If you're looking to enrol your children in an international school with a British education system, Marlborough College Malaysia combines the best British boarding school traditions within a multicultural, global environment
With numerous international schools in Singapore, choosing the right one for your children is exciting, yet admittedly baffling at times. If you’ve long admired the excellent, centuries-old reputation of boarding schools in the UK, look just over the causeway at Marlborough College Malaysia in Iskandar. Like its stellar British counterparts, it offers the boarding traditions and well-rounded education of a top British public school – but with the added bonus of the vibrant diversity of an international school. Plus, if you’re an expat family looking to eventually ease your children into UK boarding schools, Marlborough College Malaysia’s Preparatory School and adaptation of the English National Curriculum will make the transition smoother…
A holistic, international education rooted in the English National Curriculum
British-run Marlborough College Malaysia (MCM) broadly follows the English National Curriculum. Led by a British-staffed teaching department, many of whom have had experience of Marlborough in the UK. To reflect the international nature of the school, the curriculum may be adapted to suit local study projects, and pupils are taught Mandarin Chinese from reception and are offered Spanish and Malay as other options.
Like its co-ed boarding school counterparts in the UK, MCM is not only renowned for its strong academic prowess, but also its excellent co-curricular activities, including sports, the arts and clubs. Enrichment activities such as poetry readings, museum visits, conferences and concerts ensure that your child leaves the school as a well-balanced and cultured individual.
Preparing your child for transition into UK boarding schools
If you’re a British expat looking to move back to the UK in a few years, the Preparatory School will better ease your child’s transition into UK boarding schools – the school boasts an excellent track record of expat pupils entering leading schools such as Marlborough College UK, Radley, Millfield, Winchester, Oundle, Uppingham and Eton. Unlike other international schools in Singapore, Marlborough College Malaysia’s adherence to the English National Curriculum lays the groundwork for when your child enters year 9 in Senior School. As emphasis is placed on preparation for entry into Senior School in Year 9, your child is also able to prepare for the Common Entrance exam without the extra pressure.
The best of British boarding school traditions
A fully co-ed, independent boarding and day school, MCM offers a true British boarding education. Its enormous 90-acre campus and scenic surroundings mimics the charming countryside feel of the campus in Wiltshire and distinguishes itself from the confines of other international schools in the region. The many facilities for sports and co-curricular activities (coupled with its small maximum student population of 1250) ensures that your child has everything he or she needs to succeed within a community life.
Pupils live communally in modern houses, which fosters an admirable spirit of comradeship. At the heart of the boarding experience is the pupil’s personal growth – which is greatly fostered not only through the daily school curriculum, inter-house competitions and co-curricular activities, but also daily boarding life. And if you’re worried about not seeing your child more often, parents living in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have plenty of opportunities to visit their children, while pupils are free to return home many times throughout the year.
Global diversity
Pupils enrolled at Marlborough College Malaysia enjoy the benefits of a British public education system, with a world-embracing outlook – the school celebrates diversity and showcases an appreciation of a wide spectrum of languages. Its location in Malaysia – a dynamic space in Asia – ensures a healthy mix in the student population. While the majority of students are expat pupils from Singapore and Malaysia, students also come from as far as Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Living and learning within intercultural yet familial communities fosters lasting, global friendships to take them through a lifetime.
Well-established links to leading schools in the UK
Marlborough College Malaysia has strong, genuine ties to its origin school in Wiltshire, with staff and pupils going on yearly exchanges and university trips. Pupils benefit from a network of long-established ties, Old Marlburians (OMs) and strong links to leading independent schools and universities in the UK – which is a major plus if you’re looking to return to the UK and enter your children into other leading boarding schools there.
This post is sponsored by Marlborough College Malaysia.