A beautiful, busy, bustling city in the heart of Southeast Asia, Bangkok has become a hub for Thais and expats alike. The city itself has world-class restaurants, the best nightlife there is to offer, and a dazzling array of impressive international schools.

The schools in Thailand can range from a public government school with a Thai curriculum to a worldwide recognizable international school curriculum. An international school in Bangkok typically follows the curricula and educational practices or philosophies of 3 major countries:

  • The United States
  • The United Kingdom
  • Australia

By researching each, you’ll find a philosophy that fits your needs.

The American Curriculum

The United States follows a curriculum that is directly tied to the CCSS, or Common Core State Standards. American curriculums may vary from state to state, but the majority of their standards are nation-wide. The curriculum is broken down by standards that each student should reach by the end of their grade year. These standards are set for Grades K-12, starting around 5 years old and continuing up to about 17 years old.

Many schools that use these standards abroad usually adapt their curriculum to the state standards of either California or Hawaii. The reason for this is both states have a large number of non-native speakers, and therefore their English standards best address how to better help these students.

The British Curriculum

The British curriculum is also known as the National Curriculum for England and Wales, and it generally covers arts, humanities, and sciences. Children start the curriculum as young as 4 years old and learn up until about 16 years old. The British curriculum helps prepare students for future workplaces.

These years are broken into stages, starting with Reception for children at the age of 4. After Reception, the rest of the years are broken into three main Key Stages, with a national assessment for English, Maths, and Science at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. When students end Key Stage 4, they will typically take their GCSEs or other national qualifications.

The Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum is broken into learning areas, general capabilities, and cross-curricular priorities. The eight learning areas cover a range of subjects, with descriptions as to what knowledge and skills the students will gain at the end of each year or within a band of years.

Any of these three curricula are a good place to start when looking for a quality, top-tier international school in Bangkok.