HeadStart International School was founded as a home-school education centre in February 2005 by Mr & Mrs Edouard. The school opened in a small two storey, four bedroom house, on Mae Luan Road, Phuket Town. Ms Anisa van der Laan joined the school soon after its opening, increasing the staff making a total of three teachers with an initial student body of just 15.

In less than a year, HeadStart moved to a larger six room property, opening up four levelled classes to accommodate the large number of new students. This significant turning point in HeadStart’s history also marks when the school hired its first member of teaching staff beyond the three original qualified teachers. HeadStart’s staff comprised of a total of four teachers, with a student body of 65. In May 2006, HeadStart received recognition from the Ministry of Education as a fully licensed Day-Care Centre. Over the next two years student numbers continued to expand, meaning that the school, once again, was in need of a bigger structure and more amenities, to support its rapid development.

Dr Parimon Phaisamran, whose children have attended HeadStart since 2006, became a financial partner and invested in the school. This investment provided the means and the opportunity for the school’s further expansion into a much needed bigger facility.

HeadStart and its 75 students moved into a 5 Rai (8,000 SQM) facility complete with 16 classrooms, a library, dance hall, martial arts studio, canteen, offices and outdoor amenities, including a playground. With the extra space, HeadStart became the fastest growing International School on the island.

The school’s campus and facilities were expanded further with the opening of the Secondary school building adding in 10 new classrooms, a Secondary canteen and a covered football pitch, as well as a library.

In order to boost the existing sporting facilities, HeadStart invested in refurbishing a club house in a separate but nearby location. The establishment of FunStart brought the addition of a 25 meter swimming pool, a small children’s pool, a martial arts studio, a four hole golf course, six additional classrooms, a birthday club and a restaurant resulting in an increase of programmes offered to the HeadStart community.

In 2011 HeadStart became a fully accredited University of Cambridge (CIE) examinations centre. This significant milestone in HeadStart’s history was also the year that the first cohort of IGCSE students sat their Cambridge exams, achieving excellent grades across all subjects.

ISAT (International School Association of Thailand) grants HeadStart full membership signifying the recognition of its growth and its position on the island of Phuket. Over the next year, the student numbers continued to grow, with a wide representation of both local and international students, from over forty nationalities across the globe.

HeadStart’s Pre-School is awarded the title of Top Nursery from the Phuket Provincial Hall for the second year running.

In 2014 HeadStart became fully accredited by CfBT Education Trust school and was awarded their prestigious International School Quality Mark Award. 

This esteemed accolade showed that HeadStart, now with a student body of 450 and employing 50 qualified teachers, had truly earned its place as one of the leading educational institutions on the island of Phuket. 

HeadStart partners with Anuphas & Sons Co Ltd and committed to a further expansion of the school, purchasing 15 Rai (24,000 SQ) of land in order to build brand new, modern and outstanding educational facilities, spanning from Foundation all the way up to Sixth-Form and A-Level with a capacity for 750 students.

A team from the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) visited HeadStart in February 2014. After a thorough internal quality assurance inspection carried out by three evaluators, HeadStart is awarded a full 100 points and is rated as ‘outstanding’. This was HeadStart’s first official inspection from the Ministry of Education.

In August 2015 HeadStart International School Phuket, with a student body of over 600 pupils, proudly opened its new 600 Million Baht purpose built campus which boasts separate buildings for Early Years, Foundation, Primary and Secondary. The School has 43 dedicated, modern and fully equipped classrooms, including science labs and ICT suites, Art and Music studios, two Libraries, Drama and Dance facilities. HeadStart’s first class Sports facilities allow a diverse sporting curriculum to be offered to our students and includes sports such as football, swimming, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, badminton, tennis and much more.

On the 12th of February, 2016, HeadStart celebrated moving to our new facility. We took a moment to contemplate our humble beginnings and the journey that we have embarked on. In looking back we can’t help but have hearts filled with gratitude for the immense support we have received along the way. We thank our team of dedicated professionals for working together in teamwork to make HeadStart what it is today as well as the parents and students who play an essential role in HeadStart’s success.

On the 19th of January, 2017, H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the Grand Opening of HeadStart International School, Phuket. Over 70 parents and guests gave donations towards the over 100 royal projects that Her Royal Highness presides over, each person receiving a Royal brooch in appreciation for their contribution. The HeadStart singers and dancers were honoured to perform a Thai dance after which the Princess visited booths set up to highlight some of the main events and accomplishments of our students.

On 1 June, 2017, HeadStart was awarded the Silver rating and in all of the 8 accreditation standards the school was rated as either good or outstanding. ‘HeadStart International school is a good school, with outstanding features’. EDT Accreditation report.

HeadStart is the first school in Phuket to commit to green, renewable and sustainable energy with a stunning 550 kWp photovoltaic system. 55% of the solar modules are installed on the 2 main building roofs while the remaining 45% has been intelligently designed to provide shading for the car park, adding an extra benefit to the whole project.

“The 10 years of history and growth that we celebrated on 10 June 2019, was not about numbers and the development of our facilities, it is about education and growth of character, it is about the personal journey each of us has travelled over the last 10 years. It is about each choice and decision that has brought us all here today to be part of the vibrant, inspiring and exciting learning community which we together call HeadStart. I am proud of what we have become and achieved together but also humbled and grateful to all of you my fellow educators, parents and staff for your individual contributions which make us the school we are today. “  – Mr Jazon Edouard, Founder and CEO 

In August 2023, our new purpose-built campus in the north opened its doors to Foundation and Primary aged children. Set on 24 Rai, or 38,000 sqm, of beautiful mountainside landscape, and just 4km from Bangtao Beach, our new campus offers the same quality academic, artistic and physical education experiences that have proven so successful at our Chaofah City Campus.

Following our highly successful opening in August 2023, we have added an additional class in both Foundation and Primary, for children from 2 to 11 years old, as well as introducing a Secondary programme, with two classes per year group from Year 7 to Year 9, for children aged 12 to 15. This expansion has reflected on our commitment to meeting the growing demand for quality education in Phuket and allows us to welcome more students into our vibrant learning community – inspiring a love of learning.

We are proud to announce the latest development in HeadStart’s commitment to being a sustainable, environmentally conscientious centre for learning – HeadStart Eco-School. With the installation of solar panels on the roof of our covered astro-pitch, our Cherngtalay campus is now in part powered by solar. Following in the footsteps of our Chaofah City campus, where 80% of our total electrical consumption comes from green, renewable and sustainable energy, we are fulfilling our goal of Sustainable Learning for a Sustainable World.

In July 2025, HeadStart became a proud member of FOBISIA (The Federation of British International Schools in Asia). This prestigious affiliation reflects our commitment to providing our students with the highest standards of international education and fosters closer connections with leading British international schools across Asia. Membership in FOBISIA offers us access to a wide network of educational excellence, professional development opportunities for our staff, and the chance to participate in collaborative events and competitions that enrich our students’ learning experiences.

Being part of FOBISIA offers numerous benefits for our school community. It allows us to exchange best practices with other member schools, stay updated on the latest educational trends, and collaborate on innovative projects. Additionally, our students will have more opportunities to participate in regional sports tournaments, academic competitions, and cultural exchanges, helping to boost their confidence, global awareness, and leadership skills. We look forward to leveraging these advantages to further enhance our school’s programs and to continue providing a vibrant, inspiring environment for all our students.