Foundation Stage Curriculum Guide

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

CURRICULUM GUIDE

FOUNDATION S TA G E 2026/27

Bangkok Patana School

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GUIDING STATEMENTS

Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.

We develop global citizens who shape their world through independence, empathy, creativity and critical thinking.

Protected, safe and secure

Rigorous

Committed to integrity

Motivated and engaged

Inquisitive and creative

Active volunteers

Responsible and honest

Collaborative and confident communicators

Diverse and inclusive

Kind and compassionate

Critical, reflective thinkers

Ethical and informed

Balanced and fulfilled

Passionate, resourceful and resilient

Empowered by our interculturalism Inspired to improve global sustainability Respectful contributors to digital and local communities

KEY CONTACTS

NAME

EMAIL

Head of School

Mr Chris Sammons

crsa@patana.ac.th

Primary Principal

Mrs Sarah McCormack

samc@patana.ac.th

Vice Principal, Learning and Welfare

Ms Carol Battram

caba@patana.ac.th

Vice Principal, Learning and Curriculum

Ms Rachel Preston

raps@patana.ac.th

Director of Admissions

Ms Rachel Jones

rajo@patana.ac.th

PLEASE NOTE: The content of this booklet was accurate at the time of publication (December 2023). The curriculum is forever evolving, and during the course of the coming year, aspects may be developed or amended. Any amendments will be communicated to parents through the regular Year group newsletters.

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Bangkok Patana School

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

CONTENTS WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL ....................................................................................

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INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING...................................................................................................... 6 The Building Blocks of the Curriculum The Engaged Classroom The Global Learner The Curriculum Life-long Learning Skills Personal Attributes The IB (International Baccalaureate) Learner Profile Attributes Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) LEARNING THROUGH PLAY............................................................................................................ 11 THE PRIMARY SCHOOL OVERVIEW................................................................................................ 12 THE FOUNDATION STAGE.............................................................................................................. 13 Curriculum - The Areas of Learning and Development Learning Through Play Assessment and Reporting Communicating and Reporting Support for Learning Learning Support Communication and Language Home Languages Counselling Services

Bangkok Patana School

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WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

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ur school family is united by a common purpose bequeathed to us from our founder: to provide a first-rate education for our children.

The pioneer Rosamund Struetzel arrived in Thailand in 1938 and her ambition to remain here with her family led to the founding of Bangkok Patana school in 1957. A British based correspondence course was chosen as the curriculum that enabled children living in remote locations all over the world to be taught by adults who were not qualified teachers.

The world has changed, so too the curriculum we teach children. Seventy years of service, development and thinking by countless world class educators has led to what we do today. It is as ambitious today as the first pioneers who wanted young people to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in readiness for their futures.

Ask our generations of Alumni who have spent longer in our school than any job they have had since. Their curriculum has enabled them to achieve highly, develop their purpose, progress to study with world leading academics; most of all, they have been able to meet the demands of any future job that is yet to be thought of. This is our curriculum, the written and unwritten legacy which generations of educators and learners continue to weave.

We look forward to meeting you, to understanding your child’s interests and talents, to adapt to their needs as they become themselves, to see them make use of our incredible learning resources, and; for them to feel rooted in this caring community.

Chris Sammons Head of School

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Bangkok Patana School

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

“Our faculty prepare learning that allows students to explore factual and debatable knowledge, as well as making connections to the concepts which exist between different domains of knowledge.”

Chris Sammons, Head of School

Bangkok Patana School

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INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING AT BANGKOK PATANA PRIMARY SCHOOL “We aim to provide the very best education for your children within a happy, caring environment. We begin the journey of developing life long learners.”

At Bangkok Patana Primary School we continue to put learning at the heart of everything, so learners of all ages can fulfil their potential in everything they do. We look to develop students who are protected, safe and secure; independent; have a global understanding of who they are; have a desire to learn more; enjoy their learning, make good progress and achieve well. Our continual aim is to bring learning to life.

The curriculum is built around the expectations of the UK National Curriculum but is adapted to meet the needs of the international student body. The aim of the Primary curriculum is to install a life-long desire to learn more. We do this through our ‘connected learning’ approach where subject areas are linked together and taught in context to create real engagement in learning. We look to make learning as meaningful as possible, to provide quality, memorable opportunities for learning.

All learning is skills based, following a backward by design approach, using a thematic study to guide the context of learning.

For learning to be successful, we realise we need students who feel safe, happy and secure in their school environment. We want to encourage our students to take risks, make mistakes and learn from these experiences. In addition to our academic focus, we are always looking to develop the whole child by providing opportunities to learn outside the classroom, experience experts from outside and within the Patana community, enjoy practical and open-ended activities, often developed from their own ideas. We want our students to be inquisitive, questioning, (with respect) confident, morally and ethically aware, diverse in thinking, and excited to explore what is happening in the world around them. It is important that they all can lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and are ready for the challenges of a life after Patana, by being responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society as they mature into well rounded adults.

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Bangkok Patana School

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

The Engaged Classroom

The power of engaged learning ensures that the students are reaching their potential in everything they do. This requires the teacher to fully understand the learning needs of the students and prepare and resource the learning.

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The Global Learner

To ensure the learning needs of our international student body are met and to celebrate their diversity, we look to seek out meaningful and appropriate intercultural opportunities which are relevant to all. We also look to celebrate our host country and the learning opportunities this brings. Opportunities are also given within and outside of curriculum time to celebrate different cultures and home languages.

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Bangkok Patana School

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

THE CURRICULUM The Primary School curriculum is based on the English National Curriculum but we adapt it to meet our international learners. In the Foundation Stage we use the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and the non-statutory Guidance Document “Birth to 5 Matters” This framework prepares the children for the start of the National Curriculum in Year 1. The English National Curriculum begins in Year 1 and is used all the way through the Primary School.

Life-long Learning Skills Interwoven through the curriculum, we seek to develop the children’s thinking, particularly in the following five areas, processing information, reasoning, enquiry, creativity and evaluation and a creative approach to learning. As children are developing the essential learning skills, we are also preparing them for the ever-changing world they are living in. To do this we need to develop learning and innovation skills which includes critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, alongside digital literacy skills. Foundation Stage is a good place where all these skills begin to develop through the characteristics of effective learning. These are built upon in Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and beyond.

Personal Attributes We also aim to equip our young people with well-rounded personal attributes. In Years 12 and 13 the students study for the IB Diploma, which includes developing the attributes outlined in the IB Learner Profile. To complement this programme and to enhance our learning, we begin to build on these attributes in Foundation Stage as they are central to our practice and curriculum.

Personal, Social and Development (PSED)

Emotional

The aim of this aspect of the curriculum is to focus on well-being and develop learners who integrate into society as confident, responsible, global citizens; young people who have empathy and respect for others and a desire to safeguard ourselves and our natural world.

We aim to provide the very best education for your children within a happy, caring environment nurturing your child to discover and challenge their holistic potential, academically, physically, emotionally and socially by providing a highquality, stimulating learning environment where your children are happy and safe.

Mark Verde Vice Principal, Learning and Curriculum

Bangkok Patana School

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours that children use in order to learn and are incorporated into the Primary School curriculum from Foundation Stage up to Year 6.

To learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm and we believe that effective learning must be meaningful to a child, so that they are able to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in their learning and development.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning are broken down into three three categories with three strands in each category:Playing and exploring - Engagement

Active learning – Motivation

• Finding out and exploring

• Being involved and concentrating

• Playing with what they know

• Keeping on trying

• Being willing to ‘have a go’

• Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Creating and thinking critically – Thinking • Having their own ideas • Making links • Choosing ways to do things

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Curriculum Guide 2026/27

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

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he Primary School is committed to creating a happy, caring and confident community of independent learners. We have high expectations and we aim to develop self-disciplined, skilled, resourceful and principled young people. We value our staff and seek to provide them with opportunities to develop professionally.

We nurture learning through child-centred approaches, technology and a variety of learning styles. We also endeavour to develop within our children thinking skills and strong personal characteristics. We strive to deliver creative and interactive programmes of learning that are further enhanced and enriched by a comprehensive programme of extra-curricular activities that add breadth and depth to our children’s learning.

The Primary School values the cultural, religious and linguistic diversity of the students and seeks to establish respect for all nations. We also value the individual child and seek to meet their needs within our resources. In particular, we aim to effectively and sensitively induct all new students and their families into our community and to prepare them well for the next stage of their education and life.

“Play is the work of the child.” - Maria Montessori

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THE PRIMARY SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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he Primary School and the Secondary School together form Bangkok Patana School and share many of the facilities on our spacious and purpose-built campus and both have their own Principal. The Primary Principal is supported by the Assistant Principal for Learning and Curriculum and the Assistant Principal for Learning and Welfare. The Assistant Principals act as deputies to the Principal and are responsible for ensuring student safeguarding and welfare, the implementation of the curriculum, and fostering learning across the school.

The Primary School takes children from 2+ in the Nursery through to 11+ in Year 6.

• Foundation Stage (Nursery, Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2) • Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2).

• Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6) Each Year group has a Leader of Learning and Welfare who leads the pastoral activities of the year and a Leader of Learning and Curriculum who leads learning in the Year group. The Leaders of Learning are supported by an Assistant Leader of Learning and a team of classroom teachers. Outlined below are the ages of our children in the Foundation Stage: • Nursery (ages 2+ to 3+) two classes • Foundation Stage 1 (ages 3+ to 4+) four classes • Foundation Stage 2 (ages 4+ to 5+) six classes

In line with UK practice, students are placed in Year groups by age, the cut-off date being 31st August. All children in FS2, for example, will have reached their fifth birthday by September 1st. Each Year group contains a diverse range of students. It is our policy to cater for all children within their correct Year group where individual academic and social needs will be met through well-planned, effective differentiation.

Students’ progress to the next Year group at the beginning of Term 1 of each academic year. Great care is taken to ensure there is a balance of students within each class in a Year group, so maintaining a mix of gender, attainment, nationality and personality.

To ensure this balance is maintained, the classes are mixed at the end of Nursery, Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2. This mixing of classes is overseen by the Principal and the Assistant Principals, who take advice from the academic staff. We are unable to take into account requests from parents for specific teachers.

The School Day in the Foundation Stage Foundation Stage 1 and Foundation Stage 2

Nursery Start of school: Soft Start: Morning Snack: Lunch School ends School day end - Option 2

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7.30am 7.40-8am Flexible 11.30am 11.50am 2.30pm

Start of school: Soft Start: Morning Snack: Lunch break: School ends:

7.30am 7.40-8am Flexible 11.30am – 12.30pm 2.30pm

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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very student deserves the best possible start to life to enable them to reach their full potential. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.

Effective practice in the Early Years is built on four guiding principles:

• A Unique Child recognises that every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.

• Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from a base of secure relationships with parents and a key worker.

• Enabling Environments explains how the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning. Children learn and develop well in an enabling environment, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners, and parents and carers.

• Learning and Development recognises that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. All areas of learning and development are equally important and interconnected.

The Foundation Stage curriculum is designed to be flexible in order to meet the varying needs of our students. It values and recognises parents as children’s first, and most enduring, educators and it encourages partnership between home and school.

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” - Carl Jung

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CURRICULUM – THE AREAS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT In the Foundation Stage, there are seven areas of learning that shape the curriculum. All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected.

Three prime areas are: • Communication and language (CL) • Physical development (PD) • Personal, social and emotional development (PSED)

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These are essential foundations for student’s life, learning and success.

Sitting alongside the Prime areas are the four specific areas through which the three Prime areas are strengthened and applied.

The specific areas are: • Literacy • Mathematics • Understanding the world • Expressive arts and design

Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

Our educational programmes at Bangkok Patana involve Our educational programmes at Bangkok Patana involve activities and experiences for students as follows: • Communication and Language Development involves giving opportunities to experience a rich language environment, to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

• Physical Development involves providing opportunities to be active and interactive and to develop their coordination, control and movement. Students are also helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development involves helping students to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups and have confidence in their own abilities.

• Literacy Development involves encouraging the linking of sounds and letters and begin to read and write. Students are given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

• Mathematics involves providing opportunities to develop and improve skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and describing shapes, spaces and measures.

• Understanding the World involves guiding students to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

• Expressive Arts and Design involves enabling learners to explore and play with wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

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In the Early Years Foundation Stage, consideration is taken to meet the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child and this is used to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all the areas of learning and development.

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Foundation Stage

Curriculum Guide 2026/27

Learning Through Play Play underpins the delivery of the EYFS curriculum.

It is through play that children develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally. Play is essential for children’s development, fostering optimal growth, learning and development across all domains physical, cognitive, social and emotional – throughout childhood. Play provides a vehicle for children to both develop and demonstrate knowledge, skills, concepts and dispositions.

Open-ended, student-initiated play opportunities in a rich environment are the most important and integral part of our early years’ education at Bangkok Patana and the staff throughout the Foundation Stage adopt a continuous approach to play, enabling students to move freely around our learning environment (indoors and outdoors) following their own interests.

Assessment and Reporting In each area of learning, there are expectations for achievement known as the ‘Early Learning Goals’.

These form the skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes that children should have acquired by the end of Foundation Stage. It is recognised at Patana School that a holistic approach that focuses on a child’s wellbeing and social and emotional development underlies all learning.

Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise student progress, understand their needs, and to plan learning experiences and support. On-going assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process and in the Foundation Stage, staff observe and analyse the individual learning in order to plan for the next steps.

Students are regularly observed in order for staff to understand their level of achievement, interests and how they learn best, and to then shape learning experiences for each child. We value the observations that parents and carers also share with us.

Online Learning Journeys Each student in the Foundation Stage has an online Learning Journey that celebrates their achievements. The Learning Journey documents significant steps in learning over the course of their time in the Foundation Stage.

It contains photographs and videos accompanied by comments from the teachers. The Learning Journey is unique to each child and entries will be dependent on the individual. The students and parents are encouraged to contribute to the Learning Journey to help complete the whole picture of each child as a learner.

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Communicating and Reporting Within the first few weeks of a child entering the Foundation Stage, the teacher will call a meeting with parents to discuss how their child is settling in and to gather information from the parents in support of the student’s development. These learning meetings will take place at least once every term.

A final report is issued at the end of Term 3 for FS2 students At Bangkok Patana, we encourage open communication between parents and teachers. Parents are invited to bring students into school in the morning for a ‘soft start’, which gives parents the opportunity to spend some time learning alongside their child at the beginning of the day in the Foundation Stage learning environment.

Parents are free to make an appointment to speak to a teacher through the Primary School Office or by emailing the classroom teacher directly in advance.

Communication and Language Communication and language are key areas of development for all learners in the Foundation Stage. Our learners will have increased opportunities for exposure to modelled English. The Foundation Stage has a dedicated communication and language teacher who works closely with all staff to ensure that mechanisms to support communication and language development in all learners are embedded into practice across the year groups.

Support for Learning Bangkok Patana Primary School caters for children with a range of abilities. This is achieved primarily by working with and through the class teachers to ensure quality first teaching and high-quality differentiation that tailors the learning to the individual needs and strengths of our learners.

If class teachers have any concerns about the progress a student is making, they will talk with parents first. Similarly, if parents are concerned about their children, they should discuss this with the class teacher.

Following this parents or staff may contact the Support for Learning teacher within their year group team to ask for advice, strategies or resources to support a student. Students may also be identified at the admission stage as requiring Support for Learning. The Learning Support teacher will then assess the needs of the student to ascertain what support may be required.

The amount and nature of support given to students is flexible depending on their needs, but may include; • Discussions about in class strategies and resources discussed with the class teacher • Involvement in an intervention group • Individual learning plan that is reviewed throughout the year alongside in class or withdrawal support • Outside agency involvement recommended for support and guidance e.g. Educational or Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist • Individual support to access the curriculum Children requiring speech and language therapy may be referred to our school speech and language therapist who, with parental permission, will assess a child’s needs and then provide a programme of therapy if appropriate. Parents requiring this service are asked to first have a discussion with their child’s class teacher or Support for Learning teacher.

Fees are charged for the services of the speech and language therapist and for any in-school support that is in addition to that provided by our Support for Learning teachers.

If specialist intervention or advice is recommended, for

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Curriculum Guide 2026/27

example, from an Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist or other professional, the Support for Learning team can provide information on contacts and options available to parents.

Referrals to the counsellor must be made through the teacher, counsellor, Year Leader or Assistant Principal (Inclusion & Welfare).

In most cases, we are able to implement many of the recommendations from a report generated by a specialist. In very rare cases where a child requires a level of support and input that we are not able to provide, or if a child’s progress causes significant concern, an alternative more appropriate school placement may be recommended.

Home Languages

Counselling Services We are fortunate in the Primary School to have our own counsellors. They work throughout the whole school from Nursery to Year 6. The counsellors are available to offer support and guidance to students and their parents. This will be when a child is experiencing difficulties of an emotional, personal or social nature.

As an International school, we believe it is important to provide support to develop Home Languages for all children.

We appreciate the role of language in personal development as well as in developing, maintaining and celebrating a diverse cultural identity. While there is no explicit Home Language support available to learners in the Foundation Stage, we encourage our learners to make use of their mother tongue when engaging with adults and peers in their learning. We further encourage families to maintain the use of the Home Language(s) within the home through song, story, reading and play.

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643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 admissions@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th

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