Two Fridays ago, I boarded a flight to visit a massive 50-acre British boarding school and its extensive facilities. After spending a very intense two and a half hours touring the grounds, I headed to the airport and was home the very same day. That’s because both flights took only an hour each. I was visiting Epsom College Malaysia in Bandar Enstek, about a 20-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Officially opened in 2014, Epsom College Malaysia is the first international campus of the UK’s over 170-year-old Epsom College. Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, co-founder of AirAsia, studied at Epsom College in the UK from 1976 to 1983. He believed so much in the quality British education he received there that he wanted to bring the same experience back home to Malaysia. He is now Chair of the Board of Governors of Epsom College Malaysia.
Since its launch over 10 years ago, Epsom College Malaysia has grown to 830 students from 30 countries, 65% of whom are boarders. The school admits a wide range of ages, from 3 to 19 years, according to the British education model, from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Prep School, to Years 7 to 11, and Sixth Form. The Singapore equivalent would be kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, and junior college.
Epsom College is now expanding its Prep School programme to Tokyo, where it will take in students aged 3 to 11 starting in 2027.
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A World-Class British Education
Epsom College Malaysia combines academic excellence with award-winning pastoral care, plus almost 150 co-curricular activities and elite sports programmes, with 90% of teachers UK-trained. 90% of the teaching staff live on site, with a low teacher-to-student ratio of 1 to 9.
The school is accredited by several organisations including the Council of International Schools (CIS), Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA), and the Association of International Malaysian Schools (AIMS).
In the 2026 IGCSE’s, 85% of students received an A* to B grade and 64% got an A* to A grade, with over 90% getting A* to A grades for Physics, Biology, Further Mathematics, Music and Chinese (as a First Language and Modern Foreign Language (MFL)).
In the 2026 A-Levels, 72% received A* to B grade and 53% of the students got an A* to A grade, with over 85% getting A* to B grades for Mandarin, Physics, Biology, Further Mathematics, and Chemistry, as well as a 100% getting A* to A grades for Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), similar to Project Work in Singapore.
About half of the students from the Class of 2025 matriculated in one of the top 10 UK universities, including the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
While touring the school, we visited the Academic Block, where we saw various classrooms, laboratories, performing arts facilities, and the library. Photos of the students were strictly forbidden for privacy reasons, so Epsom College Malaysia provided several of these images.
Opportunities For Sporting Excellence
Epsom College Malaysia’s grounds include three world-class sporting facilities: the Mouratoglou Academy Malaysia for tennis, the GOLFZON Leadbetter Academy for golf, and the LALIGA Football Academy.
Named after its founder, French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the Mouratoglou Academy at Epsom College Malaysia is one of only five such academies worldwide and the only one in Asia. There are 11 ITF-compliant courts in their tennis complex, including some of the few fully sheltered indoor clay courts in Southeast Asia, a rarity given the region’s weather and humidity.
The GOLFZON Leadbetter Academy in Malaysia is the first fully integrated golf and academic facility outside of the US, combining David Leadbetter’s world-renowned training methods with a world-class sporting infrastructure, including a 5-acre flood-lit golf facility to train swings, putts and everything in between.
LALIGA Football Academy brings the best of Spanish football methodology to Malaysia, as part of the LaLiga Grassroots initiative. Young aspiring footballers will be able to learn from experienced UEFA-licensed coaches on a FIFA-approved 4G AstroTurf football field.
Because of the haze during our visit, we couldn’t see any of the sports training sessions in person, but our tour of the facilities still impressed me with its scale and depth. Several of the images above are provided by Epsom College Malaysia.
In addition to these three world-class sporting academies, Epsom College Malaysia also has a full suite of sports facilities, including an AstroTurf hockey pitch, rugby pitch, cricket pitch, 3 professional squash courts, 10 badminton courts, 2 basketball courts, a swimming pool, a dance studio, and a fitness centre, among others.
Boarding School Life
Epsom College Malaysia brings the full traditional British House system to our part of the world. Students are separated into one of nine Houses, which also determines their boarding accommodation. Houses are separated by gender, with the five boys’ Houses further divided by age, two Houses for Years 6 to 9 and three Houses for Years 10 to 13.
This allows boarders to form connections across year groups, with older students taking on roles as leaders and mentors to their younger Housemates. This was something that was very apparent in my visit.
Electronic devices are strictly controlled in the House, with progressive lights out from 9pm onwards for younger students. The older students naturally enjoy more independence and autonomy when it comes to their sleep.
On our tour, we visited Wells House, one of the four girls’ Houses, to see where they live and study during the week. Younger boarders slept dormitory-style with shared bathroom facilities, while older boarders effectively had their own bedroom, with the oldest students entrusted with an ensuite bathroom.
Weekday Boarding Programme Fees
Tuition fees for Epsom College Malaysia for Academic Year 26/27 start at 36,070 MYR (~S$11,500) per term for Year 7 students, or 108,210 MYR (~S$34,500) per year. They go up to 38,030 MYR (~S$12,100) per term for Year 13 students, or 114,090 MYR (~S$36,300) per year.
Boarding fees for Epsom College Malaysia for Academic Year 26/27 are typically 20,900 MYR (~S$6,650) per term or 62,700 MYR (~S$19,950) per year for full boarders. Singaporean students have the option of weekday boarding starting at 5,730 MYR (~S$1,900) per term or 17,190 MYR (~S$5,700) per year for older Sixth Form students, to 8,530 MYR (~S$2,800) per term or 25,590 (~S$8,400) per year for younger Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 students. For Singaporean students, full-day boarding is available for an additional fee of 21,750 MYR (~S$6,400) per year, which means you’ll pay significantly less than other international students.
This means a year of education at Epsom College Malaysia could cost between S$41,000 and S$43,000, comparable to an international school education here in Singapore, but definitely cheaper than studying further overseas, such as in the UK.
All international students are required to have a valid Student Visa prior to arrival. Epsom will help process the student visas, which are valid for 1 year. Epsom charges 2,500 MYR per new application and 1,000 MYR per renewal. Epsom also assists with Guardian visas, if needed, which cost 1,000 MYR per application.
A UK Boarding School Experience Close To Home
Ultimately, what fascinated me was the opportunity to experience the quintessential UK boarding school life ahead of the A-levels and then continue further studies at an overseas university.
Of course, here in Singapore, we have several options if we want our children to have an international school education, and even pair that with a boarding school experience. Yet something is often missing because your children are still based in the same country you are, or the one they grew up in. Your children are simply not going to have that sense of familiarity and comfort when they head overseas for further studies, so why not build that up sense of independence earlier in life.
Travelling to Epsom College Malaysia is also relatively simple for Singaporeans now that we are exempt from filling out the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) and can easily pass through the autogates at Changi and KLIA. And because it’s so close to the airport, you and your child can literally get back to Singapore within the same day after their final classes on Friday.
But don’t just take my word for it – Epsom College Malaysia is organising an exclusive information session on Tuesday, 17th November, from 6pm onwards, at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. You’ll hear from Mr Jonathan Marchant, Head of Senior School, about possible pre-university pathways for your child. You may also hear from some Epsom College Malaysia students who are based in Singapore as they share about their experiences. Register your attendance for the session at their website.
If an exclusive information session isn’t enough, Epsom College Malaysia is also organising three Boarding Taster Programmes for up to 20 students each. Participants will experience a week at Epsom College Malaysia, starting on Friday and ending the following Friday. Epsom College Malaysia reserves the right to allocate the places for these Boarding Taster Programmes based on a short assessment. The top 20 applicants selected attend at no cost! Apply for the Boarding Taster Programme at their website.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lukman and all the staff at Epsom College Malaysia for hosting us so well during our visit, as well as Shermaine, Shiao Tiing and Priscilla for organising the visit and accompanying us.
Read Also: Cost Guide To International School Fees In Singapore
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