Key questions to ask when choosing an international school

As parents, we all know that selecting the right school for your child is critical to ensuring their long-term successful development and happiness. It goes without saying that all parents want the very best for their children and, with the wide choice of schooling options available in Bangkok, the path to finding the right institution may sometimes feel a little daunting.

More than ever before, the advantages of international schooling are pertinent in today’s society. A multicultural environment and a global mindset, coupled with strong academic credentials, the development of English language skills to equal those of a native English speaker, third-language capability, and access to the world’s best universities and colleges make a British International School such as Wellington a compelling choice for parents.

And, of course, Bangkok is today recognised as a cosmopolitan city with global status, and a correspondingly wide range of international schools, each with its own strengths. Progressive, internationally-focused parents will, rightly, do meticulous research when compiling a shortlist of international schools: conducting visits, meeting teaching staff, observing the learning environment and culture to ensure their chosen school sets their child on the best possible path for success – not just in education, but on into adulthood.

Here, we share with you some of the key questions parents should consider when researching an international school – regardless of where they are in the world.

1. Does the school have a genuine network, or link with a mother school overseas? How does the network enhance student development and international culture?

There is a wide choice of international schools in Thailand, including many standalone schools as well as some top-quality branches of highly-respected UK and US schools.  Without a doubt, a school with an outstanding global network has an advantage in reputation and credibility. A long-established ‘mother school’ with successful alumni has great name-value, especially in terms of educational standards. Parents should understand the power of a school's network, the strength of its links with the mother school overseas, and how all that enhances the quality of their child's education. Wellington College Bangkok’s relationship with our mother school in the UK is uniquely strong. Take one piece of that relationship: Mr Iain Henderson, Deputy Head at Wellington College (UK), sits on our Board and is a regular visitor to Thailand, supporting our development in numerous areas, including the coaching of teachers, provision of workshops for parents, and the mentoring of our scholars. You can read more about the close relationship between the two schools here.

2. How does the school ensure your child's safety?                                            

School is a second home for children: they spend most of the day there, from early morning until late afternoon or evening.  Safety and hygiene standards, therefore, must be taken very seriously. A trustworthy school can explain to parents their safety systems, emergency drills, safeguarding policies and procedures, covering everything from trivial matters such as minor accidents in the classroom to important measures concerning how to handle pandemics, major fires and even natural disasters. Here at Wellington, we adopted the most stringent measures to keep our community safe during the Covid pandemic. Our parent body really appreciates the meticulous work we do, in the face of the big challenge of keeping our students safe whilst, at the same time, continuing to generate excellent progress in their learning.

3. How does the school recruit and retain the best teachers?   

Besides the high-quality curriculum that a school delivers, teachers themselves are an essential and high-value part of your child's learning. Each school has different approaches to its teacher recruitment. A good school should have a very detailed teacher recruitment process, which looks beyond just the application form or job interview. The school should conduct an additional evaluation on the teacher's actual classroom skills, for example, by observing their teaching at their current school and having a conversation with their referees to find out more about capability and attitude. At Wellington, this is something we have always done. Teachers go through a rigorous selection progress, including a teaching observation and multiple interviews with leadership teams. As a result, we have some of the most highly qualified and experienced teachers in Bangkok – with British Teaching qualifications and experience, gained in some of the best schools in the UK and around the world.

4. How does the school keep students happy?             

A good education is not solely about academic excellence. It should also give due weight to each child's happiness, alongside and within the processes of learning and skill development. Besides looking at how well-equipped the classrooms are, parents should consider the school's campus and facilities as an environment, designed to support every aspect of development, from pure recreation to the honing of social skills. And what are the school's social and cultural approaches? For example, how does the school train their staff (and students) to head off bullying effectively before it develops? How would the school instil good behaviour and the right attitude in your child?  

Wellington College in the UK was the first school in the UK to introduce Wellbeing into the curriculum, as a focus for learning and study. So it is not surprising to hear that your child’s wellbeing is central to what it means to be a Wellingtonian here in Bangkok. We know that being happy can be enormously beneficial for a child’s success in education and – needless to say – life, and we strive to ensure this is the case with all students in our care.

5. How does the school’s curriculum prepare students for higher education?   

Most parents hope that their child will find success at an outstanding university. A good international school should have a strong curriculum foundation that prepares students securely for university. For example, if you aim to support your child to continue their studies in the UK, it makes sense to look for a school that offers IGCSE and A-Levels or IB Diploma.  And then to examine, in detail, how the school supports students on their university pathway – with examination preparation as well as enrichment activities, which provide students with a broad range of experiences to make them into precisely the sort of well-rounded, interesting students that universities want to see in the application process.

At Wellington, we have a strong history of supporting students to reach the academic institution of their choice – and helping them in their career paths after that. Our university counselling capability, shared across all wellington Colleges across the globe; our mentoring programme with Wellington College in the UK; and our very powerful alumni network, supported via the ‘Wellington Connect’ global platform, ensure a student at Wellington remains a Wellingtonian for life.  

6. What are the school’s outstanding features?       

Top international schools generally have similar facilities, including sports fields, swimming pools, attractive dining options, and professional-type performance spaces and theatres. Beyond these facilities, though, parents must look for strengths that distinguish one school from another: seemingly minor details may well significantly impact students' learning development. For example, a small number of international schools have dedicated ‘Harkness’ classrooms.  Harkness is a teaching and learning method involving students seated at a large, oval table to discuss ideas in a dynamic, open-minded environment with only occasional or minimal teacher intervention. It encourages the practical development of critical thinking, a set of skills that will benefit any future leader or CEO. At Wellington College Bangkok, our approach is to develop this method from the tender age of 8 or 9, and we have built plenty of dedicated Harkness rooms to cater for this type of learning. 

7. How much weight is given to sports and the arts?   

Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge”. A school that offers a range of activities to stimulate and inspire your child’s conceptual and creative imagination tends to have more successful students. Next time you conduct a school visit, be sure to ask about the co-curricular offering. Parents should look out for genuine commitment to the arts, to culture, to languages, to a wide range of sports, and to other activities that will enhance both learning development and personal motivation. Like many international schools, Wellington offers an exciting and broad range of such opportunities, through both timetabled Enrichment lessons and the expansive after-school ‘Wellington Extra’ programme.

8. How can parents participate in their child’s school life? 

Parents should find out about how the school approaches the importance of real partnership between teachers and parents.  It is useful to understand what a school has to offer in terms of parent community, and dedicated parent support workshops and information sessions aimed at helping parents support their child’s learning experiences. Although a school may offer an excellent curriculum, parents these days should be aware of, and have access to, the learning experiences their children are undertaking. Ensuring that your chosen school has a senior leadership team which is unfailingly open to listening, and genuine dialogue with individual parents (not just groups) is critical.

Parents who are interested in applying to Wellington can speak with members of our extraordinary parent community, so they can hear first-hand about the comprehensive support our School provides to every Wellington family.

9. How has the school managed online learning? How does the school assess its effectiveness?

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the reality of schooling in major ways. Besides its ability to protect students via strong health and safety measures, a school needs to explain its approach to online learning and how it ensures the effectiveness of online classes.  Whether it is real-time teaching, recorded video, or tasks set through a Learning platform such as SeeSaw or Microsoft Teams, a school must ensure that its Remote programme continues to address all students’ development needs at every age. How does the school prepare online learning, and balance the time that children spend on screens and in more hands-on learning activities?  You should also find out how the school accesses the effectiveness of its online education (i.e. how well the students are actually learning what they are studying!)

During more than two years of on/off Remote Learning, Wellington College staff never stopped listening, learning, and developing their Remote programmes.  They are highly conversant in adapting the needs of a child to a Remote Learning environment, should the need arise again.  One of the main drivers of the success of Remote Learning was the School’s commitment to listening to feedback from parents and students, and making positive changes.  You will not see this in all schools!

10. What is included in the school fees, and what opportunities are there for families with more than one child, or children with high potential?

Some international schools have a complex or unclear fee structure, with hidden extras. So it’s important for parents to study details of fees carefully. Non-refundable fees include an assessment fee and a registration fee, while a returnable deposit can be redeemed at the point a child leaves the school. There are also different types of tuition fees, paid either on a termly or a yearly basis. Also, parents need to ask about how the rate is likely to increase over time. There are also other expenses to consider, such as uniforms, lunches, trips, and after-school activities. It is always important to understand what these are as clearly as possible.

At Wellington, we want to ensure that all aspects of School life are clear to parents who are considering joining us – including the fee structure.  When you talk to one of our Admissions Officers, they will be happy to answer any questions you have in this area, including scholarship opportunities and promotions.