Malvern College Qingdao, China has revealed it has had its first student accepted to study at the University of Cambridge.

The announcement comes in a year when the number of British independent schools in China is set to skyrocket, increasing by 44% in 2019, according to a report by Venture Education.

At the end of 2017, there were 22 British independent school campuses operating in China. In 2018, 10 more opened taking this number to 32. This year, another 14 are expected to open taking this number to 46 – more than double of that in 2017.

Head of Malvern College Antony Clark told Independent Education Today: “We have already had a number of pupils in China gain places at prestigious universities in the US and the UK, and now our first pupil from Malvern College Qingdao has been accepted at Cambridge.”

He also talked about the financial side of running a British school in China: “In terms of financial reward, this comes much more slowly than might be imagined, these are long-term projects that need to be managed with diligence, accountability and cooperation.

“It is important to us that we have a clear educational motivation for establishing our sister schools abroad. The principle aim is to give those who are educated at our Malvern College schools abroad opportunities that they might otherwise not have had.

“We work in partnership with people we trust to establish those schools and take an active role in the quality of education offered under our name.”

In terms of financial reward, this comes much more slowly than might be imagined, these are long-term projects that need to be managed with diligence, accountability and cooperation

Malvern College is one of 33 independent schools in the UK with sister schools in China. Malvern College Qingdao, Malvern College Chengdu and Malvern College Chengdu are the school’s international branches.

The report showed the British school with the most campuses in China is Dulwich College, which opened its first in 2003 in Shanghai and now has seven. Other schools that topped the list included Harrow School (two, with four planned in the next two years), Hurtwood House (four, with one planned this year) and Wellington College (five).

Venture is a consultancy that supports UK/China education through research, consultancy and partnerships. In its report, the company cited a ‘second wave’ of British schools had been spurred on by economic growth in China creating new opportunities for international schools in second and third tier cities, as well as broader appeal for UK education amongst Chinese students.

There is also a trend for blended British-Chinese curriculums to create access for more students and allow for a faster pace of growth.

Julian Fisher, senior partner of Venture said: “The incredible growth of British independent schools in China shows, first and foremost, that British education is seen as the gold standard at K-13 in China. British schools bring experience, expertise and innovation to a country that is looking for holistic education that inspires the next generation.

“The real challenge, with so many schools opening in such a short space of time, will be recruiting students, recruiting quality teachers and maintaining international standards of quality. This is where support from the home schools, international associations such as COBIS and ACAMIS, the British government’s Department for International Trade and the British Chamber of Commerce in China will increasingly have a role to play.

“The golden age of UK-China relations is truly at its strongest in education.”

Read the full report here.