Primary Weekly Highlights: The Highwayman

Over the last three weeks, our Year 6 students have been exploring Alfred Noyes’ classic narrative poem The Highwayman. The poem is about a highwayman - a robber, who steals from travellers and his lover, Bess. The poem focuses on the lives of these two main characters, their love for one another and their deaths. From this work, the children have learned the language features..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Learning through Block Play

Play is an important feature of learning here at JB. From Preschool to Year 2, our students' learning is supported by providing opportunities to play. We consider Preschool, Reception and Year 1 to be our kindergarten years and we adopt a very play-based approach to learning. 

A significant focus for us in these years is on the personal and physical development of children..

Secondary Weekly Highlights: A Sustainable Future at EP 🌏💚

We are delighted to announce that we have recently been awarded the Eco-Schools Bronze Award, in partnership with WWF Malaysia. This is our first big step in our journey towards becoming a Green Flag School and is truly a testament to our students’ hard work, resilience and determination. In this week’s KLASS Blog, our Eco-Coordinator, Hannah Richardson, tells us more about..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Planning by Backward Design

Here at JB, we use a curriculum planning approach called understanding by design or backward design. This was a concept developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. A ‘traditional’ approach to lesson design involves content being identified, along with a sequence of lessons and finally an assessment. In a backward design approach, what students should know and be able to do is..

Hook with a Book: The Great Chocoplot

At the beginning of term we heard from Mr. McCarthy, our Primary Principal, about the ‘Hook from a Book’ units which brought great excitement and interest amongst our Year 1 to 6 students.

In Year 4 Ms. Ferguson's class (4I) read 'The Great Chocoplot' by Chris Callaghan. It's the story of young Jelly and her family who live in the chocolate factory town of Chompton-on-de-Lyte...

Primary Weekly Highlights: We are back! 🤩

Welcoming more students back on campus this week has brought such happy and positive emotions. Our students have amazed us in how they have readjusted to face to face learning. Visiting classrooms has been an absolute pleasure and the JB campus has been the most wonderful place this week.A big focus in our assemblies and PSHE lessons has been friendship and the character..

KLASS Library Publishes Student EPQs

The Alice Smith School has offered the EPQ to Sixth Form students since 2009. It was initially a compulsory component for Sixth Form students but has more recently become optional. With universities now giving greater recognition of this qualification in entry offers, we are seeing a strong take up by our students.

Our results for EPQ have risen to a very high level with 54%..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Launch of New and Exciting Units of Learning 📖

Recently the students have begun some new learning units at JB. This is always an exciting time for students as they discover what they will learn about through the steps of learning within their unit and the end goal.

Year 5 teachers have launched a brilliant unit focused on learning all about the Aztec Civilisation. The students had to develop their teamwork skills on..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Drawing and Early Representation ✏️〰🖼

Drawing is a crucial activity during kindergarten years. It is a way for a child to express their understanding of the world around them. Drawing allows children to make meaning and freely express their ideas, thoughts and feelings. Children usually have a natural urge to draw and here at JB, we ensure our learning environments support this. 

Across our kindergarten years,..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Our Teachers

World Teacher Day was celebrated this week and I would like to thank all parents and students for showing their appreciation to their teachers in different ways. This day has made me reflect on how outstanding our teachers are here at JB.Our teachers are some of the most caring and committed people I have ever worked with. I was reminded of this recently, when we came together..

Returning to School Safely

Finally our last few year groups are heading back onto campus. For many of these students it is the first time they have been into school since May having finished the last academic year, and started this one, with online classes.

It is great to see the students connecting with each other and their teachers in way that isn't possible on 'Zoom' or other virtual platforms but it..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Our Students Return!

Yesterday was a special day. Our students across the kindergarten years returned and brought our campus back to life. Classrooms were full of happy and joyful children who embraced being back at school and brought smiles to everyone at JB.

I was so impressed with how instantly comfortable and settled our children were as they separated from their parents and strolled into..

Primary Weekly Highlights: International Dot Day

ART ROOM BLOG

This week in the virtual Art Room, we have been celebrating International DOT Day! Dot Day is based on the book, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds which tells the story of a child called Vashti who resists creating art until her teacher empowers her to discover what a talented artist she really is! It is also a story of how even the youngest of us can ‘Make their Mark’..

Secondary Weekly Highlights: Unveiling our EP Eco Code!

Primary Weekly Highlights: Our Students

Secondary Weekly Highlights: Rise and Shine!

As we conclude the second week of our new school year, it is wonderful to see and hear of the opportunities and experiences our students are enjoying and preparing for. In this week’s KLASS Blog, our ECA Coordinator and House Leader, Danny Hodnett, is excited to share two such enrichment opportunities with you:

With every new start to a school year, Alice Smith never fails to..

Secondary Weekly Highlights: Connecting and Reconnecting

It has been such a joyful week of connecting and reconnecting: students with teachers, students with students, teachers with teachers, teachers with parents, parents with parents. Learning has well and truly begun and so have the social interactions, debate, enthusiasm, discussion and creating that make up such an important part of that learning experience. It was wonderful to..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Learning has begun at JB!

Students have made an amazing start to their year in this first week at JB. Our students in Preschool have shown such enthusiasm for their learning and adapted brilliantly to online learning with their teachers. Across Year 1 and Reception, children have engaged in a range of activities getting to know each other, their teachers and sharing information about themselves.

From..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Our Students

Our students have been extraordinary this school year. Faced with so much change and challenge, they have continued to amaze me with their resilience and fortitude.

As Principal, I have been shared into countless examples of our students showing kindness and humility throughout the school year. Students have engaged in service to others through awareness raising, charity..

Wi-Fi Upgrade and SSO - FAQs

Our IT team will be working throughout the summer to upgrade our Wi-Fi on both campuses and move us towards a Single Sign On (SSO) for school systems.  The FAQs below give some more detail on this but if your question isn't answered you can also email our IT team directly who will be happy to help.

Is there anything else I need to know?

The iSAMS system will be offline between..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Community

As we approach the end of a very challenging school year, I have been reflecting on my experiences as Primary Principal at Alice Smith. One aspect of our school has continually demonstrated its strength and importance; our community. I believe it is our community that has played a significant role in supporting us all through this testing year. 

Here at JB we have strived to..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Turtles 🐢

Our learning here at JB is always purposeful. We plan and teach units of learning through our cross curricular approach which are a combination of knowledge and skill building aimed at deepening student understanding. Our recent unit on turtles 🐢 in Year 2 was an example of all that is great about our approach. 

The unit comprised a brilliant balance of knowledge acquisition..

Primary Weekly Highlights: Music Matters!🎼📻🎶

Despite the ongoing challenges we are facing on a global scale, music making has continued to enhance the lives of many, including those within our school community. 

The positive impact that music in its many forms has on wellbeing is widely documented. Whether participating or listening, music is associated with improved mood, reduced anxiety, lower levels of depression,..

Six ways to help your child develop early maths skills

1. Counting: Understanding numbers will help children in all areas of maths. When children hear adults counting, using numbers and talking about quantity it develops their..

Cross-Curricular Learning in Action: The Hook

For their new topic our Year 6's were treated to inspirational messages from two very special guests connected with their new cross-curricular unit - Professor Peter Frankopan and Joanna Lumley OBE FRGS.

In Key Stage 2 our Primary curriculum approach uses flexible, well planned cross-curricular units to encourage students to make sense of their learning by creating links..

The School Library in the age of Virtual Learning

In this week's blog our Head of Libraries, Rob George, looks at the how Alice Smith School library has responded to the challenges of the pandemic.

"Like all aspects of educational provision the school library has not been spared from significant challenges as Covid 19 forced a rapid transition to virtual learning. We pride ourselves on having an amazing library that..

Construction Play in Early Years

Parent Workshops and Learning Power

During a 'normal' term we are delighted to offer parents a wide range of workshops to help support their role at home as well as our role at school. These workshops run most weeks during 'normal' term time and cover a wide range of subjects.

Some workshops will be age and year group specific, such 'Transition Meetings' for Year 6 parents or 'Early Reading' for Reception..

Rebecca takes 2nd place in Oxbridge Society Humanities Competition

It may be the summer holidays but we are still very excited to hear the news that Rebecca (Year 10) has been awarded 2nd place in the Humanities category of the Academic Exploration Competition held by the Oxbridge Society of Malaysia.

The competition, which was open to students up to Year 13, was held over six weeks in April and May and students had to write an essay of..

Spotlight on Sociology

What is Sociology?

Sociology is a wide-ranging field that encompasses many aspects of society and develops students' awareness of the world around them. It is the study of society, people and their behaviour. Sociologists examine theories of society, look at evidence and collect research to establish whether theories are correct. We also hope to use this research practically..

FOBISIA Story Winners: Years 5 and 6

Congratulations to Year 5 and 6 winners of the FOBISIA (the Federation of British International Schools in Asia) short story competition Sizhe, overall winner from Dulwich College, Singapore and runners up Roselyn, from International School at Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur and Harriet from Dover Court, Singapore.

The response this year was overwhelming! With over twenty..

A Look at Studying A Levels in Malaysia

A Levels are an internationally recognised pre-university programme with high academic standards. They are exam-based and require in-depth knowledge of the chosen subject matter are equivalent to other pre-university programmes such as Australian Matriculation, Canadian Pre-University (CPU) and the Malaysian STPM.

Though they are known to be challenging, students with this..

What is the Pastoral Care Award

Every year, the International School Awards recognise excellence in teaching and learning at schools around the world. 

This awards ceremony was established by ISC Research, the world's leading provider in international school data. A school that receives such awards sets the benchmark for others to reach, setting them apart as high quality institutions in the community.

One..

How Alice Smith Ensures a Quality British Education

Ensuring their children have a quality education is a concern for any parent.

At Alice Smith, we ensure your children..

Life of a Distance Learning Teacher in Kuala Lumpur

Alice Smith School faculty have been working hard to ensure we are providing our quality learning and teaching online. 

Innovating in our delivery methods to ensure learning continues for all our students. With the MCO extended into Term 3 it will be a little longer before we get back onto campus but learning will continue across the school.

Read on to see how distance..

Learn to Think, Think to Learn

‘IDK’, if you didn’t know, is a feature of text-speak that has now planted itself firmly into modern parlance as a rapid, shorthand response to a difficult question - ‘I don’t know’.

When we ask Year 7 students what they think is happening when a raw egg appears to ‘cook’ in the presence of a mysterious chemical at room temperature there is no expectation that they will..

Foundation Stage: How Children Learn in a Play Based Environment

When a baby is born, they have billions of brain cells and through stimulation, those cells connect to form synapses. Stimulation comes in the form of play, exploration, human interaction etc. 

“Brain activity and synapse formation are at their highest when a child is deeply engrossed in something which fascinates, challenges and makes them happy.”Anna Ephgrave, Early Years'..

Eight ways to help your child revise

Absolute Magic- Ross Welford Visiting Author

Earlier this term we had the pleasure of hosting award winning author Ross Welford  at our Primary Campus and he was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! Not only did he delight with his amazing piano skills, but his magic tricks during his Year 6 and Year 4 assemblies were real WOW moments. Ross entertained the students whilst discussing how he became a writer and how he engaged with books as a..

What is the Extended Project Qualification or 'EPQ'?

The Extended Project Qualification, or ‘EPQ’, is an exciting standalone qualification that encourages students to develop vital skills necessary in Higher Education. Taken in year 12 or 13 students choose whatever topic they like as long as it doesn’t overlap with their A Level course content and many use the opportunity to explore a personal passion or interest. Students..

STEM: Strategies that help students dream and innovate

Examinations and their Boards

The UK school exam system can be very confusing to parents, even if they are from the UK and experienced it as a student themselves. As educators, we are commonly asked by international parents, ‘Is Cambridge board better than AQA?’ or ‘Edexcel is harder than AQA, right?’These sincere questions reflect a misunderstanding of UK examination boards. The idea is easily held by..

A Masterclass in Stage Make Up!

The inaugural Inter-House Stage Make Up Competition took place on Friday as a new strand of the House Day. Students from our four houses, Fairfield, Fleming, Muir and Scott competed to create stage make-up designs using the theme of Halloween as inspiration.

The day started with our fantastic student facilitators Mia, India, Pamela and Liyuan giving a Master Class in how to..

'Protect' short story competition

What are you protecting? Someone? Something? Maybe a secret... 'Protect' is the theme of this year's FOBISIA (the Federation of British International Schools in Asia) short story competition. Open to students in years 3 to 13 in any of the 68 FOBISIA member schools the competition encourages creative writing. Full details can be found here.

We're excited that this years..

Innovating The Next Generation

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are the core components of STEM and are subjects crucial for our future. The earlier we can introduce STEM to students, the greater the opportunity for the next generation to innovate and ultimately have an impact on the planet. 

One student who has made such an impact at Alice Smith is Krishna Ghantala. Krishna who is..

Learn2Master Languages

Our Learn2Master initiative is a unique programme developed by the team at Alice Smith School to effectively teach modern foreign languages (MFL). Our Head of MFL, Stefan Rodic, describes the programme:

"Learn2Master is based on the Swedish concept of LAGOM (balance). We promote a balanced dialogue between student and teacher that centres on two specifics; the ‘Learning..

British International Schools Malaysia | Alice Smith 2019 IGCSE Grades

At Alice Smith, our academic results are consistently excellent and place us among the best British international schools in the world. 

In 2019, Alice Smith students celebrate another exceptional set of examination results with 66% of all (I)GCSE grades at A* or A (grades 9-7) and 52% of all A level grades at A* or A. 

At (I)GCSE almost a third of all students achieved..

Innovative Learning Environments | Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur

The layout of a classroom hadn’t changed in a very long time. The earliest classroom can be traced back to Sumerian society in 3,000 BC and the rows of seats are clearly identifiable. It’s a layout many of us will recognise.

Schools in the 21st-century are different though, providing a positive environment for innovative learning and teaching to take place. They should be..

Developing 21st Century Skills