Thread: I.G.C.S.E Courses in Thailand.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

he is talking about Assumption whatever that is.

Just the usual super shitty Thai Uni.

I would also look at Traill International School. One of the oldest British schools in Thailand. My wife has worked there for almost 15 years and my daughter is now in Grade 8.

TIS is a smaller school with an enrollment of about 350. Furthermore, it has had students ranked with either the highest or some of the highest scores regarding IGCSE and A levels in Thailand. Plus, it is considerably cheaper than the larger schools.

Located on Rhamkhamhaeng Road Soi 18, close to your BKK home.

Welcome to Traill International School, Bangkok

Harrow where my daughters go is IGCSE, they are studying in year 10 now. But you must act quicky as the latest he can enter is year 10, or the first year of IGCSE study. When you complete this you may test into a Thai university. So two years, or go on to study the 6th form. Its not cheap mind you. Even on scholarships. Give me a call or a pm mate.

Thanks fellas for your valued advise.

Looks like it isn't going to be cheap but your kids education is worth it.

Maybe he can take care of me one day.

Originally Posted by hillbilly

I would also look at Traill International School. One of the oldest British schools in Thailand. My wife has worked there for almost 15 years and my daughter is now in Grade 8. TIS is a smaller school with an enrollment of about 350. Furthermore, it has had students ranked with either the highest or some of the highest scores regarding IGCSE and A levels in Thailand. Plus, it is considerably cheaper than the larger schools. Located on Rhamkhamhaeng Road Soi 18, close to your BKK home.

blimey hb, must have crossed paths somewhere, i live in soi 22, always eat around soi 18, got a mate that works at trail,good school from what i hear

It is on par with Harrow in fees, just over 200,000 baht per term with 3 terms, then you add books, exam fees, an expedition and you are looking at over 700,000 baht per year minimum.

Spend a bit more and you could send your children to board at a real school.

Shrewsbury

Originally Posted by aging one

When you complete this you may test into a Thai university. So two years, or go on to study the 6th form.

All the schools and teachers I know would recommend 90-99% of students completing the next form, 16 years old is too young for University.

In the next few days I'll be meeting with a few schools and with the assistance of a few kind members here.

I will update this thread about what I find out as there does seem to be some confusion about what we should be doing for our kids here in Thailand.

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

All the schools and teachers I know would recommend 90-99% of students completing the next form, 16 years old is too young for University.

Agreed Willy, as mine would only be 15 as well. They just turned 14 in October. They will be studying the 6th form for sure.

Are your kids on an Aussie passport LT? Doubt you will get them into any of the top international schools on a Thai passport, though it is possible.

Originally Posted by Dan

Spend a bit more and you could send your children to board at a real school.

Please dont speak about what you dont know. I grew up abroad and went to some of the best international schools around. The one my daughters are in now is by far the best, most comprehensive, and well organized school I have ever encountered. You better be willing to work though. 3-4 hours of homework daily, 4-6 per day on the weekend, and a 7:30 to 3:50pm day. It is well worth the money, and a great investment for my children.

It's not a big deal but the traffic from Thailand to British schools is slightly greater than the traffic from Britain to Thai schools - that's all.

Originally Posted by Dan

It's not a big deal but the traffic from Thailand to British schools is slightly greater than the traffic from Britain to Thai schools - that's all.

I have known some foreigners here who have moved their children back to UK based schools and their comments are that they were extremely surprised to find their kids are far more advanced then their fellow UK based students at the same age.

Yes there are some great schools in the UK but it also costs you an arm and a leg to send your children there.

What's your experience Dan or are you just another anti-Thai poster?

I've obviously expressed myself badly; I'm very definitely not an anti-Thai poster. My experience with education is having gone to a fee-paying school in England and having worked as a TEFLer in Thailand so my comparison is based on that. No doubt, there are spectacularly awful schools in Britain and the pupils would be far behind those at a decent Thai school but a good British school is in all probability going to be far better than a good Thai school. I really made a throw away comment, based on the fees for a school here, but if you add maybe 50% (or perhaps a bit more), you could get into a good boarding school in Britain and if had to make the choice and was in a position to pay, I would seriously consider this.

I went to boarding school in the UK (a supposedly "top" one) and I send my kids to Patana here in Bangkok.
I would say that in terms of academics Patana would rank alongside most Uk boarding schools. However, many Uk boarding schools are very selective and can therefore get very good results overall.

Yeah one of the lower quality bording schools which most likely does not achieve anywhere near the grades the best schools here are achieving. We are talking about 700,000 thb a year schools here, not the types which would employ teflers...

Had a look for those results and found this brief piece: Expat guide to Thailand: schools - Telegraph

For Patana it says "at IGCSE, 57 per cent of grades were at A*-A last year, while 93 per cent were at A*-C. At International Baccalaureate, Patana students’ average 2009 score was 32.7 (out of a maximum of 45), compared with an average for all schools across the world of 29.6." A bit hard to make sense of that without knowing quite a bit more, though thankfully this is not something I have to worry about.

Somewhere like Westminster in the Uk would probably get better overall results, but they are highly selective.

Originally Posted by Dan

"at IGCSE, 57 per cent of grades were at A*-A last year

The top score a student can get in each subject in their IGCSEs is A*

Originally Posted by Dan

while 93 per cent were at A*-C.

Meaning students who got at least a C or better. (the minimum pass rate, I think, it's been awhile since I taught IGCSEs)

Originally Posted by Dan

At International Baccalaureate, Patana students’ average 2009 score was 32.7 (out of a maximum of 45), compared with an average for all schools across the world of 29.6."

\

IB is the next level up.

Students score 1-7 marks out of each subject, they do 6 (or really clever ones do 7 but only the top 6 are counted.)

6*7 = 42 plus there are three bonus marks depending on how good their Extended Essay (4,000 words) and Theory of Knowledge (1,600 words) essays are.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Yes there are some great schools in the UK but it also costs you an arm and a leg to send your children there.

Much of it has to do with location in the UK if you discount public schools. Generally speaking, government schools in the the country give a far higher education than most urban/city schools.

^^ Without some knowledge of what any of that compares to, it's hard to know if it's good or bad. For example, the IB score doesn't sound that great (32.7 out of 45 against an average of 29.6) but without knowing what the distribution of scores looks like, it's a meaningless bit of information.

Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

Meaning students who got at least a C or better. (the minimum pass rate, I think, it's been awhile since I taught IGCSEs)

Nope.

O levels were passed at A to C, but GCSEs are passed A to F (so you don't really fail, just get a shitty mark).

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

O levels were passed at A to C, but GCSEs are passed A to F (so you don't really fail, just get a shitty mark).

aah, yes. Right you are, no one fails.

But all schools etc like to report grades A*-C regardless...

And more than a few schools that I know of will ask for a minimum C or better to be allowed to take an IB, AP or A level subject.