Bandar Enstek, Malaysia − With the world getting relatively smaller, young people now have better opportunities to discover their full potential through education.
To provide exceptional opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds, Epsom College—a renowned school in the United Kingdom—brings its first-class British boarding experience in Asia with the opening of Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM).
BUILT FOR A QUALITY HOLISTIC EDUCATION – Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) features a 50-acre state-of-the-art campus for a broad curriculum, comprising academics, sports and the arts.
This September, ECiM will formally open its doors to students aged three to 18 years old. The new boarding and day school stands on a 50-acre site south of Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
Considered as a “major development in the field of education in Malaysia,” ECiM aims to combine academic excellence with a superb British boarding experience. The school also aims to highlight the “creation of a family environment within a structured school routine” through a traditional British House system which fosters a “strong feeling of belonging and community.”
DRIVING FORCE – Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes (first row, fourth from left) with the senior management members of Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM).
A HUB FOR INTEGRATION
ECiM is the very first overseas campus of Epsom.
According to Board of Governors chairman Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes, ECiM is like a “dream come true.” As a former student of Epsom College in UK, he says that having Epsom in Malaysia is “everything I imagined and so much more.”
Fernandes, also the founder of low-cost airline AirAsia, says his Epsom experience helped him in his ventures in life.
“Epsom wasn’t just where I learned the textbook truths of Math, Science, and History, but so many more values that have shaped my beliefs. The school taught me ambition, humility, and leadership,” he says.
Through AirAsia Zest, selected journalists from the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam were recently given an exclusive tour of the campus.
Fernandes says the opening of ECiM this year is also very timely for the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. The AEC is the end goal of regional economic integration next year which will focus on “achieving a highly competitive economic region and a region fully integrated into the global economy.”
DINING HALL
THE LIBRARY can be used for class teaching, group study, and individual research.
With education as a vital component in achieving AEC’s key characteristics, Fernandes believes that the implication of ECiM in education would be “fantastic.” Being a big proponent of AEC, he says that integration also comes from people.
“If we had a school here of Filipinos, Thai, Indonesians—who will become future leaders of their countries—it will bring them closer together,” he says.
Fernandes believes the AEC will definitely affect education in general.
“It will allow more movement of education so when people move around from one university or school, cost will be reduced,” he explains. “[And] I think, schools like Epsom, can encourage further integration of ASEAN through the meeting of physical people and bringing them together…using their experience in school to promote further ASEAN integration,” he adds.
While ECiM will follow the British National Curriculum with all teaching in English, Fernandes assures that it will feature very “Asian” programs.
“I want to drive that very hard because my dream, one day, is for people from the UK to come here,” he says. “I dream of a time when people will say that ‘I want to have my education in Asia’ and that will give them an advantage.”
Common areas such as (from top left) TV rooms, billiards room, and living quarters will give students opportunities to unwind, make new friends, and enjoy community life.
‘WEAR’ READY! School uniforms for ECiM Senior School and Prep School students.
NOTHING BUT THE BEST
Headmaster designate Martin George says that ECiM aims to offer the “best British education experience” to all its students. The school will adopt the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) syllabus which aims “to mirror the academic excellence” of Epsom College UK which “consistently achieves an 84 percent of A-level grades at A*, A, or B grade.”
As a co-educational school, George says that ECiM will offer Prep School for pupils three to 11 years old and Senior School for students 11 to 18. Currently, ECiM has about 1,300 registrations with at least 140 assessed applicants.
“We have quite a variety already but hopefully, we will be able to broaden up,” he adds.
But class sizes will be much smaller when ECiM opens in September. “At capacity, the maximum number of students per class in the Senior School is anticipated at 24,” George says.
In Pre School and Nursery classes, class sizes will be set at a minimum of 16—with Pre-Prep and Prep School class sizes at a minimum of 22. Ultimately, ECiM aims to cater to 900 boys and girls aged 11 to 18 in a predominantly boarding Senior School, with an additional 650 students educated in the Prep School.
In Senior School, ECiM head Mike Oliver says that all pupils will be taught in English, with additional support for those whose first language is not English. The pupils, he adds, will follow courses in all subjects leading to International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A levels.
Oliver was assistant head at Epsom College in UK before he accepted the post in ECiM.
“I was heavily involved in the design and sorting out of the curriculum as well as the policies which will be in place,” he says.
According to him, Senior School will be subdivided into three stages including Lower School (Years 7 to 9); Upper School (Years 10 and 11); and Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13).
One feature that sets the ECiM apart from its sister school in the UK is the Prep School. ECiM head of Pre School Jane Smith says it is the first time that Epsom is offering preschool education.
“The pupils will follow the New English Curriculum, which takes them through the early stages of learning based around play and outdoor activities, to the point where they can access the full curriculum of academic study by the end of Year 6,” she explains.
George adds that Prep School in ECiM is considered a milestone since it’s not being offered in the UK campus. Asked what prompted the offering of Prep School, he cites that “there is more demand” with some parents “typically wanting their children to go to the same school.”
Aside from offering a high-caliber curriculum, George says that ECiM boasts of a state-of-the-art campus that “embraces the personal development of each student through innovation and creativity to achieve academic excellence and aspire to secure places at the world’s top universities.”
Facilities include 80 tastefully designed classrooms, a 600-seat theater, recital hall, dance studio, 20 music rehearsal suites, five ensemble rooms and a specialist Art and Design Technology Centre. Among the best features of ECiM is the excellent sporting facilities including a three-astro turf football pitches, two rugby pitches, three squash courts, specialist fields for football, cricket, athletics events, swimming pool and a sports hall accommodating 10 badminton courts, two basketball courts and a fitness center.
Despite the vastness of the campus, George says the security of students will be an utmost priority. An anti-crime fence will surround school premises and sophisticated CCTVs will be set up along with 24-hour in-house security.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
When asked what fueled his drive to bring Epsom in Malaysia, Fernandes cites his own experience.
“I consider myself lucky to be able to get the kind of education and by bringing it to Asia, here in Malaysia, I hope that I can share that chance to others,” he says.
Fernandes also hopes that ECiM will become a venue where everyone can get an opportunity to get the best of what education has to offer.
“I was lucky that I was able to have a good education but there are a lot of smarter people,” he says. “And, if I can play a tiny part in giving some of these talents a chance to turn from raw diamonds to diamonds, why not?”
Part of his goal is to give scholarships to deserving students.
“My aim is to try to give as many scholarships as possible,” Fernandes says.
ECiM, he assures, will offer “all sorts of scholarships” available. The school intends to offer a wide range of highly-prized scholarships, based on the ability and potential of students, at 11+, 13+ and 16+ in Academic, Music, and Sports categories.
In addition to scholarships, the College may also offer financial support to parents with a proven need.
Fernandes says providing an opportunity for all was done “amazingly” in AirAsia by “breaking all the rules.” In AirAsia, which pioneered low-cost travel in Asia, he says that there were “guys who used to carry bags for us who have become pilots and I want to do the same thing in ECiM.”
For him, education will always be a great equalizer.
“I don’t care where you came from,” he says. “If you want to be the best then you can be the best. And if I can help give some kids a chance to be able to excel from an early stage, then I would,” he ends.
(ECiM is currently holding Entry Assessments for pupils aged 3-17 years old. For more information, log on to www.epsomcollege.edu.my)