There are many types of international schools for parents who need English-medium education for their children. The most commonly found curriculums are the British, the American and the IB. However, the most popular curriculum chosen by parents worldwide is the British Curriculum. This popularity has helped make many British international schools to be on the cutting edge of international school education. This curriculum caters well for every stage of a child’s development, from 2 to 18 years old.
For parents of students living in Koh Samui or nearby areas, this article will answer the following questions: ‘What is a British International School?’ ‘How can you distinguish them?’ and ‘What is the best option currently available on Samui?’
What do you need to know about British international schools?
A British international school is an international School that uses the National Curriculum of England, or the British Curriculum, as a backbone to providing education in combination with other curricula such as International Primary Curriculum (IPC) or International Baccalaureate (IB). British International School also uses British standards of student assessment such as the British National Curriculum Test (SATS), GCSEs, IGCESs, and A-Levels.
Currently, there are at least 4,500 British International Schools worldwide that serve more than 5.4 million students ranging from Early Years Education through Advanced Level. The vast number of British International Schools is a result of increased recognition of British-based institutions along with the unique design of the British Curriculum which provides broad-and-balanced education for each stage of development.
The benefit of studying at a British international school is that the children will be guided through a variety of subjects both “in-depth” for complex aspects and “in broad” in relation to other areas of study. British international schools also encourage students to use their knowledge in real-world situations by providing extra-curricular activities (ECA) which help them to develop themself into well-rounded individuals.
How to distinguish a good British international school
One of the distinctive features of a British international school, along with their use of the aforementioned curriculum, is their division into the stages of education, as shown in the table below.
Therefore, the easiest way to identify a British international school would be to look for these key features:
1) The school curriculum is divided into the stage of education, or keystages.
2) The School curriculum (or a subject offered) is designed to align with British education assessments (such as SATS, GCSEs, or A-Levels)
and 3) School curriculum is providing extra-curricular activities.
To help identify a “good” British international school, you should note the quality of the specific curriculum used. Standard curriculums such as Pearson or Cambridge, which keep all benefits of the British Curriculum while providing tailoring for international students, is evidence of a quality education being provided by the school.
PBISS, the best British International School in Samui
Panyadee, the British International School of Samui, or PBISS, is a British International School located in Chaweng District of Koh Samui. PBISS was established in 2004 to serve the needs of Samui’s local community with British-accredited education combined with “Thai Heart” for more than 500 students from 40 nationalities, ranging from Foundation Stage up to Advanced Level.
The core of British Education at PBISS is our Cambridge-accredited Curriculum, based on Cambridge International Standard chosen by 10,000 schools in over 160 countries. The Cambridge Curriculum is built to help children develop into adulthood prepared for the challenges of the 21st Century.
The Cambridge Curriculum used at PBISS has been enhanced with our STEM+ or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths approach. STEM+ is embedded into all subjects available in our curriculum to help our students better visualize and conceptualize knowledge. STEM+ also plays a major role in another key characteristic of the school. At PBISS, not only do standard activities: arts and drama, language, and sports have a STEM+ focus but our extra-curricular activities also include coding, robotics, and product design. All of these are supported by our Innovation Centre and STEM+ Ground.
Cambridge University alumni play major roles in the ongoing development and management of PBISS to help us reach our goals. The development includes our reflections and revisions of our curriculum and our extension of a Boarding School to accommodate non-Samui students.
As a result, PBISS became the best British International School on Samui. Even though we are accredited by Cambridge International and WASC, we continue with an active reflective practice which guarantees successful ongoing development. Our goal is to maintain the status of “the best international school for child development for the 21st Century”.
For more information about our British-accredited education or any question you need to know. Please visit us at our campus or contact us directly via contact@pbiss.ac.th
