KUALA LUMPUR, 9 October 2026. The Alice Smith School has started construction of a new Year 5 and 6 Neighbourhood at its Primary Campus on Jalan Bellamy, marking the moment with a bricklaying ceremony attended by the British High Commissioner to Malaysia. The school describes it as its biggest Primary development since 1950.
His Excellency Ajay Sharma CMG, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, laid a brick at the ceremony to mark the start of building work, which the school announced on 8 September. His remarks pointed to a construction period of around two years. The project comes as the school marks 80 years since its foundation.
"The next phase is the biggest campus development in the Primary School since 1950."
Dr John Knight, Head of School, The Alice Smith School
The new building has been designed around the way older primary pupils learn. It will provide flexible spaces for independent work, collaboration between classmates, creative projects and teacher-led exploration, and it is meant to support the school's approach to curriculum design. The school lists five qualities at the heart of the design: independence, curiosity, collaboration, creativity and wellbeing, with the aim of giving pupils in Years 5 and 6 more ownership of their learning before they move up to Secondary.
Students also played a part on the day. Pupils presented their Sustainable Garden Project to guests, a greenhouse with edible vegetables and herbs and decorated plant pots, showing the kind of hands-on project work the new spaces are intended to host.
The High Commissioner told the community that it was "a real privilege" to lay a brick "as you start on a new journey".
About The Alice Smith School
The Alice Smith School is a British international school founded 80 years ago, with its Primary Campus at 2 Jalan Bellamy in central Kuala Lumpur. It follows a British curriculum with a global perspective, leading to IGCSE and A Level, and its graduates go on to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and beyond.
What this means for families
For families with children in the early primary years, the project means the Year 5 and 6 experience at Jalan Bellamy will change during their time at the school, with purpose-built spaces expected in roughly two years. It is also a sign of long-term investment in the Primary Campus rather than in expansion elsewhere, which matters to parents who value the central location.
Parents visiting the school this year can ask how classes will be organised during construction and when the new Neighbourhood is due to open. To compare other options in the city, see the International School Advisor ranking of the best international schools in Kuala Lumpur.
You can contact The Alice Smith School here.
