Bangkok, Thailand Report of what it's like to live there - 06/06/18
Personal Experiences from Bangkok, Thailand
School Name:
Kids Kingdom International Kindergarten
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent of children attending the school
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
2015-2018, preschool years from nursery to K2
3. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
government
4. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Yes, there are many other schools available. We chose this because it was fairly close to our home, was only for preschool ages children, so it has a small campus and very friendly staff and not at all intimidating. They also have a toddler playgroup that our children attended before they start formally at the school, so they were already familiar with the staff and campus. The rates are also fairly reasonable for Bangkok.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes, the process is very clear. The admin staff is very helpful
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
Very good - staff are very friendly and flexible.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
Communication is great. In nursery the teacher communicates daily through a hand written note in a book that gets sent home at the end of each day. For K1 the teacher communicates once a week by email and for K2 the teacher communicates every 2 weeks by email. There are parent teacher meetings each semester and a parent coffee morning each semester.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
There is an additional fee for uniforms, ID card, costumes for school performances, lunch and snack and school bus (if requested).
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
No, not relevant for this age group
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
No
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
yes, it has a small library with age appropriate books, which the children can borrow. For K1 and K2 the children choose a book to bring home each week
4. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
There is a computer lab, which the children start to use (for a limited time period) in K1
5. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
No requirements and very limited screen time
6. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
The campus is small but there is a pool and playground with enough space for extracurricular football classes
7. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
1 teacher and 2 teacher aides for a max of 15 students
8. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
9. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
This depends a lot of the individual teachers and how interested they are on providing extra activities for children who might be ahead. The school has an inclusive education policy that covers children on all ends of the spectrum.
10. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
yes, homework started in K2, with a workbook coming home each week with 2 pages to be completed, focusing on literacy and numeracy
11. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
There is music and art and drama
12. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes
13. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
As far as we know there are no specific services
14. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
15. What services are available for students with physical disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
16. What services are provided for speakers of English as a second language at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
ESL classes are offered on a weekly basis.
17. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Soccer, ballet, zumba, gymnasics robotics, cooking, art, music, Japanese are all offered. Our children have only participated in soccer, which they love.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
yes, but there are no very many local students at the school, it is primarily expat but from a large number of countries and regions
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
No
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
A, and yes, I would choose it again
