A licensed international school in a nature park in Cherngtalay, Phuket. Nursery, kindergarten and primary, for children aged 2 to 12.
Ages 2 to 6
A slow, steady rhythm: morning circle, free play outdoors, baking, painting, stories told from memory. Phonics every morning, at each child's level.
The kindergarten
Ages 6 to 12
Reading, writing and maths every morning, following the British curriculum. Afternoons for science, Thai, gardening, woodwork and animal care.
The primary schoolGrades 5 and 6 are planned for next year. Which class fits your child is something we work out together during the trial week.
Dear parent,
When our first daughter turned three, we couldn't find a school that felt right. Every kindergarten we visited was indoors, under artificial light, and already worried about preparing her for the next thing.
In our small Bangkok apartment, our two girls fought over the same toy every fifteen minutes. When we moved to Phuket and took them outside, with sticks and sand, the fighting stopped. They built things together.
So we built the school we were looking for, and our own children go here. What every parent wants is a child who grows up happy and healthy, with deep friendships and the ability to reach the goals they set for themselves. We teach reading, writing and maths properly, and we give the same care to curiosity, self-control and getting along with others.
Come and see it on a school day. Bring your child.
Marc and Nutthanit Schwyn
Founders. Nutthanit is the school's director.
The same rhythm every day, so children always know what comes next.
8:45
Drop-off between 8:45 and 9:00. Bags down, hello to friends.
9:00
First thing every morning. Songs, games and sounds, at each child's own level.
9:30
Half an hour to play before circle.
10:00
The same songs every morning. They change with the seasons; the rhythm doesn't. Yoga on Tuesday and Thursday, phonics games on Monday and Friday.
10:15
A morning snack together.
10:30
Maths on Monday and Wednesday, baking on Tuesday, Waldorf painting on Thursday, animal care on Friday.
11:00
Free play and woodland crafting under the palms.
12:00
The teachers sit at the same table and eat the same food. A gratitude song first.
12:30
A story told from memory, often the same one all week. Then quiet time, or a nap on a mat with a blanket.
13:50
Crafts and group activities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, gardening on Tuesday, animal care on Thursday.
15:00
Snack at 14:30, then pick-up between 15:00 and 15:15.
Tap the timetable to see it full size.
“The end, for all parents globally, everyone we've talked to, is a future for their children where they are happy, healthy, financially stable, have deep and lasting relationships, and are able to achieve the goals they have set out for themselves.”
The research points the same way. In James Heckman's preschool study, which followed children for forty years, the IQ gains had faded by third grade, yet up to two-thirds of the lifetime benefit came from curiosity, self-control, persistence and getting along with people.
In New Zealand's Dunedin study, self-control measured at age three predicted health, income and stability at thirty-two, independent of IQ and family wealth. And self-discipline at twelve predicts academic results more than twice as strongly as IQ does.
These qualities don't compete with academics. They produce them.
So that is how the day is built: long stretches of free play, a campus where children start their own projects and stay with them for hours, and in primary a weekly lesson in handling feelings and getting along. In kindergarten it's woven into every day, and we're strengthening it into a dedicated programme.
Our daughter Rey wasn't taught to read until she was six. She asked, because a younger friend was already reading and talking about her favourite books. Five minutes of phonics in the morning and five in the evening, because she wanted them. Within a couple of months she was reading basic books. By third grade she was reading at a fifth- to seventh-grade level.
Then she found a science book about amber, the fossilised resin of trees. She started looking for it across the nature park and studying the trees it comes from. A couple of her friends were drawn in. They called themselves the Amber Club, studied every tree on campus and kept journals of what they found.
Reading turned into writing, into science, into working together. They built all of it themselves.
Marc and Nutthanit
English is the language of the school, and Thai language and culture classes are included. Our families come from more than fifteen countries.
Grades 1 and 2
Certified Ontario teacher. Bachelor of Education, Nipissing University, Canada. Previously Reception teacher and preschool lead at Kasalong Kids International School in Mae Sot. Speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish.
“I believe that nature is a wonderful teacher and you can teach anything from phonics, to math, to science using natural resources.”
Grades 3 and 4, ESL specialist
Licensed elementary teacher (Tennessee, K–5) with an ESL endorsement for PreK–12. BSc Elementary Education, East Tennessee State University. Trained in trauma-informed classroom practice.
“My goal would be to understand, support, and teach, not just correct.”
Khun Su, Khun Beam, Miss Diana and Miss Mona, with Margherita Gasparini teaching phonics
“Play is children's work, and it is one of the most important ways young children learn and develop.”
“When they are eager to learn, I feel so happy to share everything I know and support them in every way I can.”
5,600 square metres and over 70 palm trees in Cherngtalay, between Bang Tao and Laguna. Shaded outdoor classrooms, a garden and small farm, a mud kitchen, a digging area, a sandpit, a trampoline and monkey bars, an outdoor kitchen, art studios and a library, and animals the children help look after.
When it gets too hot, there are proper indoor classrooms with air conditioning. We only switch it on for the hottest hours.
A school bus covers Laguna and parts of Bang Tao.
Google Maps
A peek inside
Tap a card to see a moment from a day in our nature park.
“It has been wonderful to watch my two children bloom at this school. The quality of attention given to each individual child is extraordinary.”
BrianFather of two primary students“Thank you for the nurture, care and confidence you have offered my children. These memories and life skills they will carry with them forever.”
MolinaMother of kindergarten and primary students“Bamboo Valley has been such a wonderful and soulful experience for our family. All three of our girls thrived and genuinely loved going to school.”
The Kiran familyParents of three“My children have loved spending their time at Bamboo Valley. They come home with stories of adventures and new skills. The team really take their time to get to know the children on a personal level.”
DanielleMother of two kindergarten studentsFamilies are welcome at every celebration. Each term every family also gets a written report and a one-to-one meeting with the teachers.
Short-term families join the same classes, by the week or by the month. No admission fee.
Short staysHoliday camps for ages 3 and up run in the school holidays. phuketcamp.com
The best way to judge a school is on an ordinary day. Bring your child; they'll tell you more than we can.
The booking page shows times in your own timezone.
A private tour on a school day. Children welcome.
One online form, with passports, a recent school report and a few short videos of your child.
Five days in class, paid at the weekly rate on the fee sheet. The teachers get to know your child, and you see whether this school is right for your family. No child fails a trial week.
Sign the agreement, pay, and your child starts. Mid-year starts are welcome.