A MALVERN-based independent school is expanding its brand internationally by opening up in Hong Kong.

The new Malvern College in the former UK colony will cater to around 1,000 pupils aged from 5 to 18 years.

The new campus is Malvern College’s latest addition to its growing family of international schools, with schools already open in Qingdao and Chengdu in China, and another opening in Cairo, Egypt, this month.

Malvern College Hong Kong will be accepting applications from this September and will formally open in September 2018. Meanwhile in September 2017, a separate Malvern College Kindergarten for 200 children aged from two to five years will open in the West Kowloon area of Hong Kong.

Carrie Lam, the chief secretary for administration for the Hong Kong government, laid the foundation stone for Malvern College Hong Kong at a special ceremony, joined by the headmaster of Malvern College UK, Antony Clark.

Mrs Lam said: "The Hong Kong government is committed to developing a vibrant international school sector to underpin our position as Asia’s world city and international hub. Established in 1865, Malvern is renowned for being innovative and helping pupils to achieve their aspirations. I welcome Malvern to Hong Kong, and congratulate Malvern College Hong Kong on successfully taking forward this project."

Mr Clark said: "Malvern College is a traditional school with a strong set of values, high academic expectations and a global outlook. We are delighted to be able to extend our family of schools to Hong Kong, building on our successful educational foundations and our partnerships in the region to establish schools which genuinely share our ethos and values.

"The whole Malvern College community benefits from these partnerships through staff and pupil engagement, while the broader Malvern community is able to further extend its network and world-view. At the same time, our international partnerships also generate additional funds which are invested into our world-class facilities at Malvern College UK."