Generally speaking, running a school in groups refers to planning a number of newly-built schools and weak schools to become affiliated schools under the banner of prestigious schools. This method can make use of the combination of strength and weakness to promote the flow of teachers and meet the needs of most students for quality education, so it can be public or private.

In China, the main body of group-run schools is mostly public schools, and the funds of public schools mainly come from the government, so public schools often play a leading role in group-run schools. However, there are also some private schools that participate in group-run schools, such as some high-quality private education groups, and they will also participate in group-run schools to expand the coverage of high-quality educational resources.