Frequently Asked Questions about CIS
Q. At what age, and using what criteria, are children eligible for admission in CIS program?
A. Nursery program (foundation Stage are available to children who are 2 ½ years old. Preschool (Kindergarten I and II) is available for 3 + to 4 + years old. Enrolment of a child in the nursery and preschool program is the discretion of the parent or legal guardian. For general information in nursery and preschool program call telephone number 026798777 and ask for admission officer.
Q. What documentation do I need to provide when registering my child in school?
A. Upon admission and prior to school attendance, each child shall have on file
- Copy of residence certificate
- Copy of birth certificate
- Copy of each parent/s residence certificate and ID card
- Copy of passports of children and parents (for foreign students)
- Medical records
Q. What kind of curriculum does CIS offer?
A.CIS follows the British Curriculum from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 11. In Key stage 1 (year 1-3) children learn independence, responsibility and the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy. In Key Stage 2 (Year4-6) they are taught the knowledge and skills that will enable them to succeed in secondary education. In Key Stage 3 students move from primary to secondary. In Key Stage 4students continue to study English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Accounting, Business Studies and Economics and can choose some additional subjects in content areas. Also, students follow courses leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) which is recognized worldwide.
Q. What is your homework policy?
A. Homework is use to reinforce skills, assess previous learning, and prepare students for future lesson. Homework is scheduled carefully among grade levels and is carefully planned so students would not have difficulty in accomplishing and doing them. Homework must be done by students with the supervision of parents or guardians.
Q. Are there any services available for students with special needs?
A. The school has learning support services to those students who need reinforcements in core subjects such as Math and Science. Also students with limited English proficiency receive support from an ESL teacher who is working closely with the traditional classroom teachers. After school tutorial is also available for advanced studies in Maths, English and Science and other language subjects such as Arabic, Hindi and French.
Q. When does the new school year begin and end? How long is the school day?
A. CIS usually begins on the 2nd week of August and ends in the last week of May. The school days start at 8:15 A.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M., Monday through Friday for all year levels.
Q. What is the school enrolment? What are the class sizes?
A. We have a maintaining class size of 350 students. Nursery and kindergarten 1 has one class and Kindergarten 11 has 2 classes. From Year 1 to year 7 there are two classes for each year level. The classes has a maximum capacity of 25 students and the maximum class size is 15 -20 students.
Q. Where are CIS teachers from?
A. CIS teachers are from different nationalities. They are from United States, Bangladesh, India, Africa, Sudanese, Middle East, Philippines and Thai Nationals. Majority of the teachers are certified, experienced professionals and are the school’s greatest resource. Over 30% are holders of master’s degree with an average teaching of 10 years.
Q. What kind of extracurricular activities are offered to students?
A. Students participate in a number of non-academic and sports related activities at all levels of the school. We offer ECA as a booster program for students to develop interest in arts, literary and sports. Students are also given the opportunity to engage in a wide range of middle school athletic competition sponsored by ISSAT allowing students to compete against other international school s in Thailand.
Q. Does CIS have a cafeteria and a lunch program?
A. Our cafeteria serves hot meal to our students each day. Milk is served in the classroom for Nursery to Kindergarten students. Our cafeteria serves “halal” food. Menu is a mixture of Thai and Oriental food. Students are permitted to bring packed lunch from home if they wish.
Q. What opportunities are there for parents’ involvement?
A. There are number of ways where CIS parents can become more involved in the school. First, there are several occasion throughout the year where parents are invited to come to school and participate in International Day, Sports events and Parent/Teacher conferences. In addition, many of our parents are philanthropist who offers their services in helping the school in its outreach program of social and moral development.
Q. How students prepare for the IGCSE?
A. CIS prepare students in Grades 8 , 9 and 10 for the IGCSE. The course selection is broader to give students a perspective of possible academic and professional growth
At the beginning of Key Stage 3, students will experience a transition as they are now taught by teachers who are specialists in their subjects. Moving on from the Primary single classroom setting, students are set increasingly in-depth work in each subject, are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves and are to extend their study skills.
At the end of Year 9, which is also the end of Key Stage 3, students will make their IGCSE Option choices which they will study in Key Stage 4. We encourage students to choose as broad a range of subjects as possible. In addition to these optional subjects, there are a number of compulsory subjects such as English, Mathematics and Sciences and also institutional subjects such as Islamic, Quran and Arabic.
Key Stage 4 (Years 14 and 16) are often considered the most important at school because the qualifications they gain will open doors to the world of work and tertiary education. There is a significant difference between Key Stages 3 and 4; in Key Stage 4 the focus is on problem solving and critical thinking. Students need to be much more active in the learning process through discussions, debates and asking questions. These skills will be essential throughout their life.
In Term 2 of Year 10 , students will sit examinations set by the Cambridge International Examinations and will lead to qualifications known as International General Certificate of Education (IGCSE), which are recognized by employers and universities all over the world. Most students will take a minimum of 5 IGCSEs.
In preparation for the IGCSE students must complete the lessons for the aforementioned subject areas which are based on the IGCSE syllabus.
Checkpoint assessment is offered during the year and each result provides schools and students with a diagnostic reports thus enable CIS teachers specialist to:
- Tailor individual students’ learning programmes
- Monitor group and individual performance
- Provide information for reporting to parents
- Manage learning programmes
- Predict performance in student’s formal examinations.
Q. There are other international schools in Bangkok, why choose CIS?
A. We are a nurturing school and young as we are we can benchmark with existing international schools in terms of resources, facilities and curriculum. Unlike other international schools CIS has a non-profit structure that allows administration, board and teachers to make educationally sound decisions. Also
as a non-profit structure, our emphasis on creating a happy and positive learning environment have allowed CIS to recruit and retain qualified and good teachers. Our teachers are top caliber professionals who are committed and dedicated to perform their task as “formators” and catalyst of change.
The inclusion of Arabic (MFL) and Islamic studies is an integral aspect of the unique difference that the education at CIS provides for pupils. The school’s programmes provide numerous opportunities for students to develop their leadership and world citizenship skills across a range of subjects. Students are encouraged to develop skills of independence, organization and leadership; to become creative, sensitive thinkers; and to develop communication and decision making skills. They learn about the world and people around them through the incorporation of current issues in social studies, in addition to developing an awareness about different countries and cultures. These two aspects of the curriculum are aimed at helping students develop into tolerant and mature individuals who are confident, responsible, and flexible individuals ready to meet the global challenge.
Q. What other opportunities that CIS offer to students?
A. CIS offers an opportunity for the students:
- To learn different languages in a multi cultural environment.
- To achieve high academic standards, quality teaching and learning from qualified, trained and experience teachers,
- To grow and develop strong study skills and character formation focusing on core values of honesty, diligence, responsibility, obedience and respect.
Q. What benefits does CIS give to students?
A. CIS is a great place for children to learn. The physical environment is attractive and the facilities ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are well supported. The Early Years and Key Stage 1 classes are situated in an appealing former residential building which creates a small, secure, fun filled learning environment for our youngest children. However, all of our community is welcome to participate in wider school activities so the children benefit from all the facilities and specialist teaching available. In addition to his it also offers:
- Scholarship programs to deserving students
- Insurance plan
- Achieving quality and standard education at a minimal cost
- An enriched British curriculum blended with Thai, Asian and Moslem cultures.
- Modern and state of the art facilities and a world class curriculum where class sizes are small
