In 1992, Malvern College - which dates back to 1865 - made history as the previously all boys' school started educating young women, too.
While girls from neighbouring Ellerslie Girls’ School had been sharing sixth form science lessons on the Malvern College site since the 1970s, it wasn’t until 1992, when it merged with Ellerslie and Hillstone Preparatory School, that it became fully co-educational.
Over the last 30 years, it has established five girls' boarding houses to give a home to an outstanding community of female Malvernians - and throughout 2023, Malvern College is recognising many of its illustrious female alumnae who helped shape the school, while also celebrating its current female pupils and empowering them to set their future sights high.
The celebrations launched with a visit from rower Lara Vafiadis, who was at the school from 2003 to 2006. She gave a talk about her challenge of rowing solo across the Atlantic, where pupils also got to see the boat that is being used, as well as marvelling at Vafiadis’s resilience and ambition.
Former Malvern College pupil and now elite athlete, Rose Harvey, returned for the second talk in the anniversary series. When Harvey was at the school from 2008 to 2010, she won the school’s legendary cross-country event, ‘The Ledder’. Over a decade later, she is now a professional runner and runs for Great Britain.
She enchanted pupils with tales of how she missed a weekend chapel service due to being lost whilst running on the Malvern Hills. Rather than getting into trouble for her lack of attendance, she was recognised as a pupil not just with a raw talent, but a pupil with a passion to improve, too.
Journalist and marketer, Hannah Rouch is set to return to the school to talk about her career, which has encompassed being a junior fashion and beauty editor at The Daily Telegraph; fashion and beauty editor at Red magazine; and founding Stylenest.
She will also talk to pupils about her move into marketing, which included a stint as chief marketing officer at eBay Classified before taking on her current role as chief marketing officer at Gumtree.com.
Sustainability and conservation leader, Jenny Henman, will be celebrating the occasion too, with the founder and chairman of non-profit organisation Plant Your Future, which works to empower farmers in the Peruvian Amazon to reforest their farms and adopt sustainable farming, running a masterclass seminar later this year.
Malvern College headmaster, Keith Metcalfe said: 'Thirty years on, all pupils are encouraged to discover their own passions and believe in their ambitions. It only takes one trailblazer to ignite a spark and our fantastically dedicated staff at Malvern College continue to set countless ambitions alight.
'This is what makes the school what it is today. It’s a place that not only delivers academic intelligence but also nurtures cultural and emotional intelligence, ensuring its young people are ready for the opportunities – and challenges – modern life brings.'
To find out more about Malvern College, visit malverncollege.org.uk.
