TWO UK private schools are celebrating both award wins and high admissions.
Malvern College and its prep school, The Downs Malvern, were recognised for their innovative approaches at the 2026 School House Awards and the Talk Education Awards for Innovation in Education.
Keith Metcalfe, headmaster at Malvern College, said: “Our Old Malvernians are as much a part of the school as our current students and staff.
“We encourage them to play an active role within the school long after they have left and we are delighted that many of them return to speak to our pupils about their careers beyond Malvern.”
READ NEXT: UK private school could soon produce Premier League stars
Malvern College received the Alumni Relationships Champion award for its commitment to building lifelong connections with former students.
The school’s Role Models programme ensures alumni remain visible and involved through mentoring, careers advice, internships, and talks, creating a strong intergenerational network.
The Downs Malvern was honoured with the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing award, recognising its efforts to support students’ personal development and wellbeing.
The school’s ‘7 Skills to Thrive’ framework focuses on collaboration, resilience, communication, motivation, creativity, curiosity, and reflection.
Talk Education praised The Downs Malvern, saying: “Child first is the mantra here; a tweak to the curriculum, an adaptation to the uniform, an expansion of pupil voice – it’s all done with a view to benefitting the pupils who inhabit this charming, wholesome, friendly and energetic prep.”
The award comes at a time of growth for the school, which recently welcomed more than 60 new pupils, bringing its total enrolment to over 220, including nursery students.
This increase bucks a wider trend among prep schools, particularly across the region.
Andy Nuttall, headmaster at The Downs, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised in this category as pastoral care and wellbeing should be central to every school that is welcoming pupils at the very start of their education.”