CHRIST COLLEGE BRECON TO OPEN SISTER SCHOOL IN MALAYSIA

07 Apr 2016

As Christ College Brecon celebrates the 475th Anniversary of its founding, the school has signed with DBH Holdings of Malaysia to set up its first international school outside of the UK.

The sister school to this 475-year old institution will be known as King Henry VIII College and will be located in Cyberjaya.
On Thursday 7th April, a Collaboration Agreement will be signed between Brecon Synergy (a subsidiary of DBH Holdings Sdn Bhd) and 1541 Ltd (a subsidiary of Christ College, Brecon).
DBH Holdings is a fast-growing diversified Company, with a particular interest in education.

The Chair of Christ College’s Governors, Sir Paul Silk KCB, a former Principal Adviser to the British House of Commons, said: “This is a thrilling chapter in Christ College’s long and proud history. Malaysia is an excellent location for our internationally-minded school to develop a similar institution to the one in Brecon. We will replicate the ethos, the culture, the academic rigour, and the determination to challenge each child to explore their capabilities to the full.”

The British High Commissioner to Malaysia, H.E. Vicki Treadell CMG MVO said: “Christ College is one of the oldest and most successful independent schools in the UK. I am delighted that it is the latest addition to the education landscape here. Their arrival further supports Malaysia’s aspiration to be a regional education hub.
“Christ College’s partnership with DBH Holdings will ensure that a new generation of Malaysians can benefit from its education excellence and rich heritage without having to leave the country. In Malaysia alone, there are currently over 58,000 individuals currently studying for a UK qualification. This underlines the value attached to UK education. Since February we have been rolling out our Education is GREAT campaign in Malaysia and we are getting increasing interest from UK institutions to find partnerships with local institutions or to establish themselves in Malaysia and ASEAN in their own right,” she added.

The MD of DBH Holdings, Datuk Hoe Tze Fook said: “My company is delighted to join with Christ College Brecon to establish this new school in Malaysia. The links between the two schools will be extensive, and we will explore the many opportunities for exchanges, visits, and mutual collaboration. This will be a fully-fledged sister school in every way.”

King Henry VIII College will accommodate 1,500 pupils on a modern, spacious campus with state-of-the-art facilities for learning, sport, drama, and many other activities. It will function as a day and boarding school catering to students between the ages of 7 and 18 from across ASEAN.
Building of the school is scheduled to be complete by June 2018, and the doors will open to the first pupils in September 2018.
Head of Christ College Brecon, Mrs Emma Taylor, commented, “We are confident that this will have a beneficial effect on the resources available here in Brecon, and allow us to continue to improve our facilities and embark on future capital projects. The potential to improve the school experiences of pupils and staff is at the core of all we do, and central to this new venture.
We envisage that CCB staff and pupils will be involved in exchange visits, with wonderful opportunities for further cultural enrichment. We already have excellent exchange schemes with schools in China and Japan; this new school will be in an even closer relationship with us (the intention is that even our uniforms, logos, and badges will look alike), and will foster cultural understanding and wider global experiences for our pupils.”