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Ginn Fung

When it opens in September 2018, Malvern College Hong Kong will operate as a co-educational day school for students from diverse international and cultural backgrounds.
Located in Tai Po, close to the Science Park and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the school plans to follow the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum. It promises to combine academic rigour with an ethos that fully recognises the value of an all-round education.
The school’s aim is to develop inquisitive, responsible, well-balanced, and happy individuals who have the range of skills and attributes to achieve personal fulfilment at university and in their careers. The school hopes its students will go on to make a meaningful contribution to society.
“We are known for producing people with an interest in academia and co-curricular activities, who can also think outside the box,” says Antony Clark, headmaster of Malvern College UK.

“Music, art, drama and sports are very strong, and the vast majority of our students go on to the best universities around the world,” he says.
Originally founded in Britain in 1865, Malvern College has a reputation for pioneering innovative educational practices. It opened an international school in Qingdao in 2012, and one in Chengdu in September 2015. “The latest addition to the ‘family’ will open in Cairo in a few months’ time. In the future, students in Hong Kong will have opportunities to take part in ongoing academic and residential programmes involving the other schools,” says Jacqueline So, co-founder and chief executive of Malvern College Hong Kong.
While the IB curriculum provides the essential framework for learning and qualifications, the best Asian teaching methods will be incorporated for subjects like mathematics, science, and Chinese language and culture. For instance, the school intends to work with Beijing Normal University to establish suitable methodologies and tap into the latter’s network of high-quality teachers and exchange opportunities for learning Putonghua.

A planned partnership with the Hong Kong Institute of Education will allow engagement with local schools to set up joint activities and teacher outreach programmes. Students will benefit from outside expertise in a wide range of extracurricular programmes.
For example, volunteers from consultancy firm McKinsey & Company will coach participants in a debating “boot camp”. CUHK undergraduates will be asked to lend a hand with activities for the various science clubs expected to spring up once the school is fully operational.
In addition, employees working for start-up enterprises in the Science Park may also want to get involved with the clubs. Leading sports coaches from Britain and elsewhere will be invited to pass on their insights about training for competitions. “We see a need for this type of quality education in Hong Kong,” Clark says.
Malvern has been offering the IB in Britain since 1991. The school intends to offer all three IB levels in Hong Kong: PYP (Primary Years Programme), MYP (Middle Years Programme) and the two-year DP (Diploma Programme). This will provide a “through train” up to university entrance level for those who require it. The school feels this is the best way to cater to international students whose parents are mobile in terms of job postings.

The school is also working to understand the expectations of “tiger” parents, and it hopes to accommodate their involvement in decisions about schooling. There will be a special focus on the area of parent-teacher collaboration, which will include regular briefing sessions and discussion forums designed to share information about plans, progress and results.
The school says there will be room for parental input and constructive criticism.
Malvern’s basic philosophy is to give students the chance to develop all-round interests and a love of learning. Tests, homework and exams all have their place, but too much emphasis on these aspects of education can turn out to be counterproductive in the long run, So notes.
“The IB programme has by nature an international dimension, so its students are encouraged to think globally,” Clark says. “This is something that makes it particularly appropriate for Hong Kong, where there are so many internationally minded people.
“The IB prepares a student to be ‘transferred’ to any society – the US, Europe, Australia, or Africa. It’s a very transportable qualification. At Malvern, in the UK, where we draw pupils from all round the world, we have seen the benefits and advantages [of the IB]. We now want to transfer our ethos and qualities to Hong Kong,” says Clark.



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A new school has plans to offer IB programmes with a regional twist.

New international school: Malvern College Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A new school has plans to offer IB programmes with a regional twist.

A new school has plans to offer IB programmes with a regional twist.