St Andrews International School awarded ‘gold’ in external inspection
St. Andrews International School Sathorn in Bangkok is delighted to announce it has been awarded the Gold Level International School quality mark following a recent inspection conducted by CfBT Education. Gold accreditation status has been awarded because the school was assessed as being outstanding in all of the areas of academic standards and achievement, teaching and learning and school leadership and management.
CfBT is accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) to provide Ofsted-assured inspections to British schools operating overseas. The inspection was carried out in May of this year and included meeting with staff, parents and students as well as over 34 separate lesson observations.
Here is a snap shot of some of the glowing comments which came from that report.
“Sathorn is an outstanding school where students thrive academically and personally. Students build extremely well on the excellent start made in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Exceptionally effective provision in the Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception classes means that students settle in quickly. The vast majority of students start with little or no English, rapidly learning to communicate in English due to the sensitive and highly skilled teaching team.”
“This quick rate of progress continues throughout the school as a result of outstanding teaching. Teachers have a high degree of subject expertise and are skilled in engaging and motivating students. All teachers recognise the importance of supporting students’ progress in English, placing a strong emphasis on developing students’ vocabulary through paired and group tasks, backed up by displays of key words and visual prompts. Students use modern technology extensively to enhance their learning. This includes using tablet computers to make audio and visual recordings. Teachers skilfully use interactive white boards, including video clips to deepen students understanding.”
“Consistently effective teaching, together with excellent relationships, high levels of care, and a stimulating curriculum means that students thoroughly enjoy school. Students respect one another, the environment and people from different backgrounds. They show great respect for Thai culture, and international students are keen to learn more about the country where they live.”
“Students’ behaviour is exemplary. They are ever willing to help one another out in lessons and are quick to respond if anyone has a minor accident in the playground. They welcome the many opportunities they have to take responsibility. Through teachers’ excellent questioning in lessons and their comprehensive marking, students gain a clear understanding of how they are getting on. They rise to the challenge of negotiating ambitious targets with their teachers and take pride in their achievements. They become resourceful learners and relish opportunities to work independently or cooperatively in groups.”
“The excellent curriculum is taught in imaginative ways and is enriched through a wide variety of extra activities which stimulate learning and promote personal development. Students respond well to opportunities within cross-curricular themes to pursue their own interests and lines of enquiry. They routinely turn to modern technology to support their learning. They become highly skilled in using the internet for research and in choosing appropriate ways to present their work and share ideas. An extensive range of enrichment activities supports students’ learning and personal development.”
“Leadership and management are outstanding. The head teacher provides excellent leadership and plays a pivotal role in sustaining high academic standards within a warm, purposeful and stimulating environment. The highly effective leadership team rigorously monitors all aspects of the school’s work and keeps a close eye on students’ progress. The school’s track record of improvement, together with its current overall effectiveness, indicates a very strong capacity to build on its current success.”
This accreditation is valid from May 29th 2013 to May 29th 2016.
The full report can be read here