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Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong Celebrates Official Opening

Representatives from different sectors of Hong Kong, including the British Consulate-General, Invest Hong Kong, and the Sino Group, joined around 150 of young pupils and teachers, to celebrate the official opening of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong (MCPSHK) at its newly designed campus in Southwest Kowloon.

To start off the Ceremony, founding pupils from Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong sang a song to welcome the guests.

The Chief Executive of Malvern College International (Asia Pacific), Ms. Jacqueline So, welcomed all the guests to the ceremony. “It is amazing to see how the Pre-School evolved from just a plan, gradually to this beautiful open-plan campus which has drawn so much admiration already”, said Ms. So, as she thanked everyone that was involved and supported throughout the whole development of MCPSHK. She continued, “The Malvern College tradition places the child at the centre of everything we do. By providing a vibrant, nurturing environment, our students receive well-rounded, holistic learning opportunities that prepare them for further education and life beyond the school walls. The establishment of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong is the first venue in Hong Kong to which we bring the Malvern philosophy and ethos to younger students in this city.”

Ms. Jacqueline So, Chief Executive of Malvern College International (Asia Pacific) thanked everyone that was involved with the establishment of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

Mr. Allan Walker, Director of International Schools, the representative from Malvern College UK said “I am so glad that Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong, our 6th member, is now open, in addition to our schools around the world, including Qingdao and Chengdu on the Mainland, Cairo in Egypt and in the rolling Malvern Hills of England. Malvern has always been, and remains to this day, not only at the forefront of the proud tradition of British Education, a tradition which is famous throughout the world, but also at the cutting edge of modern educational techniques. This amazing campus reflects the qualities that I have previously mentioned. With the open spaces, and feel of being in nature, it is designed to express and reflect the theories of the cutting-edge Reggio Emillia approach to education. We look forward to meeting the needs of the continuing interest from the expatriate community and bringing the best of Malvern’s British boarding school experience into a day-school setting.”

Mr. Allan Walker, Director of Malvern College International Schools, spoke in front of an assembled audience at the opening of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

(From left to right) Mrs. Jacqueline McNalty, Founding Principal of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong; Mr. Allan Walker, Director of Malvern College International Schools; Ms. Jacqueline So, Chief Executive of Malvern College International (Asia Pacific); Ms. Maggie Palmer, Assistant Trade Commissioner of British Consulate-General; Mr. Samuel Wu, Executive Director of Malvern College Hong Kong; and Dr. Robin Lister, Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong, cut the ribbon to mark the opening of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

Guest were also shown footage of the inaugural group of young and curious pupils taking part in their first Forest School session. MCPSHK is the first school in the city to have the Forest School programme run by Level 3 FSA-certified leaders. The Forest School programme in MCPSHK allows children to develop physically, socially, and emotionally in a natural setting. It gives them a chance to explore the environment, to take risks, to manage their physical ability, and to gain more physical skills. “The Forest School programme in MCPSHK enhances the richness of the EYFS curriculum, placing emphasis on active, play-based learning with a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities” Mrs. Jacqueline McNalty, Founding Principal, explained, “It develops skills, knowledge, concepts and confidence that is not possible in a formal classroom setting”.

Mrs. Jacqueline McNalty, Founding Principal of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong, shared with the guests about the first Forest School lesson of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

To mark the occasion, guests were invited to join the “learning through play” session, to experience the true meaning of “educationally harnessed play”. The programme in MCPSHK is built upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, designed to nurture children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, whilst fostering and forming relationships to thrive socially and emotionally. Young children develop and learn through both a structured and free play programme that focusses on inquiry, developmental and hands-on learning. “The opening of the Pre-School marks a critical milestone for the establishment of Malvern College in Hong Kong” said Ms. Jacqueline So. Along with the main campus, Malvern College Hong Kong and Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong will eventually serve more than 1,000 families in the territory, with children ranging from 2 to 18 years old. Ms. So further revealed that “we are looking at various development opportunities in Asia, as well as opening another Pre-School in Hong Kong. However, we will only expand at a pace that we are comfortable with the quality.”

(From left to right) Mrs. Jacqueline McNalty, Founding Principal of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong; Mr. Allan Walker, Director of Malvern College International Schools; Ms. Jacqueline So, Chief Executive of Malvern College International (Asia Pacific); Ms. Maggie Palmer, Assistant Trade Commissioner of British Consulate-General; Dr. Robin Lister, Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong; and Mr. Samuel Wu, Executive Director of Malvern College Hong Kong, cut the cake to mark the official opening of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

Ms. Jacqueline So, Chief Executive of Malvern College International (Asia Pacific); Mr. Allan Walker, Director of Malvern College International Schools; Mr. Samuel Wu, Executive Director of Malvern College Hong Kong; Ms. Maggie Palmer, Assistant Trade Commissioner of British Consulate-General; Mrs. Jacqueline McNalty, Founding Principal of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong; Dr. Robin Lister, Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong; and the Advisory Board Members of Malvern College Hong Kong.