From Chris Wilson, Head of Prep School
5th December 2025
Dear Parents,
“The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life”
Oscar Wilde
The penultimate week of any term is always a busy one, with events happening across all aspects of the co-curricular landscape.
The EYFS Nativity performance this morning was a huge success, with the children all enjoying the chance to perform on stage in front of their parents. From the costumes, to the acting and the singing, the children delivered a virtuoso performance that sent us all off in high spirits for the rest of the day.
Christmas and the time of advent has been a theme all week, with the Bunga Raya invited to perform at Gleneagles Hospital on Monday, helping to bring some festive cheer. Meanwhile the boarders in Iskandar and Taylor held their Christmas Supper party on Thursday night, with the Taylor Common Room also playing host to the singing of carols.
Monday night saw Year 8 parents engaged with a talk from one of our school counsellors about supporting their children at home, while Wednesday saw our Juice Bar in the Art Cafe, (a bar run entirely by the children to raise money for charity), busier than normal supporting our Wellbeing Wednesday initiative.
Cross country was a focus on the games pitches for all the children, which was infused with a delightful amount of house spirit which saw the children all supporting one another, while our U11 and U13 hockey teams were in action on Wednesday.
This morning Pre-Prep had the visiting author Janina Kutyn visiting for a reading with Years 1 to 3, before engaging with a workshop with Year 3. She was a huge hit with the children, who enjoyed all aspects of her time with us.
I wish everyone a thoroughly enjoyable weekend and look forward to potentially seeing many of you at the Seasonal Festival of Music on Sunday evening.
With best wishes,
Chris Wilson
Head of Prep School
A Message from Mrs Cassidy and the Pre-Prep Team
Well I certainly can’t talk about this week without starting with the Early Years Nativity. What a gorgeous, heart warming performance of ‘A Bundle of Joy’ this was. The whole experience was like a cup of hot chocolate, so sweet and comforting and a true sign that the Christmas holidays are nearly with us. When attempting any performance involving such young children, the real magic of course has been created by our fabulous Nursery and Reception team, who I’m sure will be enjoying a well-earned rest over the weekend.
We hope that you enjoy the children’s school reports next week. The reports are just one part of our invaluable Parent-Beak relationships and I am sure you will all enjoy reading about how your children have been progressing this term. The Parent Workshops, Learning Showcase and Parent-Beak meetings have all helped, we hope, to ensure that you feel fully included in your children’s learning journey. As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, queries or suggestions.
When I look through the Head of Year comments in this letter, there is a theme of grit and resilience amongst our children, and this was exemplified in the cross-country running this week. How amazing to see the children giving this their best and having so much fun in the process.
Letter from Mr Bullock, Deputy Head Academic
“If knowledge is power, then learning is a superpower.”
Jim Kwik, Brain Coach, and author of Limitless
As my first term nears its conclusion, it has been a joy to see pupils so engaged in their learning, inspired by some wonderful lessons; the progress in the classroom has been very evident and I trust that this will be conveyed through the end of term reports. In particular, it is great to see children developing the skills to learn independently, equipping them to develop their superpower.
Early next week we will publish the Prep Reports to the College’s iSAMS Parent Portal. There are two parts to these. The first part is the set of learning expectations for each subject; these include detailed descriptors of the different learning targets for each subject that the reports are based on. These also give you a clearer picture of what learning has taken place through the term.
The second part is the individual pupil reports (or Orders) for Years 1-8; they contain levels against the learning expectations and effort assessments; the explanation of the different levels is set out on the second page. You can also compare the effort levels to those published at Half Term for Years 5-8. The individual reports conclude with two summary reports, one from the Form Tutor and the second from the Head of Year. We trust that the reports give clear feedback on attainment against the learning expectations as well as judgements on effort and supplement the feedback this term through the Parent-Beak meetings and the recent Learning Showcase.
If you do have further questions, having read through the report, please contact your child’s Form Tutor; if you are unable to log into the Parent Portal, please contact aidan@marlboroughcollege.my
Letter from Mrs Poignee & Head of House Team
Join Us for the Santa Run – Friday, 12th November!
Get ready to spread festive cheer while supporting a great cause at our annual Santa Run! On Friday, 12th November from 8.30am to 10am, pupils will take to the Marlborough Miles dressed in their jolliest Christmas outfits, running as many laps as they can to raise funds for Prep Outreach and collect bands for their Houses!
Please complete the form whether or not you will accompany your child in the Santa Run by Friday, 5th December.
Please find additional information about the Santa Run here.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to promote fitness, community spirit, and the joy of giving during the holiday season. Parents and siblings are welcome to join in the fun!
Let’s make this event a magical success – don’t miss out!
We hope to see you there!
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.)