Marlborough College Malaysia
Marlborough College Malaysia is a co-educational international British school that offers weekly and full boarding for students from ages nine to 18. The full boarding programme incudes a wide range of activities for students before and after school and during the weekends – in fact, it sounds like so much fun we’re surprised the students ever want to leave! The school’s 90-acre site on the southern tip of Malaysia is just 15 minutes from the Singapore border, and there’s plenty of space for facilities, including grass pitches for rugby and football, a cricket ground, a hockey pitch, five tennis courts, squash courts, a gymnasium, netball courts, swimming pool, athletics track, an indoor climbing centre, fitness suite and space for badminton and table tennis. A nearby lake and local nature reserves provide opportunities for local fieldwork and adventurous activities.
The wide range of experiences provided in the boarding programme reflect what the students would be doing if they were “home”. Weekend activities include cultural visits, shopping trips, water parks, riding stables, Go-Kart tracks, laser quest, paintball and archery. There are service trips to local children’s homes, as well as visits to homes of the disabled and elderly. Students are also taken over to Singapore to visit the attractions and beaches on Sentosa, museums and galleries, and taken on river trips and treks. Mr Jon McNaught is the Trips Coordinator for the school, and believes that learning outside the classroom is an integral part of school life. “The benefits of any activities beyond the school gate are very important,” he says. “Far more learning takes place and a deeper understanding occurs when children are doing and experiencing, rather than simply learning about something,” he says.
Mr McNaught believes that significant learning occurs when students push themselves out of their comfort zones, which is why their more adventurous trips are an important part of the school experience. One of the integral aspects of the school year is the annual exchange programme with Marlborough College UK, where a select group of students stay in the boarding houses and attend lessons at the college, giving them an invaluable international experience.
Social events are organised for the boarding students, from barbecues to birthday celebrations. These get-togethers teach the students social interaction skills and how to conduct themselves in social settings and, more importantly, they help to create the close-knit, friendly community in which they live.