We are a leading international school for students aged 2 to 18 years, located in the serene suburb of Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. Our early childhood, primary, secondary and pre-university classes are on a single campus. This cohesive environment underscores our commitment to fostering familial connections and collective growth.
We are the first and only school in the country to offer a truly comprehensive Finnish school model to provide the strongest possible learning foundation. Students progress seamlessly into graduating with one of the country’s strongest British IGCSE and A Level track records.
As we enter our 42nd year, we remain true to our original identity and mission: a school built by a family for other families who believe that learning should be a joyful, meaningful and lasting journey through which we create a solid foundation for a healthy mindset, resilient work ethic and upright moral values.
We are a leading international school for students aged 2 to 18 years, located in the serene suburb of Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. Our early childhood, primary, secondary and pre-university classes are on a single campus. This cohesive environment underscores our commitment to fostering familial connections and collective growth.
We are the first and only school in the country to offer a truly comprehensive Finnish school model to provide the strongest possible learning foundation. Students progress seamlessly into graduating with one of the country’s strongest British IGCSE and A Level track records.
As we enter our 42nd year, we remain true to our original identity and mission: a school built by a family for other families who believe that learning should be a joyful, meaningful and lasting journey through which we create a solid foundation for a healthy mindset, resilient work ethic and upright moral values.
We are family
Much like within a family, each child is cherished, their uniqueness celebrated, and their dreams cultivated and supported.
Throughout our journey, three pillars remain constant: our unwavering commitment to values of diligence and discipline, encapsulated by the motto “nothing is impossible”; our relentless pursuit of global resilience and adaptability, guided by the ethos of the Malay phrase “harum semerbak merata-rata”; and our enduring identity as a nurturing and close-knit family, united in our shared values and a profound sense of belonging.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cempaka, where strong family values underpin our culture and traditions.
Learning Is At The Core Of
Everything We Do
This Is My School
In 1983, Dato Freida Pilus, a pioneer in Malaysian private education, laid the cornerstone for Sri Cempaka, to educate her five sons differently and to offer an alternative to the conventional government school system to parents who shared the same beliefs in education.
Today, after expanding across multiple international curricula, “Sri Cempaka” is known as “Cempaka”. The Cempaka school community comprises the best-trained and experienced faculty from around the globe, including past alumni and up to third-generation Cempakans.
Each member is known and valued; each voice is heard and respected.
Cempaka was built by a family but belongs to all Cempakans.
The Cempaka Journey
Cempaka’s story started in a rented bungalow on Jalan Bukit Bintang in 1983, with thirty students and eight teachers. From here, it moved two other times (both along Jalan Bukit Bintang) before finally moving to its permanent campus in Damansara Heights in 1989. The original building still stands today and remains one of the oldest buildings in the area, nestled between Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and the Royal Selangor Golf Club.
OUR ROOTS:
Cempaka’s first campus on Jalan Bukit Bintang, 1983
Cempaka boasts a storied legacy marked by continual evolution and innovation. The School has traversed diverse curricula while consistently pushing boundaries in pedagogy, education technology and the arts, towards perpetual relevance.
TODAY:
Cempaka Damansara Heights campus
“Bersatu” (Meaning “United“) represents our deep sense of community. “Berdisiplin” (from the root word “discere,” meaning “to learn”) embodies our core mission. “Berdikari” (meaning “Independence”) symbolizes the cultivation of resilience and personal agency, empowering Cempakans to adapt, thrive, and rise to challenges.
Bersatu, Berdisiplin, Berdikari
The Cempaka school journey nurtures the whole child from the age of 2, beginning with our Michelia early childhood programme, through to graduation from our A Level programme and onward to university. Each child’s learning path is unique, supported by a rigorous academic programme with an unparalleled track record, an award-winning performing arts programme, a broad array of sports and expeditions, and diverse opportunities for leadership and real-world-relevant learning.
42 Years Of Inspiring Learning Journeys
The three tenets of a healthy mindset, resilient work ethic and upright moral values are especially applicable in competition. Striving to constantly improve through effort and practice is the aim, and coping with defeat and victory are essential skills.
Overleaf: Beruang, the 2023/24 First House Cup champions.
School Houses and Competition
Beruang x Harimau x Helang x Seladang
“Nothing is impossible” encapsulates the Cempaka spirit and growth mindset. Cempakans are presented with diverse opportunities to identify and nurture their areas of interest, and to develop both leadership and followership skills. With enduring discipline, work ethic and a structured plan, we believe all dreams are possible.
Nothing Is Impossible
Our Mantra
”Harum semerbak merata-rata” is a Malay phrase, and is a line in our school song. It refers to our aspiration for every Cempakan: to be globally adaptable and resilient, thriving and flourishing in the face of adversity and challenges.
Where Cempaka seeds are sown,
Mountains rise, forests grown,
Where Cempaka dreams take flight,
Islands bloom in boundless light.
Harum Semerbak Merata-rata
Our Aspiration for Every Cempakan
The Cempakan graduates after either the IGCSE or A Level examinations, but the Cempaka journey is one that lasts a lifetime.
Cempakans step into the world with lifelong friendships and connected to an international network of alumni, ready to welcome them at universities around the world.
Wherever their paths may lead, Cempakans will find a supportive global community, opening doors to opportunities and connections that extend far beyond our school’s walls.
Once a Cempakan, Always a Cempakan
