【Event Report】First information session by Founding Headmaster, Mike Spencer!
Announced educational policy and application guidelines.

On August 23, 2022, Malvern College Tokyo held an information session at Andaz Tokyo in Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Tokyo, Mr. Mike Spencer, gave an overview of the school, its curriculum, and the admission process.

The 100 seats available at the event were almost fully booked. Participants ranged from those already attending the Malvern College family of schools to those attending international schools in Japan and those considering moving from abroad to enroll at Malvern College Tokyo.

We report the latest information about Malvern College Tokyo, which has been veiled until now, with a talk by Mr. Mike Spencer, Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Tokyo.

Malvern College Tokyo
Founding Headmaster: Mr. Mike Spencer

An international educator with a student-centered, values-based approach with more than 20 years of school management responsibility in top schools in the UK, Hong Kong, India, Shanghai, and Mozambique.
At Malvern College International, he is responsible for university relations and teacher development. He is also a professional school evaluator and team chair of the International Schools Council, with experience in accrediting and approving international school programs.

Established 157 years ago and in the top 10% of UK schools, Malvern College UK

-Malvern College UK
Founded in 1865, Malvern College UK is a co-educational, residential, and full-time school based in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, providing quality education for boys and girls aged 3 to 18.

Malvern College UK’s pursuit of rigorous academics and holistic education has led to the creation of a number of distinguished alumni, including author CS Lewis, Nobel laureates Francis Aston and James Mead, psychologist Edward Techner, actor Denholm Elliott, and current UK Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, as well as other prominent alumni.

Always at the forefront of educational development and believing that both academic and extracurricular activities are important for human development, the school was one of the first in the UK to adopt the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. IB program graduates consistently score 36 or higher in all subjects, well above the world average (29.9) making it one of the best IB schools in the United Kingdom.＊

＊Malvern College UK is recognized as a Top 15 UK IB School and Top 50 Global IB School in the 2021 IB League Tables. (Source:www.IB-schools.com)

-Malvern College Family Schools around the world
We have a worldwide network of Malvern College groups. As a principal, it is wonderful to be able to call our family schools and ask them for information about college admissions around the world and much more.

Our first overseas school was in Qingdao, China. In September 2012, Malvern College established its first overseas campus, Malvern College Qingdao, followed by Malvern College Chengdu in September 2015.

Since then, both schools have established a strong reputation, and graduates have been accepted by top universities such as Cambridge University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, and Imperial College London.

-Malvern Quality
Malvern’s philosophy is fostered by focusing on 11 carefully selected qualities, which are common characteristics of all Malvern schools.

We believe that these values will not only facilitate our students’ growth, but will also serve as the foundation for their future. We believe that Malvern Quality is an enduring human value that, over time, will prepare our students for life’s challenges and enable them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving world. 

Our goal is to develop all of these qualities in our students in equal measure. We regularly focus on Malvern Quality as an integral part of our curriculum and extra-curricular activities. We also use in-house and outdoor activities as opportunities for students to learn about and apply these qualities in their daily lives.

Opening in Kodaira, Tokyo in September 2023! Tokyo’s first integrated IB school under the British brand

-Malvern College Tokyo
Malvern College Tokyo is scheduled to open in September 2023 and will be their seventh overseas school. Located in Kodaira City, 40 minutes by car from central Tokyo, Malvern College Tokyo will be the first school in Tokyo to offer an integrated British-style International Baccalaureate (IB) program from elementary through high school. The school will offer the PYP at the elementary level, the MYP at the middle school, and the DP at the high school level.

In keeping with the philosophy of Malvern College UK, the Tokyo school will initially open its doors to students in grades 1 through 9. It will expand its curriculum to grade 13 by 2026 with a maximum enrollment of 950 students in the elementary, middle, and high schools combined.

-ESL Program
We understand that some students may need language support. The type of support we provide depends on the student’s level of English and age. We know that the acquisition of a second (third or fourth) language depends on many factors, including first-language proficiency. 

Some studies have shown that the deep language acquisition necessary to keep up with a rigorous academic program takes time. We plan to employ language acquisition specialists and teachers trained in teaching methods that maximize the learning potential of second-language learners.

We will have a variety of support available, including with-draw sessions and push-in sessions to support groups of learners, as well as trans-language strategies. It is common for students to take time to adjust to a second-language environment, and we will carefully monitor and measure the progress of all students to ensure effective progress.

-Maintaining the Japanese Language
We believe that maintaining Japanese-language skills is important for many families. Therefore, we provide daily Japanese lessons tailored to the student’s Japanese language level. While maintaining and improving the level of Japanese, we also place great importance on the cultural background of Japan. Language and culture are closely related, and we plan to develop the physical environment of the campus to reflect Japan’s proud sense of beauty.

Languages other than English and Japanese are still under consideration. Initially, only English and Japanese will be offered as part of the daily curriculum. However, we will also consider the option of learning other foreign languages in our extracurricular activity program. In addition, the Diploma Program will provide opportunities for beginners to learn other languages independently.

-STEM education
Malvern College UK is a pioneer in Nuffield Science, an approach that promotes the study of science through experimentation and discovery. Our approach to STEM learning and teaching focuses on hands-on work and encourages inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving. It creates awareness of the connections between environmental, social, technological, and economic issues to children’s lives.

Malvern College Tokyo will continue Malvern College UK’s excellent track record in science and will use every opportunity, including extra-curricular activities, to enhance the STEM subjects at the Tokyo School. In addition to numerous science clubs, an annual science fair, and a variety of science competitions and tournaments, Tokyo will offer a program of science camps, science field trips, an interview series with visiting scientists, a community science engagement program, and a scientist-in-school program. 

-Entrepreneurship Education
All Malvern schools share the same DNA. In particular, we share five strong principles: British Pastoral Care, Inquiry-Based Learning, Entrepreneurial Education, Outdoor Education, and Global Networking. Entrepreneurial Education is particularly important, because it combines our traditions with educational innovation to help our students become tomorrow’s responsible leaders.

At the Hong Kong School, students were engaged in developing new services and products, mimicking the “Dragon’s Den” Chinese program, in which a person with a great business idea talks to a group of entrepreneurs, and the entrepreneurs then give advice.

The students themselves also think about concepts, such as “how to enter the market,” “where is the market,” “how to approach the market,” “how much profit is sustainable,” and so on.

Some see entrepreneurship as just business, but more importantly, it is about being creative. This is at the heart of our inquiry-based research, which we have been conducting from an early age.

-The “Forest Schools” Program
In Japan, we already have “Mountain Day” and “Greenery Day,” which shows a high level of awareness about the environment. The Forest School concept offered by Malvern College is an outdoor learning program.

Based on the philosophy of child-led learning, the program aims to develop characteristics such as self-awareness, self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, creativity, resilience, empathy, social and communication skills, independence, positive attitudes, self-esteem, and confidence.

House system and pastoral care to support students’ learning and spirituality in a meticulous manner

-House Systems and Pastoral Care
As for how we incorporate the boarding school spirit into our day school, we do so through our house system (dormitory system) and pastoral care program (psychological care for students).

The house system is the basic framework for providing students with a comprehensive education. By assigning students to Houses, we foster a sense of teamwork and belonging, which is an important part of character development to ensure a rich and fulfilling school life.

In addition, we strive to create a close-knit community of students and teachers in all aspects of our pastoral care program.

Our goal is to further the physical, social, and emotional development of our students. We do this not only through academics, but also by focusing on character education, building and strengthening positive relationships within the school community, and promoting healthy lifestyles – all of which are integral to our pastoral care system.

-Support for higher education
Every year, approximately 80% of Malvern College UK applicants are admitted to their first choice of university, most of which are Russell Group universities (including Oxford and Cambridge). An increasing number of students also apply to and are admitted to top universities in the U.S. and other countries.
Malvern College Tokyo provides the following support with regard to employment and university admission. We believe that substantial and professional support for career pathways is important to guide students to make informed and confident decisions about their future.

A student’s first choice of college should be similar to the student’s expected grades and desired learning style. Therefore, Malvern College Tokyo’s guidance staff will assist students with their applications, although the Russell Group may not necessarily be the right choice for some students.

-Number of students and class size
The school aims to start with a small number of students at the beginning of the school year, with 2-3 classes in the lower grades with a maximum of 20-22 students per class, and 1 class in the upper grades with a maximum of 24 students per class. The student-teacher ratio is planned to be 1 teacher to 10 students, aiming to provide detailed support in small groups.

-Tuition
The annual tuition fee for the first year of Malvern College Tokyo is as follows;

In addition to tuition, there is an examination fee of 22,000 yen, registration fee of 300,000 yen, school building maintenance fee of 700,000 yen, and other miscellaneous expenses.

-Academic year for which we are recruiting
For the 2023-24 school year, the school will be open from Prep 1 through Foundation Year 3. Grades will be expanded each year, eventually serving up to 950 students from Prep 1 to Upper Sixth.

Pre-opening is scheduled for late March 2023. We are preparing to offer a program to support a smooth transition from Japanese schools. The program will include language support, preparation for enrollment, and an introduction to the philosophy and practice of an IB-style inquiry-based curriculum.

We look forward to seeing you all at our Kodaira campus.

Writer: Kaori Takahashi (eduJUMP!)