Working with sports governing bodies to increase participation and further growth in the United States and India will be key to expanding an education and fitness group in 2018.

Premier Education Group, which is headquartered in Sparham, near Attleborough, has seen revenue increase by 30% on its network over the past 12 months and has worked with more than 10 million children around the world. Founder and CEO David Batch said that due to its track record of improving fitness in schools, the company has been able to develop partnerships with organizations such as British Fencing. He said: “We had three come and say ‘can you improve our turnout? ”

We have dramatically increased participation in fencing and we have five or six other organizations that we hope to work with soon. ‘

Mr Batch said the key to the success of Premier’s programs was to focus on the enjoyment of children and not on the specific needs of the sport – which he warned could exhaust young people before they were born. ‘reach their peak.

Through its programs and products, Premier was able to show improvement in children’s breathing capacity within weeks, which Mr. Batch said led the group to work with Public Health England and bring the brand to the United States. , in China and India.

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With continued growth at home and abroad, the company expects a similar trend in 2018.

Mr. Batch is a former football player and coach, having managed AFC Sudbury, Wroxham and St Neots Town, and has used his experience to develop the programs which are then rolled out by the franchisees. In addition to working in schools, Premier runs camps during the holidays.

Mr Batch said: “It has been scientifically proven that children lose 80% of the gain made during the school period if they do not exercise during the six weeks of vacation.

“I have been asked to speak to (health secretary) Jeremy Hunt about this and they have now changed the way schools can spend their sports bonus so that it can be used outside of school time.”

The network as a whole now has a turnover of over £ 20million with a staff of 30 at the head office in Norfolk, but with over 1,200 people working under its umbrella across the world.

In addition to organic growth through new franchises, Premier acquired consulting firm B11 Education in February.