Dear Parents and Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 academic year at RIS Phuket.
This year is a milestone for our school. We open our doors for a fourth year in Early Years, a third in Elementary, a second in Middle School — and this year we begin our first High School class with Grade 9. Opening a High School is a serious undertaking, and we do not take that step lightly. It reflects our commitment to this community: to see our students through, and to build a school that grows with the children in it.
Our community has grown steadily in every section since we opened, and last year our students showed us what that growth means in practice. Across the whole school, every subject grew faster than the national norm, with Math, Science and Reading each posting double-digit gains in achievement. Those results belong to our students and to the teachers who work alongside them every day.
Good data also shows us where to look harder. Writing and language use were our quieter areas last year, so this year we are adding a dedicated Writing class and an additional teacher in every Language Arts block, along with extra Math support in Elementary. When our assessments tell us something, we act on it.
There is much that is new on campus this year. Students will find a Fabrication Lab and an Eco-Lab — our Makerspace, rebuilt around environmental science — as well as a new Chinese Pavilion. We are adding creative writing and 3D printing to our programmes, and new sports teams for students who want to represent the school. Around campus you will see new gathering spaces: a games and activities field, teacher lounges, and a coffee shop where our community can simply sit together. We have also updated our transportation flow and installed a metal detector gate at the Main Building, because a school that feels open must also be a school that is safe.
We have set ourselves three goals for the year ahead: to strengthen English across the campus, to open more opportunities for our students to compete both in-house and beyond our gates, and to complete our WASC accreditation — the final stage of a process that holds us to an international standard.
None of this is the work of one person. Success cannot be done alone; it requires a team. I am grateful for the teachers, staff and leaders who make this school what it is, and for the new colleagues joining us across Early Years, Languages and Cultures, and Science and Math. I look forward to introducing them to you.
Most of all, thank you for trusting us with your children. Our door is always open — please come and talk to us, ask questions, and tell us what you see. A school is only as strong as the partnership between the people who teach a child and the people who raise them.
Here is to a fine year ahead.
Warm regards,
Jetana (Bird) Kitcharoen
Head of School
RIS Phuket