Finalist at the International School Awards 2022

The Alice Smith School, the first British international school in Malaysia and the only 'not for profit' British school in Kuala Lumpur, is once again recognised at the annual International School Awards. This year, the school’s Higher Education team was nominated as one of the finalists for the Pathways to Continued and University Education award at the International School Awards 2022. 

In 2021, the school won the International School Award in the Inclusion category with their initiative: ‘KLASS Student-Support Programme: empowering students to lead on in-class support’.

Here's the team to tell you more about their Future Pathways initiatives.

Delivered to all year groups from Primary to Sixth Form, through lectures that share the most up-to-date and relevant statistics and information as well as one-to-one interviews with experienced higher education (HE) staff, the Higher Education and Career Advice Programme provides students with in-depth understanding and skills to navigate the changes in their academic and career journey.

We no longer ask students what they want to ‘be’, 

but rather ‘who they want to become’

Most importantly, the initiative ensures our current students have the necessary skills and understanding to be successful once they graduate from Alice Smith. We provide our students with a deep and long lasting understanding of how to navigate the changes expected in the coming years as well as their own best fit journey once they leave Alice Smith.

While the school has a fantastic track record of getting students into elite institutions like Oxford, Cambridge and Yale, we do not believe that this alone is enough and it is clear from our own alumni that job satisfaction comes from the students' understanding of their own skills, interests and passion.

Overseen by three full time professionals working with teaching staff, alumni and other providers, the school’s Future Pathways initiatives aim to expand both Higher Education and Career advice in Sixth Form and beyond.

The HE team's aim is that students leave school with:

• A higher self awareness of their own skills, interests, abilities and decision making skills.

• Broader horizons globally for both HE choices and careers

• Preparation and knowledge on how to succeed in the current job market focusing on flexibility, interconnectedness, and emotional intelligence.

• Knowledge of Tech and IT Literacy in the workplace

Self awareness is essential as student goals and ambitions will change over time due to personal growth, technology and economic factors; whilst this has always been the case, the rate and frequency of change will be far greater for this generation. Students need to be able to evaluate their own competencies, skills and desires as well as understanding which areas can and should be developed. For some, such as those looking at very prescriptive training like medicine, this involves incredibly detailed support on the very specific things they will need to prepare. But for others, this process will be far more about exploring their skills and interests and becoming aware of all the different options relating to these. 

The single overriding duty of a school is to equip students with the skills, understanding and resilience they will need as adults. As an international school, the future is always more diverse because our cohort is peripatetic and outward looking. This combined with the rapid rate of change, well documented in 4th Industrial Revolution analysis, means it is imperative to make students comfortable with the continually changing landscape. The pure educational advantages held by highly regarded schools of the past are eroding and simply focusing on exam results and high ranking university destinations will not give students the competitive career advantage it once did. The heart of the Future Pathways initiative is to prepare our students to succeed well into the future, beyond even University graduation."

Read more about the work of the HE Team in a range of articles HERE or take a look at some of the great academic lectures the team arranges for students on the school’s YouTube channel.

With exceptional results and a comprehensive Higher Education provision at Alice Smith, 95% of students obtained places at their first choice university, progressing to top ranked universities in the UK, US and worldwide.

Book A Tour, Connect Virtually or Attend Our Open Mornings in May 2022

The only way to get a genuine feel of a school is to make a visit! Personal tours are the best way to get to know us! You will have a chance to look around the campus, chat with a senior member of staff and our Admissions team, and see the campus in action!

Alternatively, attend our Open Mornings in May. 

And if you live overseas, please feel free to connect with us virtually.

We know that choosing a school for your child is an important decision which is why we treat every application individually and aim to make the transition as easy as possible. No two families are the same, so there is no typical process.

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