Our history - from CfBT to EDT

Since our foundation in 1968 as the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT), we have remained committed to raising standards in education, growing our reach and impact across the world.

CfBT was originally founded with the objective of helping British teachers working abroad. It became a registered charity in the UK in 1976. The organisation's vision was not only to recruit English teachers but also to offer them professional and welfare support. Although our range of services today is far wider – incorporating cutting-edge education research, large-scale programme management, careers and employability services and a global education consultancy service – we are still a charity, renowned for our English language teaching expertise, notably through our centre of excellence in Brunei.  

Throughout the 1990s, CfBT expanded its scope and expertise as a manager of aid-backed reform programmes in low- and middle-income countries, as well as embarking on UK-based operations. CfBT won its first contract in the UK in 1993, successfully bidding to manage school inspections on behalf of Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills). Today, our expertise in inspections is world-renowned. 

Our portfolio of work has continued to grow. Since renaming the organisation as Education Development Trust in 2016 to better reflect the huge variety of work we do and geographies we work in - and now also known as EDT - we have undertaken large-scale education reform projects and are trusted government partners in contexts as diverse as the UK, Rwanda, Lebanon, Kenya, Brunei and the UAE, alongside consultancy work in around 60 countries.