Epsom College has long been known as a prestigious boarding and day school, a leader in British education since 1855. The school’s vast expertise in quality education over the last 150 years will come to fruition in its new sister school in Malaysia. Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) will open its doors to its first cohort of students from 3 to 18 years old in September this year.
The modern boarding experience at Epsom is part of what makes the school truly unique and distinct from other establishments regionally. Epsom has a long history of offering flexible boarding options, as well as weekly boarding; in fact Epsom in the UK started and developed weekly boarding very significantly in the UK.
“We are going to take the full and weekly boarding concept to the next level in Malaysia and offer flexi-boarding,” said Deputy Head (Head of Prep School) of ECiM, Jane Smith. “Flexi-boarding allows day students to stay overnight in their boarding house now and again as it suits them; they already have their own bed and study area in their house so having a sleepover at school is very easy, convenient and great fun.”
“We have hand-picked Housemasters and Housemistresses with very clear criteria in mind as to the type of people we want influencing the emotional, physical and educational development of the children in our care,” she added, “It’s so important that House staff have solid experience working with children and understand the pressures and strains of modern life on youngsters – then we can really support them expertly.”
Having an extension of Epsom College in Malaysia will enable parents here to able to spend more purposeful quality time with their children. The curriculum is based on the fact that there are also day students and weekly boarders who will go home at the weekend.
“An interesting concept to consider is that there may even be parents from Europe who may choose to send their children to ECiM. Asia is going to drive the next generation forward and Malaysia is very much becoming an education hub,” said Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chair of the Board of Governors of ECiM. “For Malaysians and Malaysia, having this school is also a wonderful opportunity to provide information on different ways of doing things and to spur on other international and local schools to drive education forward,” he said.
Epsom College has always had strong links to the medical profession in the UK, which goes hand-in-hand with its outstanding science program. Historically, Epsom College has its roots in the Victorian-era school built for the children of doctors who had died from the diseases they were hoping to cure. Today, Epsom College’s students are still equipped with the skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to get into top medical schools in the UK but also into other challenging professions globally.
Students are still coming to ECiM with similar aspirations but just as in the UK, ECiM’s focus will be broader and more developed in other areas. “We provide opportunities for children to develop in all sorts of ways. They may come to us with a deep love of science, which we will continue to develop. But at the same time we will ensure they have opportunities to try different things and figure out what their other passions in life might be, and give them the opportunity to develop through their teenage years and into their adult life,” said Jane Smith.
The link between Epsom College in the UK and in Malaysia is very strong. “It is not a franchised school; ECiM is very much an extension of the UK school,” added Martin George, Headmaster of ECiM. “There will be opportunities for students and staff to collaborate on projects, compete in sports, and even have video conferencing of lessons. We will work to ensure that the link between the schools continues to develop.”
EPSOM'S EDGE
· A British independent school education for boys and girls from 3 to 18 years · Fully-qualified and experienced British teachers, Housemasters and Mistresses · 50-acre campus with world-class facilities · Day students in the senior school are automatically flex-boarders · Excellent pastoral care is the bedrock of the College To book a campus tour, to meet the Heads or for more information about ECiM, contact the registrar, Nicola Harris at registrar@epsomcollege.edu.my or +603-6211 4488 or visit www.epsomcollege.edu.my
