We were honoured to welcome His Excellency Ajay Sharma CMG, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, to our Primary Campus for a special bricklaying ceremony marking the beginning of construction of our new Year 5 & 6 Neighbourhood project.
As we celebrate 80 years of inspiring generations of young people, this milestone is particularly meaningful. It represents not only the start of an exciting new building project, but our continued commitment to investing in the future of our students and creating learning environments where they can thrive.
As Malaysia’s oldest international school and the only British international school in Kuala Lumpur operating as a not-for-profit school, the Alice Smith School has a proud history of providing an outstanding, all-round education based on the British curriculum for students aged 3 to 18.
Dr John Knight, Head of School, said: “The Primary Campus has had many improvements over the decades, but the next phase is the biggest campus development in the Primary School since 1950, which will make this a world-class campus for many years to come.”
A new neighbourhood for learning
The new Year 5 & 6 Neighbourhood is the next step in that journey.
Designed to support an innovative approach to curriculum design, the new space will provide flexible learning environments where students can work independently, collaborate with peers, engage in creative projects and explore ideas with their teachers.
At the heart of the design are the qualities we want to nurture in our learners: independence, curiosity, collaboration, creativity and wellbeing.
By giving students greater agency, we aim to create an environment where they feel a genuine sense of ownership over their learning.
This is particularly important in Years 5 and 6, a significant stage of development as students strengthen their relationships, become more independent thinkers and prepare for the next stage of their educational journey.
At the ceremony, students also presented their Sustainable Garden Project, showcasing how learning can extend beyond the classroom. Designed to make gardening accessible to everyone, the project explores how to care for plants and our environment, featuring a greenhouse, edible vegetables and herbs, and creatively designed plant pots. Through this hands-on project, students are developing practical skills while exploring how gardening can support physical and mental wellbeing, reduce our carbon footprint, promote biodiversity and strengthen our sense of community.
Building for the future
Every building begins with a foundation, and the new Year 5 & 6 Neighbourhood will provide a foundation for new experiences, ideas, friendships and opportunities for our students.
The presence of His Excellency Ajay Sharma CMG made this occasion even more special, as we celebrated the strong and enduring relationship between the United Kingdom and Malaysia, while looking ahead to the future of British education in Kuala Lumpur. His Excellency shared:
It's a real privilege for me to be here today, and to lay a brick, as you start on a new journey, expanding your facilities, and in that way, continuing to offer a fantastic education for all that come here. You have played, and I'm sure you will continue to play, as the Alice Smith School, such an enormous role in UK-Malaysia relations, but also in supporting our shared ambition for this country. I'm sure that in two years' time, this building will be an amazing example of how students, teachers, parents, working together, can deliver something that is not only kind of perfect for now, but actually something that, for the years to come, will stand as an example of educational excellence.
For a school with 80 years of history, looking to the future is an important part of who we are.
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Our anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the generations of students, families and staff who have shaped Alice Smith, while continuing to ask how we can provide an even better experience for the generations who come next.
The Year 5 & 6 Neighbourhood is part of that commitment.
From the first brick to the moment our students step through its doors, this project represents our belief that great spaces can inspire great learning.
We look forward to watching this new neighbourhood take shape and, most importantly, to seeing our students make it their own.
The future of learning is being built, one brick at a time.