Selecting the right first school for your child is a crucial step in shaping their early attitudes towards learning and helping to build the foundations of their personal development.
As a parent, ensuring that your child’s first school experience is positive and enriching can feel like a daunting responsibility. Many parents find themselves overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing the ‘perfect’ school, particularly with so many options available. Early years education plays a vital role in nurturing social skills, encouraging positive behaviour, and fostering an early interest in learning — all of which are shaped significantly by the environment your child is placed in.
With so many factors to weigh up — from location and language to costs and curriculum — the process can seem challenging, especially in a city like Bangkok where the options are vast. To help simplify your search, we’ve put together some key points to consider when selecting your child’s first school. Each year, we also publish a free digital and printed International Schools Guide, offering a comprehensive overview of schools in Phuket and beyond.
Identify Your Priorities
Identify your priorities in terms of whether you need a school near your home or office, and how convenient this will be for travel. Getting around Bangkok can be slow and frustrating, which is why many families choose to live within close proximity to the school.
Next is the choice of specific curriculum — whether you are looking for an IB World School, the British or American curriculum, or a school that offers a pre-school for younger children as well as options for the secondary years.
All school admissions offices and websites display a full list of yearly tuition fees, so it’s a good idea to check these in advance. They will also show the additional costs for extra requirements such as ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and school bus transportation.
Make a Shortlist
Now it’s time to create a shortlist of schools that meet your individual needs. It’s a good idea to speak to other parents with children already attending the schools — word of mouth can be extremely helpful, as families are usually only too happy to share their experiences. That said, choosing a school is a very personal decision, and sometimes your impression during an actual visit will make or break the connection.
Visit the Schools
Visiting your shortlisted schools is an incredibly important part of the selection process, and you should always try to visit during school hours. All schools will offer an accompanied tour of their facilities, sports arenas, and cafeterias. You may also request to visit specific year-level classrooms to get a better feel for the size and nature of the classes.
During these visits, you can observe the teacher-to-student ratio, whether teaching assistants are present, review samples of class work, and generally see if the students appear engaged and happy.
Ask Questions
It’s a good idea to come prepared with a list of questions for the school administrators, covering topics such as school hours, meal options, uniform requirements, and opportunities for creative play and extra-curricular activities.
You may also request a meeting with the relevant heads of school to ask about the school’s mission statement and the qualifications of the teaching staff. Consider whether the school is accredited, what their child safeguarding policies are, and what learning support is available throughout the school.
It’s also sensible to request a sample school calendar and, for older students, a sample timetable to understand the duration and structure of the school day.
Apply to Several Schools
Be sure to apply to several schools to keep your options open. Most schools will have a waiting list based on factors such as year group, nationality, and whether additional learning support is required.
The school admissions team will be able to let you know if places are available immediately, or how long the current waiting list is. You can also check in from time to time to see if more places become available and discuss options for joining in Term 1 or Term 2 if the school can only accommodate you later in the academic year.
