Bond International Software, the recruitment, HR and payroll software solutions provider, has acquired Strictly Education a specialist service provider to the education sector for £2.7m.

Strictly Education is a wholly owned subsidiary of Esos Group, a sister company of recruitment business Pertemps. It provides its HR, finance, property support and payroll services to over 500 schools across the UK.

Bond chief executive Steve Russell says: “We see the education sector as a tremendous growth opportunity. Strictly Education adds a range of services offerings that are complemented by our existing product line and they have established a solid business in the UK dealing with 500 schools in a market of some 30,000.”

Strictly Education’s unaudited accounts for the year ended 31 December 2006 show revenues of £1.9m, a profit before tax of £0.3m and net assets at 31 December 2006 of £0.2m.