CHRIST College in Brecon has officially opened its first overseas sister school – with pupils being admitted to King Henry VIII College in Malaysia when it opened at the started of the month.

Located in Cyberjaya, 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur and its international airport, King Henry VIII College Malaysia is aiming to emulate its much older partner school in Britain which was established more than 475 years ago.

The new school will share a badge, uniform and branding with Christ College, with the aim being to replicate the educational practices and ethos of a modern day public school in the United Kingdom.

The first intake of more than 250 pupils is a mix of boarding and day school students, complemented by nursery and reception classes, as well as a small Sixth Form offering.

Eventually the school which has been built on land that was jungle on the edge of an expanding global tech hub will accommodate up to 1,500 pupils.

Founding head, Old Breconian and former Christ College Brecon deputy head, Simon Spencer said: “It has been an extraordinary couple of years to get to where we are today. Less than two years ago the site of King Henry VIII College was jungle and we only cleared the site for the ground-breaking ceremony and construction on March 1 last year.

“There is still work to do, but we already have a vibrant school community, and have certainly confirmed the excellent reputation of Christ College in this part of South East Asia.

“We all look forward to maintaining excellent links between our two schools, in all aspects of school life, not least cultural exchanges and shared learning experiences.”

The idea to build a new school in South East Asia in the image of Christ College was first mooted in 2015 with a collaboration agreement being signed between a subsidiary company of Malaysian firm DBH Holdings and a subsidiary of Christ College, Brecon.

DBH Holdings’ managing director Datuk Hoe, who sent all three of his children to Christ College, was keen to set up a school that replicated the Brecon college’s educational offering and culture.

Christ College’s the head teacher at the time, Emma Taylor, said: “There are two main advantages, one is financial as business planing. We are a small school and can only expand to a certain extent and have to charge fees and we would like to give access to pupils to parents of more limited means and this is a way of being able to invest in our facilities.

“There is also a cultural benefit to pupils and teachers with exchanges and classroom opportunities to speak to pupils in Malaysia which is fantastically different but has the benefit of being English speaking.

“The beginning of our day, sort of assembly time, is the end of their day and we can build that into the timetable. We could have a teacher here teaching pupils in Malaysia about St David’s Day and a teacher in Malaysia could talk to our pupils. None of it would be possible with out super fast broadband in Brecon.

“We will bring all the teachers here to stay and train in Brecon. It will be a huge benefit to Brecon. Christ College already makes a significant economic contribution to Brecon through employment and this will bring new visitors who will be out spending money in Brecon. It is also good for our profile and we’ve seen Brecon’s name all over the national papers in Malaysia.”

Datuk Hoe said: “Three things attracted me to Christ College. Its history, the school’s teaching methods, that my children have really benefitted from, and the town and its people.”

Vicki Treadell, then the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, said: “Christ College is one of the oldest and most successful independent schools in the UK. I am delighted that it is the latest addition to the education landscape here. Their arrival further supports Malaysia’s aspiration to be a regional education hub.

“Christ College’s partnership with DBH Holdings will ensure that a new generation of Malaysians can benefit from its education excellence and rich heritage without having to leave the country.”