Our teachers are native English speakers, and the majority are from the UK.

Yes, we do.
For students who are not yet fluent in English, our school provides EAL support. This programme is designed to help students develop their English skills and fully access the curriculum with confidence.

Thai and Spanish

20 is the maximum number in each class.

10 - 15 students

Yes, we employ English speaking fully qualified teaching assistants.

Technology is seamlessly integrated into teaching and learning across all year groups at St. Andrews Samakee.
Students use individual learning programmes and online research to enhance their skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Their knowledge and understanding of ICT and computer systems are well developed, and they confidently use a variety of applications — including those introducing them to programming and digital design.
In Key Stages 2 and 3, students further apply their skills through multimedia presentations, coding projects, and the creation of mobile applications and videos. The school also uses Google Workspace for Education to support collaboration and digital learning across the curriculum.

Yes, our school is fully equipped and ready to use virtual classroom technologies.
We use Google Workspace for Education (including Google Classroom, Meet, and Drive) to deliver online lessons, assignments, and communication between teachers and students. During times of emergency or remote learning, our teachers successfully provide high-quality online lessons, ensuring learning continuity and strong engagement across all year groups.

No.

Students at St. Andrews Samakee complete a range of external and standardized assessments to monitor their academic progress. These include:

- New Group Reading Test (NGRT)
- Progress Test in Maths (PTM)
- Progress Test in Science (PTS)
- Year 9 iLower Secondary Examinations

Students at St. Andrews Samakee consistently achieve outstanding results across English, Mathematics, Science, and ICT. Many perform above age-related expectations, with some Key Stage 3 students completing IGCSE Mathematics early with excellent results. Standardized assessments and inspection reports show students make strong progress, demonstrating high attainment and engagement throughout the school.

Starting at Year 2, children take part in Samakee SMARTs tasks (Self Motivated, Ambitious, Reflective Tasks). SMARTs are homework activities that cover a wide range of academic and vocational abilities whilst promoting our school ethos of developing life-long independent learners. Starting in Year 6 children have weekly homework tasks in the following subjects English, Maths, Science, Spanish and Thai.

At St. Andrews Samakee, homework is designed to promote independent learning while remaining manageable and purposeful.

Primary School:

Year 1: 1 task (chosen as part of their SMARTs Project)

Year 2: 2 tasks

Years 3–5: 3 tasks
Students have 6 weeks to complete their homework, allowing them to plan and work independently.

Upper School:

Year 6: 45–60 minutes per subject task, 3-4 hours/week

Years 7–8: 60 minutes per subject task, 4 hours/week

Year 9: 60–75 minutes per subject task, 4-5 hours/week
Homework is carefully structured with specific set and submission days for each subject to help students manage their time effectively. This system encourages consistent study habits, reinforces classroom learning, and ensures students can complete their tasks without feeling overwhelmed.

100%

Yes, we provide sensitive and thorough identification of students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and students receive excellent support from highly qualified staff and through very strong links with outside agencies.

Our graduated approach recognises that children and young people learn in different ways and may have different kinds or levels of SEND. Step by step, specialist expertise is brought in to support the school in addressing any difficulties a child may have. This approach may include:
-An individually designed learning programme
-Extra help from a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) assigned to the child
-Individual or small-group teaching for regular short periods
-Personal plans developed in liaison with external providers and/or our Phase Leads and Specialist Inclusion Teacher, including setting targets for improvement, setting IEPs, and or regularly reviewing progress before setting new goals
-SIP meetings with parents, carers, therapists, and teachers who work with the child.
-Available therapists at the school may include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, play therapists, and social-emotional specialists, depending on the child’s needs.

The support for children who have been identified as highly able and are on the Gifted and Talented register will vary depending on the area of skill with which they are highly able. This may include differentiated lessons and content for the child to ensure that their needs are being met in the lesson and that they are being challenged; planned opportunities for independent learning; where possible, the child will be put forward for special events or programmes linked to the skill or subject they are able in; high expectations are set for these children; homework will be differentiated to match up with the child's work in class and ability; where children’s talents or gifts lie outside of school activities, staff will celebrate and share stories from home, competitions and events which the child has taken part and/or succeeded in.

Access to an educational psychologist is available through our Merak Home School Programme.

A trial visit or Taster Day to the school is an important part of the assessment process at Samakee as it enables us to get to know children/students in a very child-centred way. There are no formal entry exams.

Staff observe visiting children informally as the child interacts with children and adults and responds to the environment and lessons attended during the visit. This, in turn, helps us to understand their needs and informs any discussions we may have regarding development, class placement, etc.

Currently, there is no waiting list to attend our school.

There is no deadline provided we have places.

Yes, provided we have places.

The teaching day starts at 7:40 am for Upper School, 8:10 am for Middle School and 8:30 am for First School. We provide flexible attendance times in EYFS, and our youngest children may attend for a minimum of three sessions per week, increasing as required, subject to consultation with the class teacher and the availability of places.

The teaching day ends at 14:30 and is followed by our ECA/Club Programme 2:40 - 3:30 pm. Our youngest children in EYFS may attend a part-time programme ending at noon.

Supervised care is available for 30 minutes before the start and at the end of the school day.

The school provides a reliable, efficient and safe bus service - Metro. With Metrobus, we have a team of highly trained professionals organising, monitoring using the latest technology and taking immediate action to safeguard our children. They ensure that our children are safe and comfortable at all times, while at the same time using systems such as, GPS tracking and Parental SMS alerts to keep parents informed.

There is a strong emphasis on healthy eating and this is evident in the food provided in the canteen. The school kitchen provides a selection of healthy snacks and lunches with a choice of Western and Asian dishes. The weekly menu is shared with parents and displayed in the dining hall and on LINE. Children are encouraged to eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables so multiple fruits and vegetables are offered daily on the menu.

Our menus provide details of the ingredients for children requiring a special diet - vegetarian, fish, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and wheat-free.

All children attending St Andrews Samakee are expected to wear school uniform, which is available at the Samakee Uniform Shop.

At Samakee, we offer around 50 after-school clubs each term as part of our extensive Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) programme. These clubs are always popular and well attended, with the selection changing each term to reflect the children’s interests and parent requests. Popular ECAs include Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Art Design and Technology, Forest School, Band, Private Studies, Drama, Thai, Minecraft, Individual Music, Dynamic Chess, STEM Toy, Art of Yarn, Little Millionaire, Photography, Cooking, Science and Maths, Ballet, Swimming, Football and Basketball.

Children benefit from various physical activities as part of the curriculum, during break times and in extracurricular activities. These include - track and field, football, swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, cricket, kingpin, badminton and gymnastics.

The school is very successful in local and national tournaments, and children may join teams to take part in swim meets, basketball and football competitions.

At St. Andrews Samakee, students have access to a wide range of facilities beyond sports, including:

Library and Reading Areas – supporting independent and guided learning

Science Laboratories – equipped for practical experiments across all key stages

Art and Design Studios – for creative exploration and projects

Music and Performing Arts Rooms

ICT Suites and Makerspaces – supporting technology, coding, and STEM learning

Farm and Outdoor Learning Areas – including Forest School, mud kitchens, planting zones, and animal care

Multipurpose Halls and Creative Spaces – for assemblies, clubs, and enrichment activities

These facilities support a holistic learning experience, fostering academic, creative, and personal development.

Two swimming pools, 12 and 25 metres, basketball court, beach volleyball court, playing fields, football field, multi-use games sports arena and fitness room.

At Samakee we pride ourselves on being a unique international school due to our strong sense of community in which everyone’s name is known, and children collaborate and care for one another regardless of age. The self-confidence and academic grounding that our children develop at St Andrews Samakee is the perfect platform from which to continue their educational journey into high school and beyond. We promise independent, confident learners. This is the commitment we make to our parents and we, therefore, ensure that it is lived through the daily experiences of their children in school.

Our school is organised into three units, the First School walkers (Little Learners) through 5 years, Middle School ages 5+ through 10 years, and Upper School ages 10+ through 14 years. First and Middle children have specialist teaching in PE, Swimming, Thai, Spanish, Music, Makerspace (STEM), and Environmental Science at our onsite farm. In Upper School, Years 6-9, children are taught by specialist teachers for all subjects, with History, Geography, Design Technology, Spanish, Thai, Music, Drama, Makerspace (STEAM), and Environmental Science at our onsite farm being taught as discrete subjects. From 2027, we will extend our Upper School to include Year 10, and from 2028, Year 11 will also be available.

The facilities are outstanding. They include playing fields, sports fields, covered basketball court, air-conditioned playrooms, sandpits, bike track, playhouse, purpose-built play equipment, two swimming pools, a children’s farm, and various pets. Four teaching blocks provide spacious, well-equipped classrooms as well as art rooms, a Makerspace, a library and media centre, language rooms, music and practice rooms, a dance and drama studio, a science lab, a fitness room, and multi-use games and sports arena.

We are proud to be the first and longest-held ISQM Gold Level School since 2012 and recognised as Outstanding in all areas by the British School Overseas (BSO) inspection since 2015, reflecting our commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, and student care.

At St. Andrews Samakee, our teaching approach is child-centred, inquiry-based, and focused on nurturing the whole child. Guided by our core values — Safe, Mindfulness, Kind, Engaged (SMKE) — we create a learning environment where every child feels secure, respected, and inspired to grow.

We follow the UK National Curriculum, enhanced with hands-on, creative, and real-world learning experiences that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Small class sizes ensure teachers can provide personalised support across academic, social, and emotional development.

A highlight of our approach is our Forest School programme, where children learn through outdoor exploration and connection with nature, building resilience, independence, and teamwork.

Learning continues beyond the classroom through a rich programme of extra-curricular activities, including sports, arts, STEM/STEAM projects, music, drama, and more. These experiences allow children to explore their passions, develop new skills, and gain confidence in a supportive, caring environment.

Through this holistic approach, St. Andrews Samakee nurtures happy, confident, and compassionate learners — children who are mindful, kind, and motivated to make a positive difference in their community and the wider world.