Introduction

Students come to Traill International School, Bangkok at different ages, from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds and with varied English Language skills. They have different levels of ability and may leave the school to return to national educational systems or to attend international schools, colleges and universities elsewhere in the world. Our aim, therefore, is to provide a curriculum sufficiently flexible to meet a wide range of demands, and rigorous enough to meet the challenge of any national system whilst catering for a wide range of abilities.

The curriculum is the sum of all the experiences to which learners will be exposed and to which they will have access as members of the school community. These will include aesthetic and creative, human and social, linguistic and literary, mathematical, moral, physical, scientific, spiritual and technological learning opportunities. Our chosen curricula are a modified version of the English National Curriculum leading into a two year programme in which students prepare for University of Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the end of Year 11, followed by a further two years leading to the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in Education at the end of Year 13.

From Kindergarten to Year 6, we offer an integrated curriculum and from Year 7, students are taught by a number of more specialist subject teachers. Our curricula offer challenge, breadth, balance and coherence through a wide range of subjects, including English, Thai, French, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Coordinated Science, ICT, History, Geography, Business Studies, Art, Drama, Music and PE. Our EAL and SEN provision includes withdrawal and support in English as a Second Language and Special Educational Needs respectively. The structure, content and pedagogical principles underlying our curriculum are ideal preparation for the IGCSE and AICE followed by students in Years 10 to 12.

The curriculum is enriched by additional strands since various cross curricular projects, field work and other elements made possible by the school's international character and its location in Thailand. This curriculum is supported and strengthened by a variety of generic themes and supplementary dimensions that include:

a strong, pervasive international dimension a strong foreign languages and EAL programme information technology environmental education politics and citizenship

Characteristics of the Curriculum

We intend that every learner, regardless of age and gender, aptitude and ability, cultural or religious background, will have a rigorous curriculum which provides:
breadth through a range of learning experiences
balance that allows for the adequate development of each area of learning
relevance, by placing the learning in contexts which allow students to develop not only knowledge but also understanding.
progression and continuity, in the learning of knowledge and skills and the development of conceptual understanding. Reinforcement and extension of these as students move between units of work and stages of the education system.
planning for quality. Through our development planning and schemes of work we define success criteria for curriculum delivery. We review our curricula annually.


Student Entitlement

At Traill International School every student is entitled to:
Equal access to a curriculum which is rigorously planned and which takes account of individual needs and aspirations.
A range of teaching and learning experiences.
Participation in a curriculum which offers challenge and which demands the highest possible commitment.
learning experiences, care and support matched to individual needs.
Involvement in curriculum activities that enable the student to adopt a meaningful role in the present while preparing for an effective and purposeful adult and working life in an international environment.

The school achieves this by:

recognizing and addressing unequal starting points for learning.
providing a learning environment which supports and celebrates individual achievement.
motivating, supporting and challenging every learner.
offering regular feedback to every learner on his/her performance so that he/she makes progress and improves the standard and quality of his/her work.
promoting links with the local, national and international community through work experience, exchanges and a wide range of involvement with outside organizations to offer insights into the wider world.

English a Second Language (ESL)

It is our school policy that all the students including students who require ESL support have access to the full curriculum. ESL support is available to all the students who are not yet proficient users of English. Many of our students are of native speaker standard even though English may not be their first language and they do not require extra support. ESL support is provided in the following ways:

ESL classes following a modified mainstream English programme running parallel to mainstream English classes;
work with students on an individual basis in order to address issues specific to individual students. This takes place either during school hours, requiring withdrawal from some lessons, or after school;
in-class support to students and teachers. This gives opportunities for supporting
students in specific subject areas and allows the students exposure and access to the
full curriculum;
a Homework Club for students to visit after school if they require help with any homework,
support for students who require extra time or assistance during exams;
support to the subject teachers in developing strategies and materials which make access to the curriculum smoother.

It should be noted that ESL is also an option for the IGCSE examination at the end of Year 11 and for the TOEFL examination at the end of Year 13. They require a high level of proficiency in the language and good passes are recognised by universities as a proof of the student’s high competence in English, enabling them to undertake higher courses at university or college.
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ESL students are generally identified during the entrance procedures, but teachers or parents themselves can also make referrals. We have a range of assessment materials to determine students’ levels and problem areas. Where a student is assessed as having only a very elementary understanding of English it may be necessary for the parents to cover part of the expense of employing extra staff to assist them.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Learning support is available for students who:
are gifted or talented in particular areas and who will benefit from extension work to challenge them;
are having difficulties coping with school life because of personal issues.
find aspects of learning or studying difficult; Special Educational Needs support is provided within the Secondary School in the following ways:
in-class support to students and teachers. This provides opportunities for observation of student needs within specific subject areas, and allows teachers to work together to find strategies to support students;
working with students on an individual basis.