is a new international school with a Senior School being built on a 50 acre site at Bandar Enstek, just south of Kuala Lumpur, as part of the Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC) project. A site for the new Prep School is being identified in the south-western suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Seen as a major development in the field of education in Malaysia, Epsom is co-educational and will follow the British National Curriculum with all teaching in English. The Senior School, which is both a day and boarding school, will open in September 2013. It is currently planned that the Prep School will open 12 months later.
Based on the home model, Epsom College in Malaysia will combine academic excellence with a first class British boarding experience, with up to 90 per cent of the senior school boarding. The emphasis will be on creating a family environment within a structured school routine, with a traditional British House system fostering a strong feeling of belonging and community.
Founded in 1855, Epsom College was established by Dr John Propert as a school to educate the sons of Doctors and has Her Majesty The Queen as patron.
With a long history of educating Malaysian and other international students in England, the new venture in Kuala Lumpur is a natural extension designed to further the College's international reputation and increase the number of pupils who can benefit from an Epsom College education.
The project has been made possible through the joint funding and support of KLEC and the College's network of high profile Old Epsomians living and working in Malaysia. The College has strong links with many influential Malaysian figures, not least Dato' Seri Tony Fernandes, himself a former pupil of Epsom College, who has been appointed Chairman of the Governors of the new school.
Teaching staff, Housemasters and Housemistresses, together with tutors and their families, will be resident on site. There will also be a Prefect system, modelled on the successful structure at Epsom College, within both the school and the individual Houses.
In addition to full boarding, weekly boarding, which was pioneered by Epsom College in the UK, will be an option. It is believed that this will be popular with parents who want a British boarding lifestyle for their children without having to travel long distances.
Epsom College in Malaysia will ultimately cater for some 900 boys and girls aged 11 to 18 in a predominantly boarding Senior School, with an additional 500 students educated in the Prep School.
The impressive Senior School campus, being developed on a greenfield site, will comprise ultra-modern hi-tech, environmentally-friendly buildings, with specialised facilities for music, drama and sport, the latter including floodlit astroturf pitches, sports halls, a swimming pool and hard courts. There will also be dedicated science and art departments.
Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes
Tan Sri Dr Anthony Francis Fernandes is a Malaysian entrepreneur and the founder of Asia's first budget no-frills airline, Air Asia, with the tagline "Now everyone can fly". AirAsia is now the region's largest low-cost operator, with a network of 122 routes covering more than 65 destinations. It has carried over 65 million passengers since its inception and grown its fleet to 80 aircraft. He is also Group CEO of the Tune Group of Companies, as well as the principal of Lotus Formula 1 Racing. Tan Sri is a director of Kuala Lumpur Education City Sdn Bhd.
Dato' Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin
Dato' Dr. Mahani has been has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia on 9 January 2010. She was Director-General, ISIS Malaysia in 2007.
She obtained a Ph.D (development economics) from the University of London in 1992 and was Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya until 2007. Her research interests are industrialization and economic transformation, international trade and regional integration. In 1998, Dato' Dr. Mahani was appointed a member of the Working Group for the National Economic Action Council, a body established by the Malaysian Government to formulate measures to initiate recovery from the economic and financial crisis. In 2001, she was appointed as the Head, Special Consultancy Team on Globalisation of the National Economic Action Council and from 2005 to 2007 she worked as the Deputy Director-General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
She was a Board Member of the Employees Provident Fund from 1998 to 2000 and also served as Deputy Chairman of the National Accreditation Board from 2003 to 2007. Dato' Dr. Mahani is currently Council Member of National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), Trustee of Yayasan 1Malaysia, the Deputy President of the Malaysian Economic Association and Member of International Steering Committee for the Pacific Trade & Development (PAFTAD).
Stephen Robert Borthwick
Stephen Borthwick was educated at Strode's Grammar School, Egham, University College of North Wales and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He taught physics at Bloxham School and Rugby School and was Head of Physics at Marlborough College, Deputy Head at Bishop's Stortford College, then Headmaster at Aldenham School, Elstree before joining Epsom College as Headmaster in 2000. He is currently a Governor of Aberdour Prep School. He is also Co-author of Nuffield Project A Level Physics and a member of HMC/GSA Universities working party. His recreations include gramophone, photography, golf and hill walking.
Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen
Andrew Vallance-Owen was educated at Epsom College in Surrey; he qualified in medicine at the University of Birmingham Medical School later training in surgery at the Newcastle teaching hospitals and Melbourne, Australia.
He joined the staff of the British Medical Association in 1982, becoming Scottish Secretary in 1985. He moved to London in1989 to head the BMA Council secretariat and international affairs, later also leading policy development.
He was asked to become Medical Director of the hospitals division of BUPA in 1994 and became Global Medical Director of the Bupa Group in 1995. Within BUPA he is accountable for the safety and standards of care of Bupa's customers wherever they are, for the production and distribution of health advice and information, and for assessing/promoting new health-related technologies within the company. He builds and promotes Bupa's healthcare credentials in the company's markets and developing markets around the world.
Andrew is 58, married with three children. He is very involved in secondary education and recently became Chairman of the Council of the Royal Medical Foundation of Epsom College and Chairman of the College's Board of Governors. He loves walking and jazz.
Peter Graham Hakim
Educated at Epsom College and afterwards articled to Chartered Accountants in London qualifying in 1962. After specialising in taxation he joined the family practise as a partner in general practise where he has remained since, specialising in trusts, charities and school audits.
He has a passion for cricket, rugby, football, cabinet making and music.
Sarah Elizabeth Teasdale
Sarah Teasdale was educated at Redland High School and Blundell's school before studying Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, part of University College London. She subsequently went on to train as an accountant with Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) before working as an accountant in the head office of both Unilever and ICI. She then became Financial Controller for two multinational software companies before joining Epsom College as Bursar in July 2003. Interests include cooking, gardening, interior design and travel.
Datin Nancy Gan Bee Ling
Nancy Gan is a corporate and conveyancing practitioner with experience in all areas of housing development and commercial property sales, tenancies, commercial and corporate banking, trusts and estate planning. Nancy's first professional qualification was from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. In 1990, she obtained a Master Degree In Business Administration (MBA) from Oklahoma City University, USA. Then in 1996, she obtained a law degree (LLB) from the University of London. She was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of High Court of Malaya in 2000. She had practiced at 2 other law firms in Kuala Lumpur prior to joining Raslan Loong in 2006 as a partner of the firm's property and retail banking department. Nancy contends that knowledge must be used for the benefit of the society as a whole and not just for personal gain. Hence, she is very active with charity work and serves as a volunteer with PRIDE (Pink Ribbon Deeds) and has also worked with a private company on nation-wide campaigns to create awareness on breast cancer.
Mr. Kahlil Anwar Bin Kamal
Kahlil Anwar Kamal, upon completing his studies in Epsom College and University of London (Imperial College), began his career as a System Developer where he successfully conceptualized and developed the E-generation portal for the World Education Enterprise. Through SESAMA, which established the International Medical University in 1992, he was appointed Chief Knowledge Officer and was a member of the Academic Council, Senate as well as the Executive Committee (EXCO) He is currently a director and Group Deputy Chairman of Kuala Lumpur Education City Sdn Bhd.
Gareth S. Eynon, Headmaster
Gareth Eynon is a South Walean, born in Haverfordwest, his home in Wales now lies to the north on Anglesey. Before embarking on his career in education Gareth studied Fine Art, attending Norwich School of Art between 1980-1983. After a period working as a freelance artist he gained his Postgraduate Certificate in Education at DeMontfort University in Leicester, before securing an appointment at Uppingham School, Rutland, one of Englands long established, excellent, independent boarding schools, to lead the teaching of fine art.
After several years and upon completion of an MA (Fine Art) at Nottingham & Trent University in 1995, Gareth began his international teaching career in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has worked internationally ever since, working in: KL, Malaysia; in Beirut, Lebanon; and as Vice Principal in Penang, Malaysia, before joining Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok, Thailand, where he has served as the founding Head of Senior School since before the school first opened its doors in 2003.
Gareth accompanied at Epsom College in Malaysia by his wife, Pussadee, remains a passionate and active painter; particularly combining mixed media and exploring the opportunities presented by new technologies along with more traditional approaches to examine the subject of identity.
He lists amongst his other interests: his guitars and making noise, a life-long loyalty to Cardiff City Football Club and a terrible golf swing.
Mike Oliver, Deputy Head, Head of Senior School
Mike Oliver is currently Assistant Head at Epsom College UK, a post he has held since he retired from running Granville House for 15 years. Mike has taught Mathematics from GCSE through to Further Mathematics and Oxbridge Applied Mathematics. Apart from his many contributions to the extra-curricular programme, including games, plays and concerts, Mike for several years ran hockey at Epsom College UK.
Mike has a degree in Applied Mathematics (Astrophysics BSc) from University College, Cardiff. After his degree, he went to Oxford University to start his PhD on the organic nature of the dust clouds in the interstellar medium. Through lack of funding, his research could not be completed so he transferred on to the PGCE course before moving into teaching. Since then he has passed the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers (NPQH) and is nearing completion of an MBA, having already acquired the Diploma of Management from the Open University.
Away from school, Mike uses his private helicopter flying licence to "get away from it all" and when he is not in the air, he can more often than not be found on a hockey astroturf pitch, where he is still involved at county, regional and national levels.
Jane Smith, Deputy Head, Head of Prep School
Jane Smith is currently the Head of Primary at The British School of Beijing (BSB) and has been in China since 2006. She leads the Shunyi Primary Campus of BSB, which has developed from a small campus of 220 to a very popular Junior School of almost 600. The school has a reputation for superb pastoral care and impressive pupil progress, as the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) recognised when they inspected the school in 2011. Other areas of strength are sports, ASAs and extremely high levels of parent and pupil satisfaction.
Jane has a degree in Primary Education from Dundee University and a Masters in Primary Education from the Institute of Education, London University. She is currently finishing off her NPQH.
Jane enjoys skiing in the winter, cycling, assisting with Girl Scouts and walking the family dog. During holidays, she can usually be found walking in the countryside or by the coast, camera in hand.
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The site where Epsom College in Malaysia will be located and the roads leading to it are currently under construction and can only be reached by 4 x 4 vehicles. Please do not to try and access the actual building site for safety reasons at this time.
If you would like to meet the Headmaster, Mr Gareth Eynon, please call 03-83201401 or 010-4281198 or email enquiries@epsomcollege.edu.my to make an appointment. He would be very happy to meet you.
By April 2012, the cricket pavilion, where our Marketing and Admissions Office will be based until the School opens in 2013 and an access road will be complete. We look forward to welcoming all prospective parents and students to the site after this time.
Please complete the registration of interest form so we can keep you up to date on all Epsom College in Malaysia information and news.
Prep School
Co-educational day school ages 3-11
Senior School
Co-educational boarding and day school for ages 11-18
Boarding
Envisaged 90 per cent boarding with a mixture of weekly (Monday to Friday) and full boarding
Boarding facilities
Separate boarding houses for years 7 and 8 (two boy and two girl).
Senior boarding Houses for years 9 – 13 (five boys and five girls)
Testing and Interviews
Prep
By short interview for Year 2
By testing and interview for Years 3 to 6
Years 7, 8, 9 and 10
By testing and interview
Year 12
By interview, testing and results from IGCSE/O level
