Weekly Update #29, 24 April 2026

Yearbook Photo Packages

There is still time to purchase your child’s Yearbook photos, as well as pre-order your family’s free copy of the 2025-2026 Yearbook (and purchase additional copies if required). Please note that the deadline to place your order is Friday, 1 May.

There are two photo package options:

• Package 1 (600 THB) containing your child’s individual and class photos displayed in the HeadStart Photo Folder; and

• Package 2 (1,050 THB) containing your child’s individual and class photos displayed in the HeadStart Photo Folder, plus additional class photos, a set of passport photos, and a flash drive containing digital copies of all your child’s Yearbook photoshoot images.

For our Year 6 and Year 13 graduating classes, we are also offering a:

• Graduation Special Package (200 THB), which includes your child’s individual graduation photo and class graduation image (when ordered alongside Package 2, these digital files will also be added to the flash drive).

This option is not available to parents of Reception children via this ordering system; however, our Reception children’s graduation photos will be shared via the Tapestry portal as usual in Term 3.

We invite you to create an account at the online HeadStart Shop: https://shop.headstartphuket.com/, from where you can place photo package orders for all your children.

Once we have received your order, your copy of the Yearbook and photos will be available for collection from 15:30 on Monday, 22 June. Please be informed that photo packages will only be handed to the legal parent or guardian of a child on presentation of a valid HeadStart Parent ID card or other acceptable form of identification (e.g., driving licence, passport).

We look forward to receiving your order and sharing these special keepsakes of your child’s time at HeadStart.

A Friendly Reminder About Lost Belongings

Replacing lost items can be frustrating, so we encourage all parents and students to regularly check our designated lost property areas for any missing belongings. Valuable items, such as watches, electronic devices, and keys, are securely held at the Administration Office. Meanwhile, general everyday items, including water bottles, P.E. kits, and school uniforms, are safely kept in a locker at the First Aid Room. If you are missing an item, please visit the relevant office and provide a specific description so our team can help reunite you with your lost property.

To keep our storage manageable and support those in need, any general items left unclaimed are donated to local charities at the end of each month. We proudly redistribute these forgotten items to organisations such as SOS Children’s Village and Phuket Sunshine Village. Please take a moment to label your belongings clearly and collect any misplaced items promptly before our next community donation.

8th HeadStart Chess Tournament

Prepare your opening moves for the 8th HeadStart Chess Tournament! Welcoming players of all experience levels, this event challenges students to test their strategic thinking and resilience in a rapid “10 minutes plus 5 seconds” Swiss System format. The competition takes place at the Chaofah City Campus on 25 April, with attendance checks beginning promptly at 11:15am. Competitors can secure their spot with an early bird entry fee of THB 250, or THB 500 on the day, which includes free pizza to keep everyone energised. To register, please contact Coach Dawid directly via WhatsApp at +66 810486441, LINE at VIT-1977, or Telegram at @VIT-1977.

Team Up to Clean Up!

Roll up your sleeves and join the HeadStart community for our upcoming beach cleans as we work together to protect our beautiful island home. Coming together for two fantastic mornings, we will gather at Saphan Hin this Sunday 26 April and Rawai on Sunday 31 May, with both sessions starting at 9:30am.

These clean-ups offer a wonderful way for our families to connect outdoors while making a direct, positive impact on our coastlines. Wear your House shirt to show your team colours and earn House points as a thank you for your efforts!

Little Steps Big Discoveries: Toddler Playgroup is Back!

Watch your child’s curiosity come to life at our upcoming Toddler Playgroup at our Cherngtalay Campus. We are pleased to announce four sessions taking place on select Wednesdays this term, starting from Wednesday 29 April from 9:00am to 10:00am.

Designed for children aged 1 to 4 years old, these mornings provide a comprehensive introduction to our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) philosophy. Children engage in a variety of purposeful play stations including messy play, sensory exploration, and creative building, all facilitated by our warm and professional Foundation staff. Our teachers will be on hand to offer expert advice and guidance to parents, making it the perfect environment to connect, build a supportive community network, and see exactly what our play-based approach is all about.

Book your spot today via the registration form: Toddler Playgroup Registration Form

Discover Local Flavours and Sustainable Crafts at the Friday Market

Explore interesting local food and a variety of eco-friendly, sustainable items at the upcoming HeadStart Friday Market on 1 May starting at 2:40pm in the Attrium. This event provides an fun opportunity for our community to connect, support local artisans, and enjoy a vibrant afternoon together.

There are still a few spaces left, so if you have unique, sustainably sourced products or healthy homemade treats to share, we invite you to showcase them to our community. To register your stall, please write to [email protected]

Upcoming Parent Meetings

We warmly invite parents to join our upcoming Tuesday morning meetings, running from 8:30am to 9:30am. These sessions are designed to provide essential updates and answer your questions as we approach the end of the academic year. On 28 April, we will discuss end of year assessments, revision, reports and grades while on 5 May, there will be a dedicated meeting for Russian speaking parents. Finally, on Thursday 21 May, we will cover the introduction of the military service programme for Year 10. All meetings will take place in the Primary Hall. We look forward to welcoming you and working together to support your child’s ongoing progress.

UPrep Talk: Applying to Oxbridge

Year after year, HeadStart students successfully secure places at the world’s most prestigious institutions. As we celebrate Conor’s well-deserved offer from the University of Cambridge, it serves as a reminder that reaching these inspiring academic heights is achievable with dedicated preparation and expert support.

We’re delighted to invite you to our upcoming UPrep Parent Talk, taking place on Wednesday 29th April at 8:30 am in the Primary Hall, 2nd Floor, Chaofah City Campus. This will be the 14th session in the series, focusing on ‘Applying to Oxbridge’. It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into the application process for Oxford and Cambridge and ask any questions you might have.

We are very fortunate to be joined by Dr. Siripattra Kusuwan Na-Ranong, who studied at both Oxford and Harvard University. She will be sharing her insights and experiences in studying at these elite institutions. In addition, our current Head Boy, Conor Bowens, will discuss his successful preparation and application to Cambridge.

Our aim is to demystify the process of applying to and studying at Oxbridge, giving you the knowledge and confidence to support your child, and making the journey feel both achievable and manageable. We look forward to seeing you there.

Conor Bowens – Enrolled at HeadStart since Year 8

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Conor Bowens, who has secured multiple offers from leading universities for highly competitive courses in Physics, Mathematics, and Medicine.

Conor has received an offer from the University of Cambridge to study Natural Sciences, alongside offers from UCL for Mathematics with Physics and the University of Warwick for Mathematics and Physics. In addition, he has received an offer to study Medicine at the University of Galway in Ireland.

An exceptional and intellectually curious student, Conor has demonstrated remarkable academic independence, including completing advanced study in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics beyond the curriculum. His commitment to science is further reflected in his extensive laboratory work and his role supporting practical experiments as a science technician.

Beyond the classroom, Conor has shown outstanding leadership as Head Boy and Chair of the Student Council, while also contributing to the wider school community through mentoring younger students and delivering talks on complex scientific concepts.

We congratulate Conor on these exceptional achievements and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish in the future.

Daniel Lembring – Graduating Class of 2025

We are delighted to share exciting news for Daniel Lembring, a member of the Graduating Class of 2025. Daniel was a committed member of the HeadStart community joining in Year 8 and consistently demonstrating both compassion and determination throughout his time at school. He made a meaningful impact beyond the classroom by teaching English to underprivileged Thai children, reflecting a genuine commitment to giving back. On the field, Daniel was a key player in the school’s football academy, representing HeadStart in prestigious tournaments such as Soccer 7s and the Harrow Cup.

After taking a productive gap year in Sweden, where he focused on developing his Swedish language skills, Daniel has now secured a place at Linnaeus University to study Media and Entrepreneurship. This marks an exciting next step in a journey that has already shown both purpose and resilience. We wish him every success as he begins this new chapter.

Characters Come to Life as World Book Day Arrives

Stepping into the pages of their favourite stories, students and teachers across the school transformed the campus into a vibrant showcase of literary characters to mark World Book Day. From superheroes to wizards, dinosaurs to princesses, these amazing outfits became the perfect starting point to explore new vocabulary, share favourite books, and bring imaginative stories to life.

Year 13 Students Share Storytime with Reception

Reception had a wonderful time celebrating World Book Day, and it was made even more special by our incredible Year 13 visitors. The children were completely engaged as they listened to the exciting and imaginative stories that were shared. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy as they interacted with the older students. The storytelling truly captured their attention, and they absolutely loved every moment of the experience.

Metaphor & Music – Secondary Students Perform the Fruits of the Creative Endeavours

The first event of its kind for HeadStart, the evening of World Book Day saw the Secondary Hall transformed into a venue more fit for a sophisticated soiree, candlelit and with crisp linen tablecloths. However, far more important than the aesthetic was the quality of students’ creative endeavour on display. Younger students from Year 7 to 9 spent significant time in Term 2 working on their performance skills, memorising and reciting poetry and dramatic monologues in English lessons. On this night, we witnessed them perform the fruits of their labour. We were moved, intrigued and amused in equal measure. The second half of the evening was entitled ‘A Symposium of the Arts’, for this event we wanted there to be a coalescence of the spoken word with musical performances and we were treated to some sublime performances on clarinet, guitar, piano and violin.

All performers displayed poise and bravery and some performances were particularly outstanding: Musically, we were both stunned and moved by the virtuosity on display by India, Ingfah and Poppy and the collaborative dramatic performances by Year 8 students (Something Grim Lies Behind the Wall) and Year 9 (Bernice Bobs her Hair) were dramatically engaging and hilarious in equal measure. Congratulations to all who took part!

A Parent’s Guide to AI Safety and Online Trust

Navigating the digital world is changing rapidly as AI-generated videos become more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to spot. While these tools offer new creative possibilities, they also present unique challenges such as deepfake content, emotional manipulation, and the spread of disinformation. At HeadStart, we are committed to supporting our families in understanding these risks so that our students can explore the internet safely and with a critical eye.

To help your child stay secure, we recommend starting with a simple demonstration of how this technology works. By looking at side-by-side examples of real versus AI-generated clips, students can begin to ask important questions: “Who made this?” and “Is it trying to persuade me?” Beyond these questions, it is vital to encourage cross-referencing information with trusted news sources and checking for technical inconsistencies, such as unusual lighting or unnatural movements. These habits of inquiry and verification help build digital resilience, allowing children to identify potential scams or misleading content before it causes harm.

Ultimately, maintaining open lines of communication is the most effective way to nurture trust at home. We encourage you to create an environment where your child feels safe discussing anything upsetting they see online without fear of judgement. By strengthening privacy settings and being mindful of sharing personal media on public platforms, we can work together to ensure our students remain protected in a fast-evolving digital landscape.

Food for Thought: Reducing Waste and Feeding Communities with SOS

Through our ongoing partnership with Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Thailand, HeadStart is actively reducing food waste and supporting vulnerable communities. We manage our leftovers in two ways. SOS collects our untouched, edible food and shares it directly with disadvantaged communities and local charities, while our food scraps are repurposed as animal feed. This simple process makes a massive difference. Our recent donations alone transformed surplus school lunches into 1,143 meals, rescued over 272 kg of food, and prevented 689 kg of CO2 emissions, creating an environmental impact equal to planting 11 urban trees.

We encourage everyone in the HeadStart community to consider how they might get involved. If you run a local business or are hosting an event with surplus food, please visit the Scholars of Sustenance website to find out how you can join their redistribution programme.

HeadStart’s World Scholars Shine Again!

The World Scholars Cup trip to Kuala Lumpur over the Songkran holiday was challenging, exciting and truly memorable. The Scholar’s Challenge was heavily based on a syllabus that is both broad and deep. Despite it being our first time participating, we really enjoyed it and gained a clearer understanding of the areas we need to improve.

The Team Debate was nerve-wracking; however, we found the atmosphere comfortable and supportive, allowing us to share our ideas with greater confidence. In Collaborative Writing, we discussed ideas with teammates and were creative. The Scholars Bowl was enjoyable, using clickers to answer questions in a large theatre.

On the first day of our trip, we visited a sky restaurant that offered a breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur. The Talent Show and Awards Ceremony were rewarding, giving us a chance to relax and support our peers. At the end, we were proud to receive medals.

The trip taught us resilience, courage, independence, creativity, and teamwork. Some of us shone! Natcha, Emmali and Jenny achieved an unprecedented overall 1st place in The Scholar’s Bowl and Jenny was selected as one of the top 8 scholars to take part in The Debate Showcase. Overall, we are all very proud of our accomplishments.

Thanks to Khun Jajah, Mr. Drew, Ms. Manning, Mr. Pollicutt and Ms. Delaney for their unwavering support. As they say in WSC…PWAH! We now look forward to the Global Round later this year! Cindy – 7 White

Celebrating Innovation From Concept to Creation: Year 11 Design & Technology

We are proud to shine a spotlight on our Year 11 Design & Technology students, who have recently completed their coursework projects. The level of craftsmanship, original thinking, and technical skill on display this year has been exceptional. This year’s cohort took on the challenge of solving real-world problems with impressive maturity. Our workshops have been buzzing with activity as students navigated the rigorous journey from initial sketches to final prototypes.

D&T isn’t just about making “things”—it’s about critical thinking and resilience. Our students have had to troubleshoot manufacturing issues, rethink material choices, and refine their CAD (Computer-Aided Design) models until they were perfect. The sheer “quality of finish” on these projects is a testament to the hours of dedication spent after school and during lunch breaks. Whether it was mastering the workshop equipment, perfecting a 3D print, or hand-finishing their products, the attention to detail has been admirable.

Congratulations, Year 11. You have set a high bar for future designers, and you should be incredibly proud of what you have accomplished! Mr Wells – D&T Teacher

Colour, Community and Career Skills: BTEC Students Shine at the Phuket Colour Run!

Building essential career skills while supporting a vibrant local event, BTEC students recently volunteered at the Phuket Colour Run. The experience provided a platform to work collaboratively, communicate with the public, and take responsibility in a live working environment.

Volunteering at the event enabled students to develop valuable employability skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, and customer service. Gaining practical experience outside the classroom provides a distinct advantage for university applications, CVs, and future employment opportunities.

Beyond developing their own capabilities, the students contributed directly to the local community by ensuring a smoothly run event for participants of all ages. They proved themselves to be highly Collaborative when coordinating with event staff, and Principled in their dedication to public service. Their professionalism and proactive support demonstrated excellent HeadStart Learner Attributes in action, marking a highly successful opportunity for personal development and work experience.

Cultivating Sustainable Communities

Empowering our students to take actionable steps towards a sustainable future remains a core focus at HeadStart, driven by the collaborative efforts of our students, parents, and dedicated staff.

During Term 3, our Eco School initiatives centre around the theme of Sustainable Communities. From establishing on-site conservation projects to critically evaluating our daily consumption, students across both Primary and Secondary are actively leading campaigns that create a measurable impact on the Phuket environment.

Eco Club Update

Eco Club Activities Across both Primary and Secondary, students are taking active responsibility for our campus environment. Secondary students meet every Monday to manage recycling drives, construct eco-bricks, and coordinate mangrove planting, with Year 9 students now stepping up to lead these initiatives. This hands-on work is mirrored by our Primary Eco Club, who engage in their own collaborative environmental projects every Wednesday at 12:00pm in the Atrium.

Project Update: On-Campus Mangrove Nursery

Thank you to all community members who provided sponsorship for our mangrove conservation efforts. We are currently in discussions with school leadership team and the social enterprise Mangrove Teens to construct a working mangrove nursery on the school grounds. This facility will increase hands-on ecological learning and support ecosystem rejuvenation across the island. Funding is actively being used to establish the nursery infrastructure and associated seedlings, with a goal to complete the setup by June ahead of our first planting session in August.

Project Update: Sustainable Seafood Campaign

Primary students are spearheading a new awareness campaign launching in the coming weeks to draw attention to the environmental impact of our school food choices. Currently, we use farmed, frozen salmon imported from the North Atlantic. Students are actively investigating community attitudes towards replacing this with Barramundi, a locally sourced alternative that shares many of the same features.

HeadStart Students Shine

This week, we were delighted to celebrate Conor and Seungha for whom this was their last Flag Raising ceremony as HeadStart Head Boy and Head Girl. Throughout this academic year, they have contributed so much to this weekly ritual and, while we are sad to say goodbye, we are also proud of the way they have gone about their responsibilities. They now pass this important role on to Alicia and Vlad, our Deputy Head Girl and Boy.

We are delighted to congratulate our students on their significant achievements in recent sports and drama competitions, representing HeadStart with pride on both local and international stages!

• Alisa(4 White) placed 3rd in the Girls Under 11 category at the Oceanman open water competition.

• Elisei(6 Yellow) placed in the Top 10 for the 500 meters open water swim at Oceanman Krabi Thailand 2026.

• Dorofey(3 Yellow) won 1st place in the Silan Youth Football League.

• Hedy(2 White) won 1st place to become the Under 8 Girls Tennis Champion at Kahli Tennis Academy Phuket.

• Nika(12 Yellow) achieved a Distinction in Lamda Solo Acting Grade 8 (Gold).

Discover Your Home in Laguna Phuket

Banyan Living is currently offering curated long-term rentals in the Laguna Phuket area, providing a convenient housing option for families within the wider community. With rental rates starting from THB 29,000 per month, these residences offer excellent access to local amenities and a family-friendly environment. To secure a viewing or to find out more information about available unit types, please visit banyanliving.com or contact their team directly on 092 254 6018.

PHAB Infinity Dinner

Enjoy an evening of five-star dining and live entertainment while supporting a valuable local cause. The Phuket Hotels Association invites the HeadStart community to the PHAB Infinity Dinner on 16 May at the Courtyard By Marriott Phuket Town. This all-inclusive event features an exclusive menu from top hotel chefs, signature cocktails, and live music. All proceeds directly fund hospitality scholarships for local students, an initiative that has already supported 125 young people. Tickets start from THB 4,900 and can be purchased individually or as a table of 10. To reserve your seats, please register via the online form.