International School of Samui

Curriculum Framework

The International School of Samui follows the British independent school model, delivering a British curriculum from Foundation Stage through to Sixth Form (Year 13). The academic journey is designed to be both structured and progressive: younger students build foundational literacy and numeracy skills within a nurturing early-years environment, before progressing through a rigorous primary and secondary programme aligned with Cambridge standards.

IGCSE and Sixth Form Qualifications

At Key Stage 4 (Years 9–11), students prepare for Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations across a broad range of subjects — including sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), humanities (Geography, History), languages (English, Mandarin, Spanish, German, French, Thai), and technology subjects. This breadth ensures students develop both academic depth and intellectual versatility.

The Sixth Form (Years 12–13) offers Cambridge A-Level courses alongside Pearson BTEC Level 3 qualifications in vocational areas such as Travel and Tourism and Sport/Physical Education. This dual pathway means ISS can serve both university-bound students pursuing traditional academic routes and those seeking applied professional qualifications.

Academic Achievement

ISS publicly highlights strong examination results — reportedly over 50% of recent grades at A or A* — reflecting a genuine academic culture that prioritises achievement without sacrificing breadth. The school's approach combines high expectations with personalised support, including dedicated Learning Support staff embedded across year groups.

Assessment and Support

For admissions, students in Years 3–11 are assessed using the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) for English proficiency and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) for reasoning, ensuring appropriate academic placement from the outset. This data-driven approach to admissions mirrors practice in leading UK independent schools and underscores ISS's commitment to matching teaching to individual student need.

The combination of internationally recognised qualifications, data-informed teaching, and a supportive learning environment makes ISS a compelling choice for families seeking academic rigour in a non-traditional school location.

The ISS Sports Academy

ISS has formalised its commitment to sport through a dedicated Sports Academy programme. The three core sports — Football, Basketball, and Swimming — form the backbone of the programme, with competitive team fixtures and structured coaching available across year groups. Additional sports including Athletics, Volleyball, and Badminton are offered, providing a broad physical education landscape for students of varying interests and abilities. The school's outdoor swimming pool and large indoor sports hall provide the facilities to support this ambition year-round in Koh Samui's tropical climate.

An Organic Farm in the Playground

Perhaps ISS's most unusual facility is its on-campus organic farm, used as a live classroom for science, sustainability, and environmental education. Students engage in hands-on experiential learning — planting, growing, and harvesting — connecting curriculum knowledge to real-world practice. This facility reflects a broader commitment to outdoor and experiential education that distinguishes ISS from more traditional classroom-bound international schools.

Marine Conservation Programme

Koh Samui's island location gives ISS a unique educational asset: direct access to one of the world's most biodiverse marine environments. The school's Marine Conservation Programme engages students in environmental fieldwork, beach clean-ups, coral reef monitoring, and conservation awareness activities. This programme not only develops scientific knowledge but also a deep sense of environmental responsibility — a rare and genuinely place-based educational experience.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

ISS is a registered centre for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, available to students in Years 9–13. The programme's four components — volunteering, physical activity, skills development, and an adventurous journey — align perfectly with ISS's broader ethos of character development, leadership, and community engagement. Koh Samui's natural landscape provides outstanding settings for the expedition component of the award.

Technology and Computing

The school's computing suite is equipped with 3D printers and LEGO Robotics kits, supporting STEM learning through hands-on technology projects. A Robotics Club extends this provision beyond the formal curriculum, giving students the opportunity to design, build, and programme robots in a competitive and creative environment.

Music Programme

ISS offers individual tuition in Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Singing, and Saxophone, along with a School Band that performs at internal and external events. Trinity College Rock and Pop examinations are available, offering students internationally recognised music qualifications alongside their academic studies.

Origins and Founding Vision

The International School of Samui (ISS) was established in 2007 by Mr Jeremy Lees, a UK-qualified teacher and former British Army helicopter pilot, together with his wife Victoria Lees, a former marketing executive. The couple brought a clear vision: to create a rigorous British independent school experience in the idyllic island setting of Koh Samui, Thailand — giving children of expatriate and international families access to a world-class education without having to leave the region.

Jeremy served as founding Headmaster, shaping the school's academic culture and pastoral ethos from the ground up. Victoria's contribution was equally formative; she built the admissions infrastructure that gave the school its diverse, multicultural character. From its earliest days, ISS deliberately modelled itself on the UK independent school tradition, adopting a British curriculum framework and eventually partnering with Cambridge Assessment International Education as an examination centre.

Growth and Development

Over the following decade and a half, ISS grew steadily — expanding its facilities, broadening its curriculum, and attracting families from across the globe. The school now educates over 300 pupils aged 3–18 from more than 35 nationalities, making it one of the most internationally diverse schools on Koh Samui. Modern campus facilities were developed to support this growth, including science laboratories, a computing suite equipped with 3D printers and LEGO Robotics, an outdoor swimming pool, a large sports hall, and an on-campus organic farm used for experiential science and sustainability education.

Leadership Transition

In 2022, Jeremy and Victoria Lees handed stewardship of the school to Mr Stephen Andrews, who took on the role of CEO. Under Andrews' leadership, ISS has continued its trajectory of academic and co-curricular development. The school has retained its founding philosophy — the British independent school model — while broadening its extracurricular offerings to include programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a Marine Conservation Programme, and a well-regarded Sports Academy.

The seamless leadership transition reflects the institutional maturity ISS has achieved in less than two decades of operation, and positions the school well for continued growth as Koh Samui's international community expands.

A Truly International Community

One of ISS's most distinctive features is the remarkable diversity of its student body. With over 300 pupils drawn from more than 35 countries, and an international-to-local ratio of approximately 5:1, the school is genuinely multicultural in character. This diversity is not merely demographic — it is actively celebrated and woven into the fabric of school life through language programmes, cultural events, and community service initiatives.

Values at the Core

ISS articulates its community ethos through three core values: Empathy, Teamwork, and Community. These are not abstract ideals but are brought to life through structured programmes. The school's Marine Conservation Programme, for example, engages students directly with Koh Samui's natural environment, fostering environmental stewardship alongside teamwork. The Elephant Haven Samui trip, highlighted on the school's homepage, exemplifies how ISS connects classroom values to real-world community experiences.

Language and Cultural Inclusion

Language learning is a key pillar of ISS's community-building strategy. Beyond English (the sole medium of instruction), students can study Thai, Mandarin, Spanish, German, and French — either as IGCSE subjects or extracurricular classes. A dedicated Thai Language, Culture and Heritage programme ensures that Thai students and their international peers gain a meaningful appreciation of the host country's culture, fostering cross-cultural understanding within the school community.

Pastoral Structure

ISS operates a Housemaster system modelled on the UK independent school tradition, providing students with a stable pastoral home within the broader school. This structure gives students a sense of belonging and identity within what could otherwise be an anonymous international environment. Housemasters serve as key points of contact for both students and parents, supporting wellbeing and monitoring personal development alongside academic progress.

Parent and Family Engagement

Admissions at ISS begin with a personal meeting with the Head of School — a practice that reflects the school's commitment to genuine community over transactional enrolment. Families are welcomed as partners in education, and the school's relatively modest size (around 300 students) ensures that every child is known by name.

The ISS Admissions Philosophy

ISS takes a characteristically British independent school approach to admissions: personal, assessment-led, and relationship-focused. The process begins with a meeting with the Head of School, which can be conducted in person on campus or via video call for families not yet in Thailand. This initial conversation is diagnostic as much as evaluative — the school uses it to understand a family's background, expectations, and the child's individual needs.

Standardised Testing for Years 3–11

For students entering Years 3 through 11, ISS requires completion of two standardised online assessments before a formal offer is made:

• NGRT (New Group Reading Test): An adaptive online test measuring English reading ability and comprehension, benchmarked against UK national norms. This ensures that incoming students have the English literacy foundation needed to access the British curriculum.
• CAT (Cognitive Abilities Test): A widely used reasoning assessment that measures verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal reasoning abilities. ISS uses CAT data to inform teaching approaches and identify students who may benefit from additional learning support.

Both tests can be completed at home or at school, offering flexibility for families planning relocations.

Sixth Form Entry

Entry to the Sixth Form (Years 12–13) is assessed primarily on the basis of prior academic performance, particularly IGCSE grades, alongside English proficiency. An English language standard broadly equivalent to IELTS 5.5 is expected as a minimum for non-native speakers, reflecting the demands of A-Level study.

Documentation Requirements

All applicants are expected to provide previous school reports and, for international students, documentary evidence of prior schooling (transcripts, certificates, and identification documents). This administrative thoroughness reflects ISS's commitment to continuity in a student's educational journey.

Selectivity and Character

ISS is described as selective in the sense that academic readiness for the British curriculum is required — but it is not a narrowly competitive institution. The school's relatively small size means that each admission decision is considered holistically, with particular attention to fit with the school's values of empathy, teamwork, and community. Families considering ISS should expect an admissions process that is warm but structured, and that takes both academic and personal factors into account.