of the Ecolor furniture producer, which is a supplier for Ikea, and Marie Druguet (France), who manages the food distribution company Distral. The school follows the English curriculum and most classes will be taught in English. It aims to promote child-centered learning and to educate and prepare students for responsible democratic citizenship, according to the school’s description. Julian Hingley is the school’s director and will also teach English and humanities. Prior to joining Royal School, Julian was the director of Transylvania College, another private school in Cluj-Napoca, and taught for nine years in Bucharest as Director of the International British School (IBSB) and as Deputy Director at the International School (ISB). His team includes 18 teachers of three nationalities: Romanian, British, and American. The school currently covers 650 sqm in the Cluj Business Center office compound, and has six classrooms with a capacity of 20 pupils each, a multifunctional hall, medical center, cafeteria, gymnasium, locker rooms and playgrounds. It required a EUR 150,000 investment, according to Wall-street.ro. By next year, the classroom surface will expand to 1,100 sqm, according to the school’s representatives. Later on, the school’s founders plan to develop a full campus for students. The current school year began with 35 pupils, most of them children of expat managers in the city, but by next year it plans to reach 130 students. Tuition fees vary between EUR 500-550 per month. The amount includes tuition, uniforms, food, textbooks and optional clubs. The German School of Bucharest to build new premises by 2018 Private school for Romania’s rich, by famous business lawyer: classes include theater & origami editor@romania-insider.com