As BKK Kids, the online platform for parents and children in Bangkok, celebrates its 10th anniversary, we look back at how Bangkok Patana School, Thailand’s oldest British international school, has been a loyal supporter and partner of this fabulous service since its inception. The founder of BKK Kids shared with us the vision of creating a dynamic, engaging and growing community for families in the Thai capital, and we were thrilled to exchange ideas and feedback. Over the years, BKK Kids has evolved into a trusted and valuable resource for parents and kids alike, while Bangkok Patana has continued to adapt and excel in another decade of its 66-year history.
What have we achieved in the past ten years? It has been a decade of royal visits, constant upgrades, and external recognition as a world leader in international school education. About ten years ago, we received the Prime Minister’s Export Award for the second time, honouring our contribution to the Thai economy and society. We were also the first international school in the world to receive the Design Mark from the Design and Technology Association in the UK, recognising excellence in teaching Design Technology. More recently, we received the award again, showing a consistency in teaching excellence. The Ministry of Labour presented the school with an award for Excellence in Health and Safety in 2016. We have also been listed for five years consecutively on the Spears List of 100 best private schools in the world – a list that is generated independently without the usual requirement of advertising or payment. Up until two years ago, we were the only Thailand school on this list.
The environment has always been a priority for us, and we have taken both small and large steps to make a difference. We became the first school in Thailand to install a large array of solar panels, producing 702KW of clean energy from the rooftops of three buildings. We continued to install more solar panels in the ensuing years, reducing our carbon footprint and saving costs. When it became evident that bad air quality would affect Thailand every year for longer periods, we took swift action and installed pre-cooled fresh-air filters in every building, ensuring the health and well-being of our students, staff and visitors. This was again, a first for a school at this scale and now many other existing and new schools have followed our example.
In 2017, we were proud to have a student and a staff member represent the school in an expedition to Antarctica under Bangkok Patana 2041, a campaign to raise awareness on a treaty that prevents drilling for oil and other natural resources in the environmentally sensitive Antarctic regions. They shared their experiences and insights with the whole school community, inspiring us to take action for the planet.
In the last ten years, we have also seen the opening of our Science Centre, a state-of-the-art facility where all classrooms are labs, specialised for biology, chemistry, environmental science or physics. The renovation of our Foundation Stage and the opening of the new Nursery building gave our teachers fabulous tools such as child-sized kitchens to engage students in their learning.
The pandemic brought about many challenges and hardships, and we missed the social aspects of the Bangkok Patana community. However, the community rallied and our ‘at home’ learning platform was recognised as one of the best in Bangkok. Our enrolment remained stable and slightly increased, reflecting the trust and confidence that parents have in our school.
We have emerged from the pandemic with a community that is resilient and stronger than ever. In June 2022, after 15 years of service, our Head of School Matt Mills retired. Our new Head, Chris Sammons, stepped into a vibrant community and has been warmly welcomed. We are embarking on another ten-year capital development plan, our student body is still the most diverse in Thailand, our parent body includes many of our very own alumni and Bangkok Patana School is ever more driven by its values of Well-Being, Learning and Global Citizenship.
