Discover Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong Island West’s Unique Educational Programmes

In collaboration with Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong*

The bustling Central and Western District of Hong Kong is renowned for being one of the most well-educated parts of the city. So it’s hardly surprising that this area is home to an international pre-school that provides children with a world-leading early childhood education programme: The Island West campus of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

The school, located in Sai Ying Pun, opened in 2019 to provide families living on Hong Kong Island the option of sending their pre-nursery and kindergarten-aged children to an educational institution that draws upon the rich heritage and ethos of the almost 160-year-old Malvern College UK. Here, pupils can attend half-day or whole-day classes, during which their potential will be unlocked with a range of stimulating and developmental learning experiences.

Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum

The Island West campus of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum designed for children aged between two and five years old. The programme uses a combination of structured and free play that encourages pupils to be inquisitive by participating in hands-on activities. It sets expectations for each age and stage of a child’s developmental progress, while allowing them to form relationships so they can thrive socially and emotionally.

Reggio Emilia-inspired campus design

Pupils spend their days in a school in which the environment is seen as the third teacher. The campus is, therefore, not divided into traditional walled classrooms, but instead has an open-plan layout in which learning areas are organised around the central indoor play area. Areas of learning and development from the EYFS curriculum are carefully reflected between the open classrooms — such as the cosy library nook and sandpit — where children acquire knowledge and social skills.

Bilingual Mandarin programme

Children who enrol at the school will have daily exposure to English and Chinese to ensure they have the greatest possible proficiency and confidence in both the written and spoken languages. Each class has one native English and native Mandarin teacher, along with their teaching partner. Pupils will also have one dedicated English Circle Time and one Mandarin Circle Time. The goal is for the children to be confident in reading, writing, and conversing in Mandarin after their three years at Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong.

Forest-Beach School

Once a fortnight, Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong children and their guardians board a bus to the school’s Forest-Beach School site in Sai Kung, where they get the chance to explore the outdoors under the supervision of a Level 3 Forest-Beach School lead. The programme is carefully planned in keeping with the EYFS curriculum to help children develop communication, collaboration, and leadership skills within small teams. During the week the children don’t attend Forest-Beach School, they visit a local park or a similar outdoor location.

Financial Literacy Programme

One of the core tenets of the school is its future-focused outlook in which teachers emphasise the foundations of economic, cultural, and social value. This resulted in the newly-launched Financial Literacy Programme in which teaching staff introduce concepts of finance from an early age through role play, stories, and engaging activities. Children have sessions at the Malvern Market — an on-campus learning space where they buy produce and other household items, each of which is assigned a monetary value to give pupils a basic understanding of finance.

Exclusive Island West programmes

The Island West campus of Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong is kickstarting its new K3 programme in August 2024, which will provide a foundation for students who may decide to move to the local stream for their primary school education. The K3 timetable will be more in line with Year One Primary expectations and will, therefore, have a more subject-oriented approach.

The school also offers a 2/3-Day Pre-Nursery Programme by which children who turn two years old within the academic year can enrol in a special transitional programme. These pupils will join the Pre-Nursery class either two days or three days a week, and then complete the full Pre-Nursery programme the following academic year.

Meet Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong (Island West)

Image credits: Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong

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