Finnway International School

An After-School Programme Punching Above Its Weight

For a primary school of approximately 200 students, Finnway International School Phuket offers a remarkably diverse range of after-school activities — spanning STEM, sports, performing arts, and languages. The programme reflects the Finnish belief that education extends well beyond formal instruction, and that children flourish when given varied opportunities to discover their passions.

STEM and Technology

• LEGO Creative (KG1–KG3): Using Me-iZONE LEGO kits, young learners build their engineering intuition, colour and shape recognition, and critical thinking skills in a hands-on, playful environment.
• Junior Robotics (KG1–KG3): Students construct simple robots, learning about gears and beginning their journey into block coding.
• Robotics & Coding (Grade 1+): An advanced continuation in the school's ICT lab, developing logical thinking and programming skills through increasingly complex robotic challenges.

Sports

• Mini Tennis (Red Ball and Orange Ball): Run by Oceanic Tennis, a professional junior tennis development programme. Two levels (Red Ball for beginners, Orange Ball for pre-intermediate) use scaled equipment appropriate for young children.
• Ice Skating: Perhaps Finnway's most distinctive offering — classes held at Ice Arena Phuket, which holds the distinction of being Thailand's first ice rink with a Ministry-approved curriculum. Multiple levels from beginner to intermediate are available for all ages.
• Gymnastics: Coached by certified gymnastic instructor Coach Jessica, covering WAG (Women's Artistic Gymnastics) and MAG (Men's Artistic Gymnastics) skills, competitive levels, and an award scheme.
• Swimming: Delivered in partnership with Australian Swim School Phuket at Alpha Health Club, with certified instructor Daniel Fazio. Available for all ages.
• Football (Soccer): Coached sessions for primary-age boys and girls.

Arts and Performance

• Dance: Led by certified dance teacher 'Kru Aom', focusing on creativity, expression, and performance — valuable both intrinsically and for students' confidence.

Languages (After-School)

• Russian Group Classes: Optional heritage and beginner Russian language classes for the school's significant Russian-speaking community.
• English Additional Language (EAL): One-on-one and small-group intensive English support for students who need to build their language foundation.

School-Wide Events

• Termly Project Showcases: All students present their project-based learning work to the school community — parents, teachers, and peers — fostering presentation skills and pride in achievement.
• Summer Camp: A seasonal programme during school holidays featuring crafts, outdoor adventures, and games.

Transport Included

For off-site activities such as Oceanic Tennis and Ice Skating, Finnway arranges round-trip transport and chaperones — removing a practical barrier for busy families and ensuring safety for young students travelling to external venues.

The Finnish Approach in a Tropical Setting

Finnway International School Phuket takes its pedagogical cues directly from Finland's national education system — consistently ranked among the world's best — and transplants them into the vibrant international community of Phuket, Thailand. The school's guiding philosophy is captured in its own words: "Inspiring a passion for learning through fun and engaging personalised learning experiences."

What Finnish Education Means at Finnway

At its core, the Finnish approach at Finnway rejects the high-pressure, exam-driven model common in many international schools. Instead, the school emphasises:

• Personalised learning: Every child's journey is tailored to their individual pace, learning style, and interests. Teachers work closely with small groups — class sizes are capped at 20 (averaging around 15) — to ensure no child is left behind or unchallenged.
• Project-based inquiry: Rather than rote memorisation, students engage in collaborative projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Homework in the early years is minimal, with family engagement and real-world exploration taking precedence.
• Holistic development: Finnway's mission statement explicitly aims to "develop the whole child to reach their full potential." Academic rigour is balanced with social-emotional learning, creativity, physical activity, and wellbeing.
• Formative assessment: There are no high-stakes public exams at Finnway. Student progress is measured through ongoing, formative assessment consistent with Finnish national curriculum practices — a deliberate choice that reduces anxiety and supports intrinsic motivation.

Language and Global Citizenship

While English is the primary medium of instruction (approximately 85% of academic time), the school integrates compulsory Thai and Mandarin Chinese classes from Kindergarten 1 onwards, alongside optional Russian and English Additional Language (EAL) support. This multilingual environment reflects both the Finnish emphasis on language development and the school's commitment to preparing students for a globalised world.

Technology — Used Thoughtfully

In keeping with Finnish research on child development, technology is deliberately absent in the kindergarten years at Finnway. ICT skills are gradually introduced in primary school, with the school's approach guided by evidence about when digital tools genuinely enhance rather than distract from learning.

Mission and Vision

Finnway's mission is "to build and support a dedicated team of exceptional educators to craft engaging, personalised, and innovative learning experiences that develop the whole child." Its vision is "to provide a unique international school community that inspires a passion for innovative teaching and learning, enabling students to successfully adapt to their rapidly changing world."

These statements are not merely aspirational — they are operationalised daily through small class sizes, dedicated learning support staff, specialised after-school programs, and a campus designed from the ground up to reflect Finnish educational values.

A School Born from a Vision

Finnway International School Phuket has one of the more remarkable growth stories in the Phuket international school landscape. Founded in April 2018 by Kanokkarn ('Nae') and Pakakrit ('Bank') Wasiksiri, the school began its life as Rainbow Trout Creativity International Kindergarten — a name that reflected the founders' belief that children flourish when learning is colourful, creative, and joyful.

The inaugural cohort numbered just 6 children. The founders had identified a gap: Phuket's growing expatriate community deserved access to a genuinely different kind of international education, one grounded not in the Anglo-American exam tradition but in the Finnish model — a system that consistently produces some of the world's most engaged, capable learners.

Year-by-Year Growth

The school's expansion was methodical and deliberate:

• 2018/19: Opened with Pre-K programme under Principal Jacqui Kuter.
• 2019/20: Kindergarten 1, 2, and 3 classes introduced, building out the full early years programme.
• 2020/21: Grade 1 added — the school's first formal primary year.
• 2021/22: Enrolment reached approximately 80 students across the early years and lower primary, extending through Grade 2.
• 2022/23: A pivotal year. The school relocated to a purpose-built campus at Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew, Phuket — a modern, Finnish-designed facility with new classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, and improved amenities. Alongside the move came a new identity: Finnway International School Phuket, a name that embedded the school's Finnish educational DNA into its very brand. Grades 3 and 4 were added.

Today

By 2024/25, Finnway serves approximately 200 students from 26 nationalities, spanning Pre-K (age 2) through Grade 6 (age 12). The school has maintained its original ethos while scaling its facilities and faculty, and is actively planning the addition of lower secondary grades (Grade 7 onwards) in 2026, signalling further ambitions to grow into a full K–9 international school. Admissions for 2025/26 are open.

A Different Kind of Academic Culture

For families accustomed to the IB Diploma, Cambridge IGCSEs, or Thai national exams, Finnway International School Phuket represents a genuinely different proposition. The school follows the Finnish National Core Curriculum, adapted for its international student body — and that means no external public examinations, no league table pressure, and no standardised testing regime.

What Learning Looks Like at Finnway

At Finnway, academic life is structured around:

Project-Based Learning (PBL): Students across all year groups engage in extended projects that integrate multiple subjects — science, maths, language, arts — into cohesive, real-world challenges. This approach develops not just subject knowledge but the 21st-century skills that Finnish education prizes: collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.

Small Classes: With an average of 15 students per class (maximum 20) and a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 8:1, teachers at Finnway have the capacity to truly know each learner. Differentiated instruction is possible in a way that larger classes simply cannot accommodate.

Formative Assessment: Progress is tracked continuously through observation, portfolios, and teacher feedback — not through grades or ranking. Students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning journeys. Termly Project Showcases allow students to present their work to the broader school community.

Minimal Homework: Particularly in the early years, homework is kept to an absolute minimum. The Finnish philosophy holds that childhood out-of-school time is valuable for unstructured play, family connection, and rest — all of which contribute to long-term learning outcomes.

Curriculum Structure

The curriculum spans Pre-K through Grade 6 (ages 2–12) and includes:

• Core subjects: English (primary medium), Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
• Languages: Thai and Mandarin Chinese (compulsory); Russian and EAL (optional)
• Creative subjects: Music, Art, Physical Education
• Technology: ICT introduced progressively in primary years

The school explicitly avoids introducing technology in kindergarten, following Finnish research guidelines on age-appropriate digital engagement.

Looking Ahead

With Grade 7 planned for 2026, Finnway will need to make decisions about whether to continue the Finnish curriculum into secondary or adopt an internationally recognised qualification framework (IB MYP, Cambridge). This is a critical juncture for the school — and one that prospective families of younger children should monitor closely.

A Microcosm of the World

Finnway International School Phuket draws its student body from an extraordinary breadth of backgrounds. With 26 nationalities represented among approximately 200 students, and roughly 70% of students from international families (with 30% Thai/local), the school's corridors reflect the cosmopolitan character of Phuket itself — a global hub where expat professionals, digital nomads, Thai families, and tourists coexist.

Who Comes to Finnway?

The school serves primarily:

• Expatriate families working in Phuket's tourism, hospitality, marine, and technology sectors
• Thai local families seeking a progressive, English-medium alternative to mainstream Thai schools
• Returning families transitioning between countries who want a flexible, internationally minded education without the high-stakes pressure of IB or Cambridge programmes

Finnway's marketing explicitly positions it as a school for Phuket's "international community" — and its multilingual, multicultural approach backs this up.

Language as Community-Builder

One of the most distinctive aspects of Finnway's community culture is its compulsory multilingualism. All students, regardless of background, study:

• English (primary instruction language)
• Thai (compulsory from K1) — connecting international students to their host country
• Mandarin Chinese (compulsory from K1) — equipping all students with one of the world's most spoken languages

Optional Russian classes and EAL support further reflect the community's linguistic diversity. This approach means that a Finnish child, a Russian child, and a Thai child are all learning each other's languages together — a powerful community-building force.

Small School, Big Connections

With only ~200 students across the full age range (2–12), Finnway operates with the intimacy of a small community school. Parents, teachers, and students know one another personally. The school's termly Project Showcases and Summer Camp programmes create shared experiences that bond the school community across year groups and nationalities.

Inclusive Support

Finnway is committed to including students of all abilities and language backgrounds. Dedicated EAL (English as an Additional Language) support is available for non-native English speakers, and a specialist SEN (Special Educational Needs) teacher provides tailored programmes for students who need additional learning support. Gifted students are extended through enrichment activities. This inclusive approach means the diverse community is genuinely catered for, not just represented.