Primary Principal Mrs Sarah McCormack samc@patana.ac.th
Vice Principal, Learning and Welfare
Vice Principal, Learning and Curriculum
Head of Admissions
PLEASE NOTE:
Ms Carol Battram caba@patana.ac.th
Mr Mark Verde mavd@patana.ac.th
Ms Rachel Jones rajo@patana.ac.th
The content of this booklet was accurate at the time of publication (November 2022). The curriculum is forever evolving, and during the course of the coming year, aspects may be developed or amended. Any amendments will be communicated to parents through the regular Year group newsletters.
Cover artwork by Christiana (Nida)Chaikitsakol, Year 3
Extra-curricular
Counselling
WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Our school family is united by a common purpose bequeathed to us from our founder: to provide a first-rate education for our children.
The pioneer Rosamund Struetzel arrived in Thailand in 1938 and her ambition to remain here with her family led to the founding of Bangkok Patana school in 1957. A British based correspondence course was chosen as the curriculum that enabled children living in remote locations all over the world to be taught by adults who were not qualified teachers.
The world has changed, so too the curriculum we teach children. Seventy years of service, development and thinking by countless world class educators has led to what we do today. It is as ambitious today as the first pioneers who wanted young people to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in readiness for their futures.
Ask our generations of Alumni who have spent longer in our school than any job they have had since. Their curriculum has enabled them to achieve highly, develop their purpose, progress to study with world leading academics; most of all, they have been able to meet the demands of any future job that is yet to be thought of. This is our curriculum, the written and unwritten legacy which generations of educators and learners continue to weave.
We look forward to meeting you, to understanding your child’s interests and talents, to adapt to their needs as they become themselves, to see them make use of our incredible learning resources, and; for them to feel rooted in this caring community.
Chris Sammons Head of School
“Our faculty prepare learning that allows students to explore factual and debatable knowledge, as well as making connections to the concepts which exist between different domains of knowledge.”
Chris Sammons, Head of School
INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING AT BANGKOK PATANA PRIMARY SCHOOL
AtBangkok Patana Primary School we continue to put learning at the heart of everything, so learners of all ages can fulfil their potential in everything they do. We look to develop students who are protected, safe and secure; independent; have a global understanding of who they are; have a desire to learn more; enjoy their learning, make good progress and achieve well. Our continual aim is to bring learning to life.
The curriculum is built around the expectations of the UK National Curriculum but is adapted to meet the needs of the international student body. The aim of the Primary curriculum is to install a life-long desire to learn more. We do this through our ‘connected learning’ approach where subject areas are linked together and taught in context to create real engagement in learning. We look to make learning as meaningful as possible, to provide quality, memorable opportunities for learning. All learning is skills based, following a backward by design approach, using a thematic study to guide the context of learning.
For learning to be successful, we realise we need students who feel safe, happy and secure in their school environment. We want to encourage our students to take risks, make mistakes and learn from these experiences. In addition to our academic focus, we are always looking to develop the whole child by providing opportunities to learn outside the classroom, experience experts from both outside and within the Patana community, enjoy practical and open-ended activities, often developed from their own ideas. We want our students to be inquisitive, questioning, (with respect) confident, morally and ethically aware, diverse in thinking, and excited to explore what is happening in the world around them. It is important that they all can lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and are ready for the challenges of a life after Patana, by being responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society as they mature into well-rounded adults.
The Engaged Classroom
The power of engaged learning ensures that the students are reaching their potential in everything they do. This requires the teacher to fully understand the learning needs of the students and prepare and resource the learning. This might mean that whilst the Year group are learning through a connected learning theme, because of the nature and make up of each class, the learning activities may vary but the overall objective and skill will be the same. We are very proud that our classrooms at all ages show: Engaged Classroom
“We aim to provide the very best education for your children within a happy, caring environment. We begin the journey of developing life-long learners.”
Mark Verde, Assistant Principal, Learning and
Curriculum
The Curriculum
The Primary School curriculum is broadly based on the English National Curriculum, but we adapt it to meet our international learners and develop learning opportunities to meet the needs of all our children. The purpose of this Curriculum Guide is to introduce you to this curriculum and how we put it into practice. The English National Curriculum begins in Year 1 and is used all the way through the Primary School. Alongside the academic curriculum, wider aspects of learning, such as social and emotional skills, as well as student attributes are promoted and developed in line with our guiding statements.
Interwoven through the curriculum, we seek to develop the children’s thinking by having a creative approach to learning and we aim to equip our children with well-rounded personal attributes. This begins in Foundation Stage with the introduction of the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which are developed throughout the Primary School with a focus around the attributes of Engagement , Motivation and Critical Thinking.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE))
PSHE focuses on well-being and developing learners who integrate into society as confident, responsible, global citizens; young people who have empathy and respect for others and a desire to safeguard ourselves and our natural world.
Life-long Learning Skills
Interwoven through the curriculum, we seek to develop the children’s thinking, particularly in the following five areas, processing information, reasoning, enquiry, creativity and evaluation and a creative approach to learning. As children are developing the essential learning skills, we are also preparing them for the ever changing world they are living in. To do this we need to develop learning and innovation skills which includes critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, alongside digital literacy skills.
The learners also need to develop initiative leadership and probably most importantly, adaptability. Foundation Stage is a good place where all these skills begin to develop through the characteristics of effective learning. These are built upon in Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and beyond.
Personal Attributes
We also aim to equip our young people with well-rounded personal attributes. In Years 12 and 13 the students study for the IB Diploma, which includes developing the attributes outlined in the IB Learner Profile. To complement this programme and to enhance our learning, we begin to build on these attributes in Primary as they are central to our practice and curriculum.
The IB (International Baccalaureate) Learner Profile Attributes
We wish our students to develop the following attributes and to become: enquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, informed risk takers, balanced and reflective; through the development and encouragement of the following attitudes: appreciation, commitment, confidence, co-operation, creativity, curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, independence, integrity, respect and tolerance.
Mark Verde
Vice Principal, Learning and Curriculum
APPROACH TO LEARNING
The Primary School is committed to creating a happy, caring and confident community of independent learners. We have high expectations and we aim to develop self-disciplined, skilled, resourceful and principled young people. We value our staff and seek to provide them with opportunities to develop professionally.
We nurture learning through child-centered approaches, technology and a variety of learning styles. We also endeavour to develop within our children thinking skills and strong personal characteristics. Through the English National Curriculum we strive to deliver creative and interactive programmes of study that are further enhanced and enriched by a comprehensive programme of extra-curricular activities that add breadth and depth to our children’s learning.
The Primary School values the cultural, religious and linguistic diversity of the students and seeks to establish respect for all nations. We also value the individual child and seek to meet their needs within our resources. In particular, we aim to effectively and sensitively induct all new students and their families into our community and to prepare them well for the next stage of their education and life.
Learning Through Play
We consider play a very important teaching and learning tool in both Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1and Key Stage 2. We believe through play children develop intellectually, linguistically, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally. Therefore, opportunities for indoor and outdoor play are central to practice in the Primary School.
Developing Thinking Skills
It is important to develop children’s “thinking skills” through all subject areas. The following are the thinking skills we aim to develop as outlined in the National Curriculum.
Creative thinking skills
These enable students to generate and extend ideas, to suggest hypotheses, to apply imagination, and to look for alternative innovative outcomes.
Inquiry skills
These enable students to ask relevant questions, to pose and define problems, to plan what to do and how to research, to predict outcomes and anticipate consequences, and to test conclusions and improve ideas.
Reasoning skills
These enable students to give reasons for opinions and actions, to draw inferences and make deductions, to use precise language to explain what they think, and to make judgements and decisions informed by reasons or evidence.
Evaluation skills
These enable students to evaluate information, to judge the value of what they read, hear and do, to develop criteria for judging the value of their own and others’ work or ideas, and to have confidence in their judgements.
Information-processing skills
These enable students to locate and collect relevant information, to sort, classify, sequence, compare and contrast, and to analyse part/whole relationships.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING
The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours that children use in order to learn and are incorporated into the Primary School curriculum from Foundation Stage up to Year 6.
To learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm and we believe that effective learning must be meaningful to a child, so that they are able to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in their learning and development.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning are broken down into three three categories with three strands in each category:-
Playing and exploring - Engagement
• Finding out and exploring
• Playing with what they know
• Being willing to ‘have a go’
Active learning – Motivation
• Being involved and concentrating
• Keeping on trying
• Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Creating and thinking critically – Thinking
• Having their own ideas
• Making links
• Choosing ways to do things
THE PRIMARY SCHOOL OVERVIEW
The Primary School, Secondary School and Cross Campus form Bangkok Patana School and share many of the facilities on our spacious and purpose-built campus. The Primary, Secondary and Cross Campus all have their own Principal. The Primary Principal is supported by two Vice Principals, who act as deputies to the Principal and are responsible for the implementation of the curriculum and fostering learning across the school.
The Key Stage 2 section of the Primary School is organised into four Year groups, each led by a Year Group Leader who co-ordinates the pastoral and curriculum activities of the Year group respectively. The Year group is also supported by an Assistant Leaders of Learning and by the teachers and support staff within the Year group team.
Key Stage Two comprises of:
• Year 3 (ages 7+ - 8+) - 8 classes
• Year 4 (ages 8+ - 9+) - 8 classes
• Year 5 (ages 9+ - 10+) - 8 classes
• Year 6 (ages 10+ - 11+) - 8 classes
In line with UK practice, students are placed in Year groups by age, the cut-off date being 31st August. All children in Year 3, for example will have reached their seventh birthday by 1st September.
Each Year group contains students of all abilities. It is policy not to promote exceptionally able students as their academic and social needs are met within the curriculum through well planned, effective, differentiated and pastoral programmes of the correct Year group.
Students’ progress to the next Year group at the beginning of Term 1 each academic year. Great care is taken to ensure a balance within each class in a particular Year group, maintaining a mix of gender, ability, fluency in English, nationality and personalities. The mixing of classes is overseen by the Principal and Assistant Principals, who take advice from the academic staff. Usually, we aim to mix the classes to rebalance the mix and to facilitate modern foreign language choices. We are unable to take into account requests from parents for specific teachers.
The School Day in Key Stage 2
Start of school: 07.30am
Morning break: 09.45am – 10.05am
Lunch break: 12.10pm – 1.00pm
School ends: 2.30pm
Optional Activities: 2.45pm – 3.45 or 4.30pm (ECA Programme)
KEY STAGE 2
Curriculum
The term “curriculum” refers to all the learning and other experiences that take place during school hours. At Bangkok Patana the curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that it is relevant to the backgrounds and experiences of our international student body. The English National Curriculum provides the basis for our formal curriculum. This is modified and extended to give a broad and balanced curriculum for all our students. Extra-Curricular activities extend the students’ opportunities further. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all children in each Year group. The learning is suitably differentiated. This ensures that it is appropriately pitched to cater for students of all abilities.
Aspects of the curriculum are explained to parents at meetings held at the beginning of each academic year. Throughout the year additional presentations for parents may be held to explain areas of the curriculum and to allow parents to see the materials we use in school. This document gives an over-view of the curriculum. As a school however, we are constantly evaluating and updating our curriculum programmes and during the course of the school year modifications to the content may be made. Curriculum news will be communicated to parents through the weekly Year group newsletters which may have an overview of the learning, or specific aspects of learners.
Assessment
At Bangkok Patana School, we believe that assessment involves gathering and analysing information about individual students and their learning. By identifying what students know, understand, feel, and can or cannot do at different stages of the learning process, we ensure that learning is appropriately targeted to meet their needs. Primary students are continually assessed to ensure progress is being made in all areas of learning, such as writing, speaking, mathematics, art, critical thinking, inquiry, athletics, science, and independent learning.
Traditionally assessment creates an image of formal paperand-pencil tests, but to truly understand where a student is in their learning journey and establish next steps, assessment must be flexible and multifaceted. Our assessments monitor the development of students’ skills, understanding and knowledge. The processes and structures used place the individual child at the centre. Students regularly self and peer assess, are provided opportunities to reflect, and work in partnership with teachers to establish their next steps in learning.
Reporting
Two primary school reports (Mid-Year and End of Year) are shared with parents each academic year; central to these reports is subject grading for Attainment and Progress.
• Attainment is the level of skills and knowledge a student has reached at a specific point in time.
• Progress shows the rate of improvement over a period of time. It focuses on how a student’s performance is changing and evolving and on what they have learnt and can demonstrate.
The Mid-Year report shares attainment and progress gradings with a written teacher comment for Reading, Writing and Mathematics. It also reports on attainment and motivation for specialist subject areas (e.g. Music, Art and PE) and the motivation strand of Characteristics of Effective Learning.
The End of Year report contains the same information with the addition of an individualised general comment, written by class teachers, attainment and progress grading for all subjects and all strands of the characteristics of effective learning.
Parent Teacher Meetings and Conferencing
The reports are supplemented by two Parent Teacher Meetings, one which occurs in Term 1 and another in Term 2. These meetings provide an opportunity to hear how students have settled into class and provide an insight into their learning.
We actively encourage dialogue between parents and teachers to create a positive partnership that supports a student’s learning journey. If parents wish to meet teachers to discuss their child’s learning, appointments can be made by directly contacting the teacher or the Primary Office.
A 3-Way (Student-Teacher-Parent) Conference takes place at the end of the academic year. During the conference, the child and teacher present and celebrate their year of learning, showcase the progress made so far, and discuss their next steps.
Standardised Assessments
In Year 6, students sit the International Schools Assessment (ISA) which test core skills in mathematical literacy and reading. The tests provide a clear indication of our alignment against international expectation.
In Years 4, 5 and 6 students will complete annual Progress Tests in Mathematics and Literacy. These assessments are used
“At Bangkok Patana the curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that it is relevant to the backgrounds and experiences of our international student body.”
Curriculum, Key Stage 2
by teachers to monitor progress and allow us to benchmark against other schools across the world.
In Years 4 and 6 students sit a Cognitive Ability Test (CAT4). This assessment provides teachers with data about a student’s potential and is used alongside progress testing to support students to achieve and flourish.
Communication with Parents
Good communication between home and school is vital. It is the key to success for most children. At the beginning of each school year meetings are held to introduce the Year group team and to explain the curriculum. Details are also given of ways in which parents may help their children at home. Formal conferences are offered throughout the year (outlined previously). In addition, regular meetings are held at which we explore various aspects of the curriculum and explain not only the content of different subject areas, but our approaches to learning and teaching.
Increasingly parents and teachers are using e-mail to communicate. Each teacher has an e-mail address. The school’s website (www.patana.ac.th) contains a wealth of information for parents, much of which is available through the Parents’ Gateway which is password protected. New parents are issued with a password once the registration formalities have been completed.
In addition, a regular Year group newsletter is sent home. This newsletter gives information about what is going to be taught and other year group related issues. It also chronicles achievements and successes.
The weekly Patana News, which is published every Friday, contains news from the Primary School and an up-to-date
Home Learning
All students in Key Stage 2 are set home learning on a regular basis. Home Learning often involves reinforcing and practising skills taught in class or research of topics being studied. It is an essential element of the academic programme. The amount varies according to the age of the children. In addition, we expect all students to read regularly at home. The Home Learning Policy is printed in the Year group booklet and details of our expectations are communicated to parents by the Leaders of Learning at the beginning of each school year.
Home Learning Routines
• If your child experiences any difficulty with home learning set please contact the teacher directly.
• If your child is unable to do their home learning for whatever reason please excuse your child through a message to the teacher.
All Year 6 students are required to have a personal laptop to support their learning. It is primarily considered as a device for learning at school and home. Further details about our Laptops for Learning programme, including the minimum specifications, recommended devices and registration process, can be found on our website: https:// patana.fireflycloud.asia/technology-for-learning/laptopsfor-learning-students. If you have any questions or queries, please contact helpdesk@patana.ac.th
CORE SUBJECTS
Mathematics
All learning objectives are taken from the The White Rose Maths Curriculum .
These objectives are structured under four strands for Key Stage 2
1. Number
2. Geometry
3. Measurement
4. Statistics
Literacy
All our learning objectives are taken directly from the Primary Framework for Literacy. This is broken down into Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. Objectives are clearly defined to meet the needs of all students within their Year and age group. Teachers develop and use a wide range of teaching styles and strategies that include a balance of teacher-led and child initiated activities.
Speaking and Listening plays an important role in children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. These skills enhance children’s learning and raise standards. The speaking and listening objectives reinforce the children’s reading and writing skills, as most children will try out ideas in talk, long before they can write them down.
Children visit the library for direct teaching of library skills and to choose and select books of their own choice.
Children are encouraged to write for a wide variety of purposes, using features of different forms such as recounts, instructions, information texts, stories and poems. Writing tasks are linked to other curriculum areas to provide a context for writing.
Physical Education
At Bangkok Patana School we offer a high-quality Physical Education curriculum which provides opportunities for our students to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness, inspires them to do their best and excel in a wide range of activities and competitive sports.
Music
At Bangkok Patana we aim to instill and sustain a love and appreciation for music from an early age so that students will find in music a lifelong source of enjoyment and fulfillment. We believe music is a practical subject and as such, children learn best through; singing, playing, moving, performing,
experimenting, creating, and actively listening.
Art
Children are born with a natural curiosity towards art and a desire to express themselves . At Bangkok Patana School we strive to further develop an innate love of art through learning technical skills, connected learning and the knowledge of art movements linked to famous artists.
Pedagogy in primary art centres around drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and textiles-collage.
The primary art curriculum is taught by the class teacher in conjunction with a specialist art teacher who provides discrete art lessons to all year groups in Key Stage 2.
Drama
Drama lessons are taught by specialist teachers in Year 5
and 6. The 6Cs—communication, collaboration, creativity, concentration, confidence, and control—are integral to the Key Stage 2 drama curriculum, fostering essential skills in students. Drama enhances speaking and listening through role play, improvisation and group discussions, where students express their ideas and respond to others.
Technology
Our Technology curriculum in the Primary School is separated into three main strands of learning; Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Design Media and IT. Additionally, Digital Citizenship is constantly revisited in both the Technology and PSHE curriculum.
• Digital Literacy is using the device efficiently.
• Computer Science is understanding how the device works and innovating with technology.
• Design Media and IT is all about being creative, communicative and expressive with technology.
Students in Key Stage 1 naturally start learning more in the Digital Literacy strand as they create and experiment with new tools. From Y1, students learn to manage their own accounts and online presence with ever increasing access to more complex tools. When students reach upper Key Stage 2, they are ready to manage their own device, making their first big step into digital independence and they can focus more wholly on Computer Science and Design Media elements of IT.
Links to Online Curriculum
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
YEAR 5
YEAR 6
Thai Language and Culture
Thai Language and Culture is a specialist subject which is offered to all Primary children at Bangkok Patana to help them learn and appreciate the culture and language of the host country.
All Key Stage 2 students study this subject with teachers who are Thai nationals. The students are divided into different groups based on their language abilities; some groups are for Thai speaking students and others for non-Thai speaking students. Special cultural events: The Ceremony of Giving Respect to Teachers, Loi Krathong and Songkran are arranged by Thai teachers to enrich the curriculum for all students.
For Non-Thai Speaking Students
The curriculum focuses on Thai oral language development with the integration of social and cultural aspects of Thailand.
For Thai Nationals
All Thai national students are required to learn Thai language and literacy skills. The content of the curriculum, in accord with the content standards set by the Ministry of Education, is aimed to develop their language skills and knowledge of Thai literature and Thai Studies. Details of the Thai literacy programme are included in the Thai curriculum booklet.
Modern Foreign Languages
The Modern Foreign Language Programme is provided for all children, except Thai Nationals who are required to follow the Thai language programme during these periods.
The main focus of the Modern Foreign Languages Programme offered at Bangkok Patana School, is to foster an interest in learning other languages in a way that is enjoyable and fun, to provide a foundation on which to develop language skills for future study and to raise awareness of cultural differences - thereby reflecting the true commitment to international education central to our school’s mission.
Students from Year 3 to Year 6 select one language: French, Mandarin, Spanish or Thai. The MFL languages are taught at beginner level only. Therefore, students may not choose a language they have already developed proficiency in. Your child may not choose a language they speak at home. Students must be beginners in the language they choose. If parents are in any doubt about their child’s eligibility to study a chosen language they should contact the Head of MFL who will organise an assessment for the child.
Once a language is chosen the students are encouraged to remain studying this language through their Secondary years. In Primary, students have two 60-minute lessons per week.
• Students who are part of the EAL programme, or who may require extra practice with English, choose English as a modern foreign language (EML) taught by our EAL teachers.
• In addition to the above programme, home-language lessons for Dutch students are provided through an arrangement with the respective Cultural Society and Ministry of Education. Details of these courses are available from the school.
• Students are able to access language support for their Mother Tongue via the Home Language ECA programme. Details about the languages on offer can be accessed through the ECA sign-up pages or through the Head of World Languages or the Leader of Learning, Language Acquisition in Primary.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is integrated into the curriculum and is also taught as a discrete subject. It is based on a UK model but has been adapted to better suit the specific needs of our learners and community. PSHE brings together Personal, Social, Health and Economic education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a lesson-a-week programme across the whole Primary school and is structured around specific themes.
Assemblies are held throughout the year and involve different groups in our school. Built into the assembly programme are
opportunities to explore and celebrate special occasions, as well as to reiterate and reinforce the school’s values. Assemblies also include PSHE themes and celebrations of the learning and achievements within.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
The content of our RSE programme is age-appropriate and parents are given the opportunity to preview the content and materials used.
Religious Education
We celebrate being in a diverse, multi-cultural environment and aim to encourage respect and tolerance for all world faiths. Religious education as a specific subject does not feature on the timetable; however, discussion of the major religions of the world takes place within our personal and social education programme and during some assemblies throughout the year. Religious Education also features in some humanities themes.
OTHER AREAS IN KEY STAGE 2
Inclusion
Bangkok Patana Primary School caters for children with a range of abilities.
The Inclusion Team supports individual learners to ensure that they have the resources and strategies to reach their full potential. This is achieved primarily by working with and through the class teachers to ensure quality first teaching and high quality differentiation that tailors the learning to the individual needs and strengths of our learners.
Support for Learning
If class teachers have any concerns about the progress a student is making, they will talk with parents first. Similarly, if parents are concerned about their children, they should discuss this with the class teacher.
Following this parents or staff may contact the Support for Learning teacher within their Year group team to ask for advice, strategies or resources to support a student. Students may also be identified at the admission stage as requiring Support for Learning. The Support for Learning teacher will then assess the needs of the student to ascertain what support may be required.
The amount and nature of support given to students is flexible depending on their needs, but may include;
• Discussions about in class strategies and resources discussed with the class teacher
• Involvement in an intervention group
• Individual child-friendly targets that are reviewed through the year alongside in class or withdrawal support
• Individual learning plan that is reviewed throughout the year alongside in class or withdrawal support
• Outside agency involvement recommended for support and guidance e.g. Educational or Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist
• Individual support to access the curriculum
Children requiring speech and language therapy may be referred to our school speech and language therapist who, with parental permission, will assess a child’s needs and then provide a programme of therapy if appropriate. Parents requiring this service are asked to first have a discussion with their child’s class teacher or Support for Learning teacher.
Fees are charged for the services of the speech and language therapist and for any in-school support that is in addition to that provided by our Support for Learning teachers.
If specialist intervention or advice is recommended, for example, from an Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist or other professional, the Support for Learning staff can provide information on contacts and options available to parents.
In most cases, we are able to implement many of the recommendations from a report generated by a specialist. In very rare cases where a child requires a level of support and input that we are not able to provide, or if a child’s progress
causes significant concern, an alternative more appropriate school placement may be recommended.
Counselling Services
Counsellors are available to offer support and guidance to students, and their parents, when they are experiencing difficulties of an emotional, personal or social nature.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
EAL staff support children whose first language is not English to become proficient English language users, both in social and academic areas.
All children for whom English is not their primary language are required to take a language assessment before admission to the school. A decision is then made as to whether EAL support is required. EAL Support starts in Key Stage 1.
Our approach is based on content integrated language teaching. We believe that children make the fastest progress when language is learned in context and when they are immersed in a language-rich environment alongside their English speaking peers. Direct support is provided mostly through in-class support and also in small groups and one to one instruction, where appropriate. Additionally, indirect support is provided by EAL staff who plan closely with the class teachers, especially in recommending strategies and selecting resources to suit the needs of the EAL children.
EAL children come to us with a variety of different experiences in terms of primary language skills. Research into the acquisition of second language indicates that children can take up to three years to develop social language and up to seven years to develop their academic English in order to cope with the literacy demands of the curriculum. A strong primary language that continues to develop alongside the acquisition of English has been proven to be the best way for success in learning English. Furthermore, a strong primary language is fundamental to the children’s overall emotional and academic development. Our EAL team believes that a close relationship with parents can help the children succeed in learning English as an Additional Language.
The progress of the children is continually monitored and assessed. Once the children reach a level of English proficiency whereby they no longer need extra EAL support, they then exit the programme.
There is a fee for the first six terms of the EAL programme.
Home Languages
English is our main language of communication and enables students to realise their academic potential. However, we equally value all languages.
The Home Languages Programme provides students with the opportunity to maintain and develop existing fluency in their home language by:
• creating a school environment which values linguistic diversity
• encouraging the use of the language within the home environment
• furthering the Bangkok Patana community’s understanding on multilingualism
• providing, where possible, curriculum time in which to extend their learning of their home languages
• providing information on opportunities beyond the scope of the classroom
In the Primary School, our Extra-curricular Activities (ECA) programme is driven by the needs of the community and offers a range of Home Language opportunities. In the past, these have included Bahasa Indonesian, Danish, Chinese Mandarin, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Singaporean Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish and Thai. Home Language offerings are subject to change based on dynamic student demographics.
We may be able to accommodate other languages upon request. Additionally the school has dedicated Dutch teachers located on campus.
Curriculum Enrichment
Throughout the year, many activities are organised to both enrich the curriculum and enhance the students’ understanding of our key school values of Learning, Well-being and Global Citizenship. These events form an integral part of school life and add an extra dimension to our provision. Some annual events, such as International Day, involve the whole school. Year Groups also organise special days and invite parents into school so that the children can share their learning.
Residential Visits
Residential Visits provide many opportunities for enriching our curriculum, as well as developing social skills and independence.
Year 3: Pattaya (2 nights)
Year 4: Hua Hin (3 nights)
Year 5: Khao Yai (3 nights)
Year 6: Chantaburi (4 nights)
A meeting is held for parents before the visits and detailed information is sent home. Great care is taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the students. The costs associated with the Residential visits are incorporated into the normal tuition charges.
Extra-curricular Activities (ECAs)
A range of optional extra-curricular activities are offered over four Blocks each year, and include a variety of sporting, musical, artistic and cultural activities. Details of ECAs on offer for each block are found via the Parents’ Gateway. Booking a place is completed on-line and subsequent confirmations are made through the website and we operate a system which allocates places as fairly as possible.
