St Andrews International School Bangkok awarded International Centre of Excellence status

November 24, 2025

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St Andrews International School Bangkok is a privately owned, non-selective, multinational school community with students from over 60 different nationalities, and is proud to call itself a truly inclusive school. It joined the Nord Anglia Education group in 2013 and has continued to benefit from being part of this thriving network. With over 2000 students on role, the school is a hive of creativity and aspiration, and inclusion is the golden thread that ties this all together. Its stated aim is to ‘provide an inclusive, international education in a safe, happy, supportive and stimulating environment’, and this aim is lived and breathed every day within the school walls. Inclusion is an active commitment from every stakeholder, from students to staff and parents. Everyone works hard to build a safe and welcoming space, where every learner can thrive and embrace their identity.

Innovation around inclusion

Senior Leadership lead by example when it comes to living by an inclusive ethos. Leadership at the school has made the intentional decision to develop diverse student and faculty populations that reflect society, including multilingual learners and students with diverse learning profiles. The school takes a system-led approach to building capacity amongst stakeholders, offering universal design for access to all aspects of school life. St Andrews is a trailblazer in establishing innovative, inclusive practice, and position themselves as unashamedly child-centred. Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school, so planning and cooperation are key to ensuring inclusive practice is consistent across all year groups and departments.

Everyone is a leader

Leaders collaborate to identify trends and areas of need, and then innovate to bring about further improvement. Staff are aware of the high expectations the school has of all stakeholders, so they work with pride and ambition to deliver an excellent education. Skills and talent are tracked within the appraisal programme so that all teachers can share good practice and draw on each other’s strengths.  Many teachers lead staff meetings as the school believes ‘everyone’s a leader’.  There are regular professional development opportunities for all staff to enhance and refine practice, as well as opportunities for collaboration. Staff are rewarded from their commitment, and promotions are available when appropriate. Staff agree they are encouraged, well trained and have opportunities to grow.  They understand the ethos of collective responsibility and accountability.

Parents play a key role

Teachers make themselves visible and accessible to all members of the school community, and are particularly responsive to parental concerns. Indeed, parents play a vital role in school life and its inclusive community. Parental voice is important, valued, and feedback is collected regularly. At every level, including governance, parents can influence the school and they know that their views will be listened to and respected.  Some parents are governors and members of the forums which gather parents’ views and ideas, so that the board can be fully informed.  Parents particularly chose the school because of its promotion of inclusive values, safety, high expectations and exceptional academic outcomes. They also state that the school is very well led and responsive at all levels. One parent summarised the inclusive nature of the school as ‘life-changing’. Parents fully support the school’s inclusion agenda and have a deep sense of trust and respect for the school. They appreciate the opportunity to receive regular updates on their child’s progress, and value the informative reports they receive from the school to help with their child’s learning.

Students are passionate about their school

Students are passionate about their school, and are proud to be members of its community. Guided by their exceptional teachers, children love what they learn, learn what they love and make thrilling new discoveries.  Students can access more than 150 extra-curricular clubs, from life-enhancing trips and expeditions to exclusive collaborations with MIT, The Juilliard School and UNICEF.  The school community also gets involved in national directives where Government Ministries ask for support from schools for national initiatives.  For example, the school has raised funds to support the Klong Toey during the pandemic.

Building key life skills

Students feel confident to learn in a space where they can trust that their teachers have their best wishes are heart. Students from all phases say they feel safe, supported and welcomed.  They speak highly of the school’s pastoral care and appreciate the many extra-curricular activities available. During our assessment, one student noted that ‘Teachers are devoted to us’. The building itself has been designed to be inclusive and accessible for all learners. Split across two campuses, the school provides excellent resources for all learners. The Key Stage 1 building is home to large and spacious classrooms set up for role play and also to host reading areas. There is a specialist ICT facility as well as a well-equipped cooking room, helping young learners to build key life skills from an early age. The Key Stage 2 building shows a clear progression towards developing and honing skills as they progress through the school. Large classrooms are accompanied by extra teaching rooms or spaces for one-to-one withdrawal. These subtle changes signify a strong understanding of the importance of transitions and how a physical space can support them on their journey.

Purposeful and plentiful learning spaces

Holistic wellbeing is also considered in the space through the creation of a calming area that is close to nature. There has been a redevelopment of the original waterways or ‘canal’ systems that had run through the grounds of the primary school.  This has been utilised to recreate an eco-system of plants and fish, teaching the pupils about ecology and the environment. The grounds are tranquil and purposeful with plentiful areas for students to relax and play outside of academic lessons.  The sports’ facilities are second to none, with both schools featuring state-of-the-art gymnasiums and swimming pools.  All outside play areas have appropriate softer floors which are all-weather, artificial grass or sand.  The outdoor areas are all maintained to a very high standard of cleanliness, safety and maintenance by the estate’s staff.

St Andrews International School Bangkok provides an outstanding quality of education for pupils across the full age range and lives by inclusive values day in, day out. It is a school community built on trust and support, and everyone has someone to talk to if they have a need, no matter how big or small. For many, this inclusive school has become a vital part of their family life in Bangkok.