Britain's Brighton opens its doors to Bangkok's best and brightest
BRIGHTON College International School Bangkok has been officially launched, the first step for this top international school brand from the United Kingdom expanding into the Asia Pacific region. It will start teaching in September 2016.
Top executives of the school claimed it would provide the best education, based on each individual student’s interests and talent by the finest teachers.
Brighton College was founded in 1845, it was named the UK Independent School of the Year 2013-14 at the Independent Schools Awards.
At the opening ceremony of the college at the British Embassy, Ambassador Mark Kent said he was pleased to see a top old British college with a high academic reputation opening its branch in Thailand.
David Tongue, headmaster of the college’s Bangkok branch, said the school would provide facilities for a unique learning experience, with teaching extended beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.
“The college will have every child excel academically and develop talents, interests and passions, valuing their individuality and providing them with inspirational and creative teaching. Pupils will develop a love of learning for its own sake, and will leave the school with the knowledge, skills and interests they need,” Tongue said.
His thoughts were echoed by Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College UK: “I believe passionately in the importance of the individual. Every child that receives a Brighton education is valued for his or her own sake,” Cairns said.
Nusara Assakul, Brighton College Bangkok chairman of governors, said the school would follow the English National curriculum, except that it will include Mandarin in the core curriculum from pre-prep level upward.
Nusara said that even as the school would adhere to the curriculum of the original branch, some elements – such as local culture and language – would also be taught for Thai pupils.
The school will open the Admission Office in January 2016. It has three main schools: Pre-Prep School for pre-nursery to year 3 students, Prep School for year 4 to year 8 students and Senior School for year 9 to year 13 students.
The Pre-Prep School will open first in September next |year and the parents can enrol their students from January. While the Prep School and Senior School will open in September 2017.
The school’s annual fee for the 2016/17 academic year ranges from Bt495,000 for pre-nursery to Bt655,000 for year 1 to 3 students.
