Starting Foundation Stage 1: an exciting learning journey begins at St Andrews Bangkok

Starting Foundation Stage 1 (FS1) at St Andrews Bangkok

As you prepare your child for the beginning of their learning journey at St Andrews Bangkok and especially their entry into Foundation Stage 1 (FS1), we are sure you will have lots of questions. Hopefully, we can help you with as many answers as provided in this leaflet, but please feel free to contact us at support@standrews.ac.th for more information.

Admissions Process for Foundation Stage 1

Our new families typically find out about what St Andrews (STA) has to offer from friends, family members, colleagues, or from doing their own online research. Following that, they will then make an appointment with our Admissions Team, visit and tour our school, and then fill in their application form.  

What is a Home Visit and why do we do them?

Children who will join us in Term 1 will not start school on the same day as their older sibling (who would already be a current student). Knowing this, through the years we have implemented a process that’s proven to be quite helpful as part of your child’s overall integration – a Home Visit.

During the first week of Term 1 (August), one of our teachers will ask to visit you at your home. These Home Visits have been successful in fostering our community values with all new family members because the teacher can connect with parents and children in an informal and relaxed environment. When you welcome us into your home, your child sees a comfortable relationship between parents and teachers. This, in turn, naturally establishes trust and greatly benefits all parties involved.

Should you take this option, we will arrange for two STA staff members to come to your home for an approximately 30-minute visit at a mutually convenient time. We will bring some toys and books from the classroom so that we can play together and generate interest in going to school. We will also share with you schedules and information about a typical day in FS1.

We will contact you for home address details and liaise to arrange a suitable date and time. Most parents see the benefits of a Home Visit, but if you prefer otherwise, the alternative is to have a Pre-Assessment Meeting in school, wherein we can discuss the development of your child, their interests, home background and health. Please be ready with any information regarding your child’s developmental milestones.

If your child is starting in Term 2 or Term 3, we will contact you at the end of the previous term to arrange meetings.

Your child’s first day of school

In August, not all FS1 children will start on the same date. A staggered start means that teachers have more time to welcome individual children into school and make sure they feel secure. The specific date your child will start will be discussed and arranged with you during the pre-assessment meeting or home visit. Please note that for Term 1 admissions, the start date for your FS1 child will be different from any older brothers and sisters.

*In those early days, until your child is settled a familiar adult ( parents/caregiver) will be asked to stay with them in the setting, or be close by.

Bringing and picking up your child from school

FS1 finishes earlier than the rest of the school at 12:00 pm midday after we have had lunch together. A parent or caregiver must collect the child from the FS1 classroom and they can arrive from 11:50 am to join in with the end-of-the-day song.

For safety reasons, children in FS1 are not able to use the paid school bus service or travel unaccompanied on the shuttle bus. Parents and caregivers are welcome to travel on the shuttle bus with their children.

Swimming

Swimming is an important part of our school curriculum and we want to make the introduction to swimming as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. We ask that a parent or caregiver join their child in the pool, at least for the first few weeks. This will allow children to gain confidence in this new environment but will also give parents an insight into how young children learn to swim. You will learn games and songs to make sure that you have lots of fun together.

If it is not possible for anyone to join your children in the water please discuss this with the teaching team. The swimming class is once a week and is for 30 minutes.

How do I prepare my child for starting school?

• There are a few things you can do in the coming weeks to prepare your child for starting in FS1. Starting school will be easier if children practise independence when they play, eat, and dress themselves at home. Our setting allows children to make their own choices in play and find their own resources. This is important in developing curiosity and a love of learning in the future.

• Consider arranging playdates with friends and family, fostering social connections for your child. Remind and chat with them about all the wonderful things awaiting them on this exciting school journey.

• In the meantime, we encourage you to get to know our school better by visiting our website, our Facebook page, and our news and blogs page which all provide an overview of all the activities in which our school community participates.