From Chris Wilson, Head of Prep School
27th February 2026
Dear Parents,
‘Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar’
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Many of our Year 8 children have been engaged this week with scholarships for entry into the Senior School, across the fields of Academia, Music, Drama, Art and Sport. It was wonderful to see the high number of applications, underlining the growing passions they have developed within their academic and co-curricular strengths.
Some of our brightest Year 5 Mathematicians have gone up to Penang to take part in the AIMS Maths Challenge, returning late tomorrow. I have heard that they are thoroughly enjoying the experience and look forward to hearing how they get on following their return tomorrow evening.
Today, all our Year 8s and their parents were involved in the first step of their transition to the Senior School, where they had the chance to have a tour of the Senior School, as well as meet the Heads of Department for all the subjects, ahead of making their subject choices later this term.
Auditions for the Year 7 and 8 production of Beauty and the Beast drew to a conclusion this week, while the Music Department ran their technical rehearsal ahead of the Piano Festival next Thursday. Elsewhere, our divers held their first water skills assessment for open water diving in the senior pool, ahead of their trip to Tioman later this academic year.
Our Wednesday break-time juice bar, a child-led initiative that runs out of the Art Café, continues to go from strength to strength, raising money for our school charities. There is a great deal of hard work and effort that goes in each week to make sure that it all runs smoothly.
We also held the last of our Parent-Beak meetings for the term this week, where it was a pleasure to see many of you.
As we look ahead to the coming week, we will be undergoing a COBIS accreditation visit, while we eagerly anticipate both the Piano Festival on Thursday and World Book Day on Friday.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
With best wishes,
Chris Wilson
Head of Prep School
A Message from Mrs Cassidy and the Pre-Prep Team
Year 2 is starting to look amazing on the stage and this week has been to the accompaniment of the songs of Spring Chicken! In England, the term ‘spring chicken’ is used sometimes to describe someone young and energetic, and that has certainly been an apt description for the Year 2 team as they build up to performance day on the 12th.
Well done to all the children who have entered the Piano festival this year and who had rehearsals on Wednesday. This event is always a real treat and their talent and confidence amazes me year on year – I can’t wait to see the 2026 entries.
Thank you again to parents who attended the Parent-Beak meetings on Tuesday and took the opportunity to hear how children are progressing. Hopefully you found this constructive and useful. However, please contact your child’s Form Tutor if you have any follow-up questions or concerns and we are always happy to talk to you about how to ensure they flourish and thrive in school.
In assembly this week we have been talking about the meaning of ‘making a resolution’ at New Year, as well as learning a bit about the moon and why Lunar New Year comes after January 1st. We have thought about how we can make changes in our lives, to help others and maybe do our bit in making the world a better place.
A Message from Mr Bullock, Deputy Head Prep Academic
Staff Updates in the Mandarin Department
At the end of this term we wish farewell to Mr Bryan Heng; he has been a dedicated and popular beak through his two terms and leaves for personal and family reasons. We look forward to welcoming Ms Di Xiao to MCM and Malaysia; she has previously taught Mandarin at schools in the UAE, New Zealand and Thailand.
A Message from Ms Thwaites, Head of Prep English
MCM World Book Day – Friday, 6th March
We look forward to celebrating our love of reading on World Book Day on Friday, 6th March. All Prep School pupils are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character.
A Message from Mr Baxter, Head of Prep Mathematics
UKMT Junior Maths Challenge – Sign Up Now!
We are pleased to invite pupils to take part in the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Junior Maths Challenge, taking place on Thursday, 30th April 2026.
The UKMT JMC is a highly regarded annual national competition designed to promote mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency in solving engaging, thought-provoking problems. It is an excellent opportunity for pupils to stretch their thinking, build confidence and enjoy the challenge of problem solving.
The competition is open to pupils in Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8. There is a fee of £16 to cover the cost of the online paper. This amount will be charged to your school account.
Please note that sign-up will close on Monday, 9th March. We are unable to accept late entries after this date. If your child would like to take part, please complete the Google Form click here to register their interest. Further details will be shared with participants closer to the competition date.
We look forward to a strong turnout for this exciting mathematical opportunity.
A Message from Mrs Baxter, Head of Year 8
Marlborough’s Got Talent
We are excited to be holding the annual MGT (Marlborough’s Got Talent) competition again this half term. Pupils were made aware of the event a few weeks ago, and we have some wonderful auditions lined up already. If your child would like to participate, please could they complete this form by Tuesday, 3rd March 2026. Auditions will begin the following week, on 9th March, with the finals scheduled to take place in the Summer Term, on Wednesday, 15th April. Please email sbaxter@marlboroughcollege.my if you have any questions.
A Message from Mr Hartshorn, Head Librarian
Upcoming Author Visit: Dr. Sarah Pye joins MCM for World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day next week and link with our Prep Science Week the week after, MCM will be hosting distinguished Australian scientist and children’s author Dr Sarah Pye in the Pre-Prep and Prep Schools on Friday, 6th March.
As an author, educator and environmentalist, Dr Pye will be running a number of interactive workshops with pupils from Reception all the way up to Year 8 on that day, and we anticipate a fun-filled, informative and inspiring experience for all our pupils. You can learn more about Sarah on her official website.
Sarah is the author of the books Curious Kai Asks Why and the Wildlife Wong series, which are perfect for children aged 7-12. We warmly invite you to pre-order Sarah’s books for the book signing before the event, which you can do by completing the form attached below:
Dr Sarah Pye Book Signing – Pre-Order Form
Please note that the form closes at the end of the day on Wednesday March 4th, and later orders/cancellations will not be processed, while any remaining stock will be available at the book signing. Any pre-orders or purchases at the event will be added to your end-of-term bill.
If you have any questions about the event or after school book signing, please contact the Library team directly at libstaff@marlboroughcollege.my
We look forward to seeing you at this special World Book Day event on Friday, 6th March.
Prep Book Fair
As part of our celebrations for World Book Week, we are once again hosting CTT Books for our annual book fair in the Prep Art Café.
- Dates: Monday 2nd – Wednesday, 4th March
- Time: 8.00am – 4.30pm
This is a great opportunity for you to bolster your child’s reading collection at home with some brand new titles, with many options for children of all ages.
You are welcome to pay a visit to the Book Fair before or after school, and your child will have the opportunity to buy books during their class visit – just remember to give them a bit of money on the day, if you’re happy for them to buy any books.
Payments can be made by cash or QR payment.
The Power of 15 Minutes – Reading Recommendation
We are committed to supporting every pupil in becoming a confident reader, as strong reading skills are essential for success across all areas of learning. Equally, we aim to nurture a natural love of reading for pleasure that will stay with pupils throughout their lives.
To achieve this, we strongly recommend that all pupils in Upper Prep dedicate at least 15 minutes every evening (Sunday to Thursday) to independent reading, ideally in bed. Building a regular reading routine is key to developing a lasting reading discipline and a lifelong love of books.
Here are some useful UK lists to provide inspiration and ideas for reading: Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8. However, pupils should select books appropriate for their individual reading ability. If you would like recommendations tailored to your child’s interests and reading ability, please encourage your child to speak directly with their English teacher. (Please always monitor what your child is reading and refer to the Common Sense Media website for guidance.)