Trafalgar Entertainment extends its empire

Trafalgar Entertainment has acquired Helen O'Grady Drama Academy, extending its empire further into children's drama.

Trafalgar will run the business alongside Stagecoach Performing Arts, which it already owns. The UK's largest network of performance schools for children has 350 franchises in eight countries.

Helen O'Grady has branches in 16 countries and provides extra-curricular tuition to some 100,000 students each week.

Trafalgar's Joint CEO Rosemary Squire said it hopes to add more franchises to the brand.

"Sadly, arts education funding is being squeezed from the national curriculum, so it is vitally important that a drama provision like this is made available to everyone."