Kolej Yayasan Saad

Kolej Yayasan Saad (KYS), also known as Saad Foundation College (SFC), is a private, fully residential school founded by Tan Sri Halim bin Saad in 1995. It was built in memory of his late father. The college is located at Ayer Keroh, Malacca.

Location

Kolej Yayasan Saad is located in Ayer Keroh, a small town in the state of Malacca (Malacca). KYS lies near the North-South Expressway and accessible through the Ayer Keroh Toll Exit. KYS is 140 km from Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, about one and half hour if travelling by car. KYS is located in a rubber tree plantation.

Extended Curriculum

Three initiatives taken by KYS to include extended curriculum element into the National Curriculum:

-Provision of Music Education, Art and Design, English Enrichment, Guidance Programme and Mandarin Classes.
-Inclusion of value added elements
-Developing generic skills and teaching beyond the curriculum specifications.
-Music Education is compulsory for Form 1, Form 2 and Form 3 students.

They learn music theory, practical and music appreciation.

Curriculum Overview

KYS offers the National Curriculum (KBSM) to its students. Form 1 to Form 3 students will read eight subjects as specified in the national curriculum. Form 4 and Form 5 students can choose to be in either the Science or Business stream. They will read twelve down to ten subjects. All students who complete their secondary school education in KYS will sit for two public examinations – PT3 in Form 3 and SPM in Form 5. The academic time spreads over 56 periods in a week. KYS follow closely the one hour period (optimum teaching and learning duration) in the timetable. Students are not put into fixed rooms according to classes. They move to teaching rooms from one subject to another. There is no bell in between periods. The purpose for these two practices is to eliminate boredom, improve time management skill and to keep our students active during academic time.

Student Centredness

Class size is kept small. The teacher to student ratio is 1 : 10.

Facilities

There are six lecture hall-style theatrettes, six science labs, an amphitheater, a Resource Center, a computer lab, seven specialist rooms, two music studios, an art studio and workshops.

Besides the academic facilities, students use a dining hall, a cafeteria, dormitories and Surau. Most of the places are air-conditioned, except the science labs and dormitories.

The sports facilities include a gym, a 50-meter and 300-meter swimming pools, a synthetic athletics track, a rugby field, a football field, squash courts, tennis courts, a cross country obstacle course and a multi-purpose hall.

Student selection criteria

Kolej Yayasan Saad conducts a student selection process every year. Any students of any for the next school session are allowed to apply. The first step of the selection process is sending the KYS application form, which is available from the school's website. The school receives about 6,000 applicants per year. In recent years, the number of applicants was risen to more than 6,000.

From these applicants, 2,000 of those who fulfill the criteria are selected for the written Entrance Examination, taken at 20 venues nationwide. The top 300 students in this exam proceed to the third and final process, where they go to KYS for a four-days Residenced Based Selection (RBS). During the four days process, candidates face testing which includes interviews, IQ tests, a personality test, an aptitude test, a physical test, group presentation, and a stage performance (SPATA). Candidates are evaluated by facilitators and teachers. From the initial 6,000 participants, only the best 100 candidates (approximately of 50 boys and 50 girls) are admitted into KYS in any one academic year (excludes the application from other forms), making the school population of the five batches of approximately close to 500 resident students only. Also, in recent years the number of students that fulfill the criteria, that went for Residence Based Selection (RBS) and also the number of admitted students has risen. As of 2015, the number of Form 1 students are 120. As of 2015, there about 480 students in the school.

The Houses

KYS has three houses, each named after Malaysia's first three Prime Ministers: Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak and Tun Hussein Onn. Houses have a Housemaster in charge, while students form the working committee. All three houses have a colour and mascot i.e. Rahman House (Blue Dragons),Razak House (Red Phoenix) and Hussein House (Silver Foxes). The current house captains are as follows (as of 2015).

Alfred Yeo (Rahman)

Murshidi Hashim (Hussein)

Ahmad Fikri (Razak)

The Houses in Kolej Yayasan Saad are run according to the British-style House system under a Housemaster system consisting of Housemasters, House Tutors and Wardens. Student governance of the Houses are vested in the House committee consisting of the House Captain, Deputy House Captain, Vice 1 and Vice 2. House Captains are coveted posts in the school student governance and all House captains have their names emblazoned on the House board of honour upon leaving the school.

The House system allows the pastoral care of the students to be more effective as each student have access not only to their House Master or House Mistress but also to their House Tutors. Each House Tutor has only 8 - 12 students assigned to them which allows for a greater amount of personalised contact and assistance in their academics as well as personal development.

Events and activities

Every month, a "Union Night" is held by the six societies in KYS.

• Bahasa Melayu Society (PERBAYU)
• English Language Society (ELASO)
• Islamic Society (ISSO)
• Science and Mathematics Society (SMATS)
• Interact Club
• History Club
• Computer Club
• Art Club etc.

Usually the Union Nights are inter-house competitions, such as the Science and Maths Quiz, Malam Bintang Legenda, English Drama, Choral Speaking, Religious Studies Quiz; there are also Union Nights that are talent shows, talks and speeches.

KYS holds annual events such as the Athletics Championship, Swimming Championship, Family Day and Cross-Country Run. There are the KYS annual carnivals: the traditional rugby match with Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and the traditional rugby match with Vajiravudh College, Thailand.

Music programme and orchestra

The KYS Orchestra was established in 1997 at the behest of the school's founder. Music is one of the compulsory subjects for students in the Lower Secondary School. The programme is performance-based and all students learn to play an instrument or two in the course of their studies here. The orchestra has about 76 members and about 100 other members in the Junior Development Programme.

The department is headed by the Director of Music (Head of Music Education) and is assisted by two full-time staff as well as part-timers who handle the teaching of percussion, piano and keyboards and guitars/double bass. The full-time staff are teaching the strings section which includes classes for violin, cello and double bass.

The orchestra has performed in venues across Peninsular Malaysia which included a 2003 performance in conjunction with the 13th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur. In the same year, the orchestra performed at the Thailand Cultural Village in Bangkok. Every year, the orchestra goes on tour and performs for dignitaries including the Royal families and Malaysian ministers, parents and students of guest schools.

In 2010, the orchestra performed at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Auditorium featuring a split programme consisting abridged works from Beethoven to Andrew Lloyd Webber. For 2011, the orchestra featured a serious programme with classical works like 1st Movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Mozart's Piano Concerto in G, contemporary orchestral works like medleys from the Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean and selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's works.

Achievements

Kolej Yayasan Saad has produced the best results for both the Penilaian Menengah Rendah and the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations. In the 2006 PMR examinations, a total of 54 out of 56 students obtained straight As or 96.4% in all subjects.This result was the best in the country. In 2007 the school achieved a 100% percent straight-As in the PMR examinations. The same goes for 2008, they also achieved 100% straight-As.And to complete the hat-trick, the PMR candidates of 2009 had managed to get 100% straight-As for the third time. On the first year of PT3, 49 out of 81 students scored straight As.

In sports, the KYS athletics team have been the Ayer Keroh district champion and Melaka state Champion for many years straight. The KYS rugby team, also known as the KYS Rammers, has played state and national tournaments such as the Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor 10s (SMSS 10s). The Rammers participate in international rugby tournaments such as the COBRA 10s and NS Royal 7s.

The Under-15 Netball Team (2009) become the champion in the Ayer Keroh zone.

School Song

Kita pelajar berwawasan

Sedia menghadapi perjuangan

Untuk menjadi satria

Pemimpin yang berwibawa

Berjuang semangat waja

Bermoral dan beretika

     Kolej Yayasan Saad

     Centre of Excellence

     Your deeds so priceless

     Your vision our mission

     Together we attain great heights

     For Malaysia

     Our beloved motherland

Kami berjanji pada diri

Gigih dan tekun menuntut ilmu

Bersemangat bersukan

Hormat kepada guru

Sayang kepada ibu bapa

Taat kepada agama

     Kolej Yayasan Saad

     Centre of Excellence

     Your deeds so priceless

     Your vision our mission

     Together we attain great heights

     For Malaysia

     Our beloved motherland
     
     Kolej Yayasan Saad 
     
     Centre of Excellence

    Your deeds so priceless

    Your vision our mission
    
    Together we attain great heights
 
   For Malaysia our beloved motherland

Notable alumni

• Recipient of Al-Jerung award Mohd Azrul Abu Hassan
• Iedil Putra - Actor

External links

• Kolej Yayasan Saad's Official website
• Aerial View of KYS
• Map of KYS
• Kolej Yayasan Saad Ex Residents' (KYSER) Official website