Beyond the Classroom

Secondary students go through the process of looking for a market niche, product development, launch and sales. Market Days give the students a chance to test their products and make sales. Proceeds go to local charities.

Bangkok Patana was the first school in Thailand to offer this world-renowned programme that encourages students to try new skills, complete community projects and complete an adventurous journey. We now have a robust programme at the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels with students complete adventurous journeys in hiking, kayaking, cycling and sailing. Students also undertake community projects and learn new skills forcing them to push their boundaries. Last year we had 90 Bronze, 63 Silver and 22 Gold Award recipients.

Students prepare for debates on current affairs topics and compete against other schools using the UN format. A Secretary-General is appointed for each academic year and students participate in MUN conferences debating issues currently on the table in the United Nations assembly. MUN provides an outlet for students interested in debating and current affairs to hone their research and public speaking skills.

Made of Primary and Secondary students, this committee is composed of students and staff who are passionate about reducing our environmental footprint. They meet every Tuesday and work in sub-committees formed from specific initiatives that the committee as a whole wants to pursue. Through this group’s work, we no longer sell items in single-use plastic bottles, we have a robust recycling programme and are looking at ways to eliminate all single-use plastic. This committee also has outreach activities such as a branch of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots programme where the students provided solar panels and support to a remote village in Northern Thailand.

From Year 3 onwards, students travel to locations outside Bangkok on their Residential Visits. From gaining first hand knowledge of deforestation and tree planting to learning to kayak or cycle, these visits take students out of their comfortable environments and challenge them to push boundaries.  The Term 2 magazine has more detail about the different activities and learning that takes place during Residential Visits.

Our students are active volunteers in the wider community. They work on two fronts: raising funds for programmes and mentoring. The activities are predominantly student-led, with teachers providing guidance when needed. The students use the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations to determine how to target their activities.

Beyond sports competitions and the International Award journeys, students may also partake in Drama trips, Modern Foreign Language or History trips, or arts and music festivals. The Ski Trip, usually to Verbier in Switzerland is a highlight as well. We run about 130 trips with about 5,400 participants in an academic year.