Chaofah City
Chaofah City
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parent Dress Code
We are always delighted to welcome parents onto our school grounds, whether you are dropping off your children, attending a meeting, or joining us for campus events.
In keeping with local Thai culture, which deeply values modesty and respect, especially within educational settings, we kindly ask all visitors to dress modestly when on campus. To help us maintain a respectful and culturally appropriate environment for our students and staff, please keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Please avoid revealing fitness wear: such as wearing only a sports bra without an outer shirt.
- Please avoid very short shorts and skirts: as well as skimpy, see-through, or overly revealing tops.
Thank you so much for your understanding, cooperation, and support in helping us model cultural respect for our students.
Share Your Child's Success Stories!
Does your child have an exciting achievement from outside of school hours? From weekend sports tournaments and arts performances to community service projects, our students continually impress us with their dedication beyond the classroom. We want to celebrate these external milestones with the wider HeadStart community. Please share your child's success story using the submission link, and we look forward to featuring their hard work in our upcoming updates.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Key Stage 3 Art Exhibition
You are warmly invited to attend HeadStart’s Key Stage 3 Art Exhibition, opening on Wednesday 16th September at 3.30pm in the Atrium at our Chaofah City Campus. The exhibition celebrates the wonderful artwork created by our Year 7, 8 and 9 students during the last academic year. Visitors will be able to explore a diverse range of creative work, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, with 3D pieces created using clay and Mod Roc.
Please join us in celebrating the achievements of our young artists. You can also sing along to the songs performed by our fabulous singers and musicians from the Music Department! The exhibition will run until Monday 21st September. We hope you’ll come along, explore the artwork and enjoy the creativity of our Key Stage 3 artists.
Make Your Move at the First Chess Tournament of the Year
Secure your spot in the first student chess tournament of the 2026/2027 season! Whether you are an experienced strategist or a complete beginner, this is an excellent opportunity to enjoy some friendly competition, claim your share of THB 4,500 in cash prizes, and enjoy some free pizza. Every participant will receive an award for their efforts!
Please refer to the attached poster for full contact details and secure your place:
- When & Where: Saturday, 19 September at 11:00am (Chaofah City Campus Canteen)
- The Format: Swiss System matches (10 minutes + 5 seconds)
- Registration: Contact Coach Dawid directly to lock in the THB 350 Early Bird entry fee!
Thai Culture Club
We are delighted to invite students to join our Term 1 Thai Culture Club on Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 9:00am to 12:00pm at our Chaofah City Campus. This special morning celebrates local heritage through engaging, hands-on experiences. Early Years and Reception students will practice planting in a demonstration rice paddy, Years 1 to 3 will discover the traditional Nora dance and classic attire, and Years 4 to 6 will visit Museum Phuket to investigate local Peranakan heritage. If your child is interested in joining, please contact their Thai teacher for further information and registration.
Upcoming Meetings & Presentations
Parent meeting: HeadStart Curriculum for Thai Parents
We warmly invite all Thai-speaking parents to join our dedicated Thai Parents Meeting in the Secondary Hall to explore the HeadStart curriculum. This session provides an open, supportive space to understand your child's academic journey, classroom expectations and the daily learning experience across our school. We look forward to welcoming you, sharing our programme and answering any questions you may have.
Understanding the Five-Year UPrep Plan
Our next UPrep session, "Your Child’s 5-Year Plan," will focus on how parents can support their children from Year 9 all the way through to Year 13. We will break down the crucial steps for each key stage, from fostering a growth mindset and encouraging new interests in Lower Secondary, to making informed IGCSE choices in Year 9, and navigating university applications in the Sixth Form. We will also discuss how to actively track student competencies and explore future pathways throughout their educational journey.
Meetings & Presentations
Parent meeting: Introduction to Foundation and the Early Years Curriculum
Thank you to all the parents who joined our Early Years and Foundation Stage meeting! It was a wonderful opportunity to connect and share how our students learn and grow through a fun, play-based approach. During the session, we explored the seven core areas of learning, introduced our Little Wandle phonics programme, and demonstrated how to use the Tapestry online journal to easily follow your child's daily milestones. We are looking forward to teaming up with you this year to support your children learn, play, and thrive! You can download the full meeting presentation via the link provided.
Accelerating Literacy with Fast ForWord and ClearFluency
Thank you to the parents who attended our recent morning training sessions on the Fast ForWord programme. During these sessions, parents stepped into their children's shoes by experiencing the programme firsthand, completing a range of exercises that students encounter during their lessons. This provided a valuable opportunity to ask questions about how the tool is used during the school day and how to support learning at home.
Seamlessly embedded within our EAL curriculum, this evidence-based programme strengthens foundational cognitive skills such as memory and auditory processing to accelerate language acquisition. Through targeted cognitive development, students rapidly build their English mechanics and lasting confidence. To reinforce this progress, we ask parents to encourage their child to complete at least one 30 minute session of Fast ForWord at home over the weekend. You can best support this practice by:
- Preparing a quiet environment for your child.
- Providing a pair of over ear headphones.
- Ensuring they have had a healthy snack prior to starting their practice.
- Celebrating their successes together.
Please review the attached overview brochures to discover more about how this programme supports your child's ongoing development.
STUDENT WELL-BEING
R U OK?
A simple question holds the power to transform a classmate's day, but true peer support extends far beyond a single annual event. To emphasise that mental wellbeing is a daily priority, HeadStart students and staff recently shared their thoughts in a new video exploring how to use courage and kindness to look out for one another. Students highlighted the importance of active listening, noting that being a good friend is about offering genuine connection rather than feeling the pressure to provide immediate solutions. By learning to check in regularly and holding space for their peers, students actively build a resilient and supportive school environment.
This initiative also serves as a strong reminder of the extensive support network available across our community. Students are continuously encouraged to share their feelings with a trusted adult, whether that is a homeroom teacher, a student leader, or a member of our dedicated pastoral and counselling team. By normalising these open conversations, we ensure that every child knows there is always someone ready to listen, equipping them with the confidence to seek help whenever they need it.
Friday Market
Sweet Treats & Sweet Beats!
A huge thank you to everyone who brought such vibrant energy to our recent Friday Market! Families explored an impressive selection of local stalls, treating themselves to freshly baked goods, unique accessories, and beautifully handcrafted ceramics. The afternoon was made even more special by our talented student musicians, who provided a wonderful live soundtrack for the crowd. It is always a pleasure to see parents, staff, and students connecting and supporting our local vendors after a productive week of learning!
Alumni Network
"This place will always be my home."
Welcome Home, Fleur! It is always a privilege to welcome back our alumni. Class of 2024 graduate, Fleur, recently returned to HeadStart to catch up with the teachers who supported her journey. In this short reel, Fleur reflects on how growing up in our international environment helped her develop the essential social skills and Open Minded perspective she relies on today. Watch to hear her brilliant advice for current students!
Thai Department
Thai Etiquette Competition 2026 Provincial Round
From 1 to 2 July 2026, seven students represented HeadStart in the Thai Etiquette Competition 2026 (Provincial Round). Alicia, Giwi, Great, Annabelle, Proud, Tiger and Pumpkin all received certificates of participation. We are very proud of their dedication, good manners and efforts to preserve Thai culture.
Primary
Year 3 Make Mammoth Strides in Creative Writing
Building on the introduction of our new Literacy Tree programme, Year 3 students are already experiencing how immersive storytelling can inspire their writing through carefully planned 'Discovery Points'.
The students discovered a 'cave' that took them back to prehistoric times where they met a Stone Age boy and began the story of 'The First Drawing' by Mordicai Gerstein. In the story, the boy ventured to the top of a mountain to watch the prehistoric animals below him and even had a close encounter with a woolly mammoth. Excited by the incredible animals he saw, he was eager to tell his family, but they just couldn't see what he saw. Full of excitement, he picked up a stick from the fire and started to draw on the cave walls.
Taking on the role of the boy's family, the students imagined how they would have felt as the cave painting came to life and acted out what they would have done as they imagined the huge, terrifying beast enter their home. With their eyes and mouths wide open, holding tightly onto their parents' legs and grabbing a spear to protect their family, they worked in groups to freeze-frame the scene.
Inspired by their actions and fully immersed in the story, they began writing their own paragraph in role as one of the characters to describe how they felt and how they reacted. The students showed immense Courage by using newly learned language to describe emotions as well as using descriptive language from the story to bring the characters to life. Lucas in Year 3 White said, "At first, I saw four humongous feet, one long, furry tail and a giant hairy head with two razor-sharp, long curved tusks. I was shocked and I froze like a statue when I noticed the mammoth looking at me!"
Investigating Bronze Age Agriculture and Diets
Continuing their exploration of prehistory, Year 3 advanced from the Stone Age into the Bronze Age with a hands-on culinary experiment in the dining hall. The students collaborated to follow a simple recipe, baking honey and oat cakes to experience an authentic prehistoric treat.
Having previously studied cave paintings to understand early hunting methods, the students were surprised to discover that Bronze Age communities had already begun to cultivate oats, forage for nuts and berries, and farm animals for food. The activity sparked immense curiosity, with every step of the recipe prompting new questions and demonstrating their naturally Inquisitive learner profiles. Harper in Year 3 White asked what materials early humans would have used to cook the oat cakes, while Leia in Year 3 Blue remarked, "I didn't realise that food from prehistoric times could be so delicious!"
Earning Their Stripes in Literacy
Moving up to Upper Primary, Year 6 students are also demonstrating the power of the Literacy Tree programme through a poignant unit focused on endangered animals. Using the book 'Can We Save the Tiger?', the children first developed their persuasive writing skills by planning and writing speeches on related issues. They then delivered their speeches to an audience, putting their persuasive language and communication skills into practice while developing their confidence in speaking clearly and convincingly.
Following this, the children began researching an endangered animal of their choice. They used the information they gathered to develop their own discussion texts, considering different viewpoints and selecting relevant information to support their writing.
Secondary
Getting Down to Business with Industry Experts
Our Business students are stepping out of the classroom and into the boardroom, kicking off their BTEC Extended Diploma by collaborating with marketing experts from 5 Star Marine. During a recent introductory session, students met with Jay, an industry professional who will mentor them throughout the year. Rather than simply studying business theory, students are tackling genuine marketing projects and responding to real-world challenges. Through this hands-on process, they are developing critical communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills, whilst learning to confidently plan, evaluate and improve their own professional work.
This industry exposure will help students to:
- Apply vocational business theory to real-world situations
- Build professional networks within the local business community
- Gain valuable, practical experience to strengthen their university applications and CVs
A huge thank you to 5 Star Marine for sharing their time and expertise, and well done to our Business students for the professional approach they have taken to building these vital skills!
Stepping Onto the International Stage at PHIST 2026
Taking this commitment to hands-on industry engagement a step further, our Sixth Form BTEC Travel and Tourism and Business cohorts recently joined Southeast Asia’s largest annual sustainable tourism forum, PHIST 2026 (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism). Hosted at Angsana Laguna Phuket on 7 September, the event gathered over 1,000 delegates, 93 industry-leading speakers and dozens of exhibitors to address critical environmental and hospitality challenges. Organised by the Phuket Hotels Association, the conference served as a dynamic extension of the BTEC curriculum. Engaging directly with these experts allowed students to witness large-scale sustainable business practices in action and expand their professional networks even further.
A huge thank you to the Phuket Hotels Association and Angsana Laguna Phuket for hosting our students and providing them with such a fantastic opportunity to learn from industry leaders.
Success Outside of School
HeadStart Students Shine
We are delighted to congratulate our students on their significant achievements in recent science, music, and sports competitions, representing HeadStart with pride on both local and international stages!
- Fleur (4 Blue): Bronze Award at the Asiarope Olympiad - Science National Round.
- Mimi (6 Blue): ABRSM Level 2 Certificate in Music Performance (Grade 5 Violin), passed with Distinction in 2026.
- Charlotte (3 White): Bronze medal for Free Hand at the Malaysia Dream Cup 2026.
- Dorofey (4): Silver medal for the 25m Breaststroke at the Night Waves! Thanyapura Swim Gala 2026 Phase 2.
- Alisa (5 White): 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals at the Night Waves! Thanyapura Swim Gala 2026 Phase 2.
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World Scholar's Cup Team: A huge well done to our English VAPP students who competed at the Global Round in Bangkok against thousands of peers from across the region. Notable highlights include Poppy securing first place in Individual Writing out of 2,200 scholars, Jenny taking eighth place in Individual Debate, and Natcha earning 11th Overall Scholar. We are incredibly proud of the entire team for their resilience, teamwork, and outstanding performances!
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HeadStart CrossFit Team (Jordi, Debbie, and Palm): Secured first place in their division during their debut CrossFit competition in Bangkok!
Student Success Submission Form
Does your child have an exciting achievement from outside of school hours? From weekend sports tournaments and arts performances to community service projects, our students continually impress us with their dedication beyond the classroom. We want to celebrate these external milestones with the wider HeadStart community. Please share your child's success story using the submission link, and we look forward to featuring their hard work in our upcoming updates.
Promotions from around the Island
School Community Pickleball Cup 2026
The Peak invites all HeadStart parents, teachers, and staff to connect on the court for the School Community Pickleball Cup 2026, hosted at The Peak Racquet Park on Saturday, 26 September! This is a fantastic opportunity to build community spirit through friendly competition, with divisions available for beginners (DUPR under 3.0), intermediates (DUPR 3.0 to 3.9), and advanced players (DUPR 4.0+). Entry is THB 800 per person or THB 1,600 per pair, and mixed pairs are highly encouraged. To represent our HeadStart community in this exciting local event, please secure your spot before the registration deadline on 10 September.
Vendor and Sponsor Opportunities at the Phuket Family Festival
Food and craft vendors, alongside corporate and brand sponsors, are invited to participate in the inaugural Phuket Family Festival. Organisations, businesses, and service providers that support and benefit families are highly encouraged to get involved. The festival is actively seeking partners across key sectors: finance (banking, family insurance, and investments), family home life (property agents and car dealerships), education (institutions and childcare providers), health (family health centres, paediatricians, dental practices, maternal care, family counsellors, and developmental specialists), and leisure (family resorts and entertainment venues).
Important Dates
Noticeboard
Parent Fitness
Running Club (meet on track)
HeadStart provides complimentary use of the Fitness Gym for parents every weekday morning from 07:30-09:30 and in the afternoon from 14:30-18:00.
Classes run from 8:00-9:00am. To join, sign the list at the gym entrance or speak to a trainer. Available strictly for HeadStart parents only.
