Company history
TSL Education's roots lie in the launch of The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) in 1902 as a free insert in The Times newspaper. Eight years later The Times Educational Supplement (TES) was added to the main paper. Both supplements were an immediate success with readers and advertisers alike and in 1914 the TLS became a stand-alone title published weekly for the price of 1p. The TES followed suit in the same year.
In 1971, The Thomson Organisation, then owner of The Times, realised that their profitable weekly, the TES, was being threatened at the top end of its market and thus launched the Times Higher Education (THE).
News Corporation bought Times Newspapers Ltd in 1981 from The Thomson Organisation, and in 1989 a separate company, Times Supplements Ltd, was created to run the two educational titles and the TLS. This new company became a wholly owned subsidiary of News International.
In 1998 the company acquired the weekly early years childcare and education magazine, Nursery World, together with its associated exhibitions. The exhibitions have since expanded to cover the special needs, early years, primary and secondary education sectors, with more than 10 regional events held annually across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In 1999 Times Supplements Ltd changed its name to TSL Education Ltd to end the long standing confusion over the company's relationship with The Times which had become purely historic. In 2005, the education businesses were sold to Exponent, whilst the Times Literary Supplement remained with News International. In May 2007 Exponent sold their interest in TSL Education to Charterhouse Capital Partners.
In June 2007 TSL sold their interest in Nursery World magazine to Haymarket.
TSL Education Ltd is now the UK’s leading educational publisher with its newspapers, magazines, websites and exhibitions covering the complete professional educational field, from primary through to higher education.