About Malvern College
At Malvern College we create a safe space to take risks, where self-assured, grounded, and resilient young adults develop their skills to work with anyone, anywhere.
For over 150 years, we’ve believed in preparing for the future. We’re a boarding and day school for pupils aged 13-18.
Wrapped in the embrace of the rolling hills of Worcestershire, Malvern College gives children the space for big ideas. Room to grow, to develop and flourish; to discover the world with the confidence to keep exploring.
Pupils are empowered to thrive academically with a rich balance of super-curriculum and co-curriculum motivation so that they can truly excel, wherever their passions lie. Our unique house system creates a family environment, and a focus on developing emotional intelligence alongside academic excellence, ensuring our young people are ready for the opportunities – and challenges – modern life brings.
Becoming a role model
Take a walk through the grounds and you can feel the vibrations of a noble past, following the footsteps of CS Lewis, Francis William Aston, Edward B Titchener, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, James Meade, and Professor Sir Chris Whitty. A new generation of Malvern alumni, who excelled in the classrooms and studios, on sports pitches and under the spotlight, have also paved the way to make Malvern a dynamic school where every pupil thrives. Recent alumni include explorer and ocean rower, Lara Vafiadis, Team GB marathon runner, Rose Harvey and Talal Hasan who in 2022 won the Earthshot Prize in the Fix Our Climate category of this global competition.
Learning and Achievement
At Malvern, our pupils do more than just remember and recite facts. By encouraging curiosity and diversity of thought, we ensure each pupil develops a well-rounded approach to learning.
Our academic programme is broad and rightly challenging. Beyond GCSEs, International GCSEs, the International Baccalaureate and A levels, we measure the value added to each pupil’s academic achievement through a process of independent baseline testing.
Academic progress is underpinned by a robust support network and classwork and homework are complemented by a programme of lectures and educational visits designed to inform and inspire.
Exam performances are measured year-on-year and we always strive to better already high expectations and achieve exceptional results. Annual exam results are benchmarkedagainst the national and global landscape.
Scholarships are awarded to those with exceptional talent and means-tested bursaries are also available so there are no barriers to a Malvern education.
Support: Providing the tools to succeed as modern leaders
Our Tutor system provides well-considered academic support for each pupil throughout their school career. Tutor groups are co-educational and from a mixture of Houses to ensure balance and integration.
In the Sixth Form, pupils have the opportunity to choose their own Tutor, giving them autonomy to make the decisions that matter to them, further strengthening their life at Malvern.
Following exams, pupils typically go onto Russell Group universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, London School of Economics, Imperial College London,University College London, St Andrews, Bristol and Exeter. A percentage of our pupils also choose overseas universities and over the last few years, Malvernians have gone on to study in Madrid, Hamburg, Japan, Hong Kong and Italy. We have a dedicated member of staff to help pupils applying to US universities and pupils have gained places at Colombia, Princeton, Harvard, Penn and New York University over the past three years.
Pupils are also encouraged to explore degree apprenticeships and other career routes. In recent years we have supported pupils going to flight school, specialist film and photography schools, Central St Martins (Art and Fashion) and join professional sport teams and academies.
A home away from home
Boarding provision at Malvern gives pupils the advantages of a transformational education and it helps them develop social skills, emotional intelligence, cultural awareness and an open-minded approach to the society that they are, and will be, a part of. It also affords pupils the space and time in which to grow and thrive, with the support and care of our experienced House Teams.
Over 75% of our pupils are full boarders and the Houses are full of activity throughout weekends. Pupils develop a tremendous affection and loyalty towards their House, and inter-House competitions are fiercely contested.
Outside of the classroom
Running alongside the academic curriculum are our co-curriculum and super-curriculum.
The activities which form the co-curriculum include innumerable opportunities for pupils to develop and test a range of new skills.
The principles underlying the co-curriculum are: to encourage a balance between creativity, action and service; to encourage pupils to engage in new experiences and develop new skill sets; to promote health and well-being; to enable pupils to develop transferable skills and apply the Malvern Qualities.
Types of co-curricular activities on offer include music, sport, art, drama, Duke of Edinburgh, CCF, and photography. Malvern College has an enviable Outdoor Pursuits programme, which involves annual challenges including Hunted and Lost and has seen pupils paddle board across the English Channel and cycle from London to Paris.
Our super-curriculum is entirely pupil-led. It enables pupils to individualise their curriculum choice whilst supporting the academic core of their (I)GCSE, IB or A level courses. Pupil-led societies come and go, reflecting pupil interests and choices. This encourages pupils to develop intellectual curiosity beyond the confines of examination driven courses. There are a range of societies. They challenge thought processes and conventional wisdom and present unorthodox views. They help pupils by stretching them intellectually and demand collaborative research and academic independence. Economists, linguists, philosophers, geographers, scientists, engineers and psychology pupils each have their own societies.
Academic breadth is achieved with the involvement in groups and clubs that include Empower Her Voice, Black Students’ Union, Classics, MedVet, Malvern Press, Economics and Business and Maths Problem Solving.
To find out more information visit www.malverncollege.org.uk or call the team on 01684 581500.