What to Expect from the Best International Kindergarten Program in Bangkok (Sukhumvit 107)

The best education for children is devoted to knowing how to cultivate a young child’s mind. A child’s cognitive abilities need to be nurtured at its earliest stage, and selecting the best program that can unleash one’s true potential is what every parent dreams for their children. At St. Andrews, the International Kindergarten Program in Bangkok echoes the same purpose – to inculcate the right values that will build a solid foundation for life.

Education is a privilege and in itself a right. However, that doesn’t mean that all programs are formulated the same way. Throughout the years, the education system has evolved, finding new best practices and schools of thought to hone and support a child’s development in ways they know best.

Because of its international school setting, St. Andrews’ programme consists of a curriculum that is in heed of a global mindset and is set in a multicultural environment. The school attracts different nationalities from over 40 different countries.

Having received accreditation by the CfBT Education Trust (Centre for British Teaching) as an IB world school, the standard practices of St. Andrews are geared towards fostering an environment for educational programmes that lead to opportunities to study in the highest-ranking universities in the world. That begins as early as kindergarten.

As an international kindergarten in Bangkok, St Andrews Sukhumvit S107 adopts the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, a multi-faceted framework to support the learning and development of a child beginning from birth. Kindergartners, enrolled right about as they turn age 3, are immersed in a curriculum designed to match the stage of their childhood, where they become more receptive to their surroundings and engage in activities.

The primary tenets of EYFS are centred on building a solid foundation for a child at an early age.  From promoting early learning goals such as those related to communication and language, these are incorporated through hands-on activities and role-playing. However, these children are immersed in a different schooling system at the onset.

The curriculum of the Early Years Foundation Stage at St. Andrews Kindergarten revolves around the following areas:

-Personal, Social and Emotional Development

-Communication and Language

-Physical Development

-Literacy

-Mathematics

-Understanding the world

-Expressive Art and Design

In adoption of the Early Years Foundation Stage / EYFS curriculum, The St. Andrews S107′ Kindergarten Program in Bangkok is a great training ground in making sure that a child’s development goals are achieved. This properly prepares them for the next and equally vital stages of their educational journey.

Part and parcel of a diverse curriculum is that it employs a holistic approach to learning; that is, the style of learning that teaches children beyond the ability to ace an exam and memorise information. Holistic education tackles the wholeness of each child – addressing all areas that have an impact on a child’s well-being and growth.

Holistic education creates an interconnectedness of a child with the world; a one-ness that is outside of the individual construct. For children at such a young age, as they build on new skills and gain more knowledge of themselves, their development towards a holistic way of learning should be unrestricted and boundless. This type of approach is slowly gaining more attention and support; wherein the benefits to this is that it fosters the total self – the emotional, the social, and the physical aspect in addition to the intellectual capacities. In doing so, development transcends outside of the four walls of the classroom.

More than being book smart, a child is taught how to be street smart and emotionally receptive to the people and experiences around them. Experience, too, plays a central role in holistic education as children learn to engage and respond to their surroundings and not simply acquire basic life skills and knowledge. In the way the curriculum is incorporated into activities, children are immersed slowly and surely. They are not thrown into formal schooling and the rigidity or the notions that it previously held. Learning is and should be natural as opposed to enforced.

Holistic learning creates a far better goal than success. Ultimately, the goal of a holistic education is anything but a singular heuristic, as each child learns differently, each child is unique, and is necessary to be treated that way. It is in this approach to learning that learning becomes an unlimited skill that each child possesses because learning fits the styles of each. At St. Andrews Sukhumvit S107, the International Kindergarten Program instils confidence and a desire for life-long learning.

With these as the driving principles, holistic development is guided by the quality of its educators and teachers; and that’s another advantage.

At the core of this curriculum, we have the teachers at St. Andrews Sukhumvit S107 Kindergarten who continue to uphold high international standards. The majority of the teaching staff hail from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, proving that this pool is equally as diverse as the curriculum they teach. With an arsenal of teaching degrees, while some even hold Masters degrees, they are best equipped to provide the needed support to encourage these children to learn and grow as their own individuals.

With an understanding that each child is unique, teaching becomes spontaneous, organic,  and based on in-the-moment planning, especially with children at this particular age group. As teachers aim to facilitate learning rather than impose it, the manner in which they do so is through immersive and hands-on activities. Play-based learning picked up from their early years is followed through and continues to feed on a child’s inquisitive nature. Teachers observe a child’s interests and predilections as they are predisposed to exploring the world around them.

The role of St. Andrews Sukhumvit Kindergarten teachers is to facilitate and guide the child following a natural progression of cognitive development. This way, teachers support and not hinder. The same way each child has a sense of self, teachers encourage the same. The qualities of these teachers embody the school in that they are well equipped and quick to adapt, such that each child feels comfortable rather than fearful.

As a result of crafting a classroom that cultivates and nurtures, the positive relationships created between children and teachers ensures that this institution mimics a home outside of the home. Children are treated and cared for with a sense of belonging to ensure that they feel valued as individuals. In addition to that, the school as a whole creates an environment to support these children, through the teachers, through the facilities available, and the social culture that is unique to our international kindergarten. A benefit to having a school community is the fact that it promotes healthy social  interactions and relationships. Children are viewed as unique, yes, but form their own perceptions of relationships which are equally as integral to their development. Beyond child and teacher interaction, parents form this strong community as well. They are encouraged to feel as involved with their children and their children’s growth. Parents are teachers themselves, where simultaneously, teachers take on the role of parents, bearing the weight of that responsibility, just the same. With this partnership at work, the learning is continuously supported and nurtured in and out of the school.

While S107 is focused on developing academic skills and helping students become lifelong learners, it also recognizes that students no matter their age would need support for their emotional health. This is why the international school also provides counselling and well-being services for students (and their teachers).

The school has a dedicated social and emotional counsellor where everyone is free to drop in at any time of the day for any of their needs.

The school also allows parents to be actively involved through parent support groups. Here, parents can volunteer to be part of workshops or big events like sports festivals, celebrations like Songkran and Christmas and other social events.

To ensure that high quality is maintained, our international kindergarten in Bangkok maintains a class size within the range of 16 to 18 maximum learners per teacher, with two teaching assistants, which is an optimal teacher-to-child ratio. The class size directly impacts the quality of learning—the ability of the teacher to teach, and the ability of the children to stay engaged. In this way, sufficient attention is placed towards each child, monitoring their responses and gauging their progress against the different development areas. The feedback loop is immediate, and response is made early on.

Lastly, in being able to foster an environment to encourage a love of learning, while keeping hands-on, the St. Andrews Sukhumvit Kindergarten Program engages the child to develop a love for learning. While keeping fun, it becomes keen on identifying learning opportunities as they come and supplements learning with what each child shows interest and excels in.

For St. Andrews Sukhumvit, early practice is formative in their development. For international kindergartens, they believe foundation is key and these early years hold the most importance.

The best international kindergarten program in Bangkok is multi-faceted and rich, which is why it has gained a solid reputation for what it offers parents. Support is inculcated deeply into the system, where the parents are reassured that their children are treated with the utmost attention and care.

As children progress through the program, they are developed, moulded, and emboldened by the support of the school’s system. At St. Andrews Sukhumvit Kindergarten (Sukhumvit 107), this ultimately becomes the foundations of their identity and development.

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