lnclusion - Diversity, Equity and Anti-Discrimination
Table of Contents
Learn about our unique context as a British international school in the Kingdom of Thailand
Hear from our Head of School - Chris Sammons
Patana’s Diversity
Our current community
Ongoing Projects
Key ongoing initatives and projects
Context
Bangkok Patana School is a British international school based in the Kingdom of Thailand As such we are governed by Thai law and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E.2560 (2017) Sections 4,27 and 68.
We reference the following global laws and conventions to inform our approach to DEIJ work:
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child 1959
International Labour Organisation Convention No. 111
Our school accreditation bodies include: Office of the Private Education Commission(OPEC); Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA); Council for International Schools (CIS); International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)
Foreword
Chris Sammons Head of School
A high proportion of students join in Foundation Stage and remain with us for their entire school journey to Year 13, so too do many staff remain here for large parts of their career. Alumni often return to Bangkok Patana School with their own children seeking the same standards of care and education which they enjoyed
As a result, the values of the Bangkok Patana Community have been passed to each new generation since 1957 DEI work sits at a key intersection between those values of WellBeing, Learning and Global Citizenship.
Well-Being
The school itself is born from a caring relationship between Rosamund Stuetzel and the education she wanted to build for her own children Such maternal care is the foundation for learning. This means focusing on both physical and psychological safety in designing the environment where all can thrive; learning about respect for self and others, modelling empathy and compassion Our aim is to affirm each member of our community as they grow into the full expression of who they are and what they strive to become The diversity of our school population is an incredible resource to teach each other about the value of difference and how to honour and respect it
Learning
Our school community has over 60 different nationalities. We commit resources to build a curriculum that enables learners to honour their home language, to acquire new languages and to become fluent in English as our medium of instruction Our parents also volunteer their time freely to share each other’s language and culture in classes which are frequently held on our site We have drawn from the best aspects of the British Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate to guide our planning of learning opportunities that are rigorous, develop different types of thinking and can be modified to suit a range of learners. To the best of our ability, inclusion and equity is achieved by considering each individual’s needs, creating pathways of learning and removing barriers as they are encountered
Global Citizenship
“Each to his upmost” was the first school motto created in 1961 and may draw ire through the lens of DEI. School leaders at the time wanted to reflect the diversity of their international classrooms and recognised the importance of honouring progress in all its forms for all of their children This vision was right for our community then and now, updated to ensure its fullest intention, that “students of different nationalities grow to their full potential” As social, political and economic change continues to shape the world, our curriculum develops knowledge and skills which enable our community to be curious and critical global citizens, throughout their lives
Bangkok Patana
There remains as much to do today as there was in 1957 and this was expected from our founder Rosamund Stuetzel. As well as the values, she left us the imperative in our very name as a School. For those who don’t know, I won’t steal your fun, ask your Thai friends for a translation of the word Patana
Thank you to advocates who have used thinking tools which the DEI agenda has given us in this next iteration of Bangkok Patana School. To paraphrase Roosevelt, it is not the critic who counts, the credit belongs to the people in the arena who are marred by their toil. Your work will provide thinking and actions which we are deeply grateful for Thank you also to the generations past and future who continue to give freely of their time to shape this incredible community, and; thank you Rosamund
Guiding Statements
PATANA’S
2336 Students, 695 Staff
69 Passport Nationalities
Largest Groups: Thai, British, USA, Indian and Chinese
We have 7 specialist teams, comprising 76 staff, who help to personalise learning for students with diverse needs.
(Teacher Assistants, SfL, LS, EAL, SALT, Enrichment, Extended Learning and Counselling)
DIVERSITY
50% Boys and 50 % Girls
40% of our Students are Dual Nationality
Ongoing Projects
Ongoing development of our I-DEA Community Guide as our essential agreements around Belonging.
Culture
Curriculum Community
Campus
Greater emphasis on interculturalism during our New Staff Induction programme and via our Teacher Standards and Practices
Greater visibility on attainment and achievement data for different groups of students including Learning Support, EAL and Enrichment.
School wide project to align our curriculum for wellbeing from Nursery - Year 13
Student voice via our Student Safeguarding Ambassadors, Well-being Ambassadors, Delegates and Student Councils.
Continued roll-out of the IBCP programme in Senior Studies to ensure more bespoke academic pathways for each individual learner
Re-launch of our Residentials programme to include more purposeful service learning from Year 3 - 13 and more ongoing authentic community partnerships
Ethical Engagement Audit to ensure we are supporting families to stay together through any involvement we have in charitable giving and/or cvoluteering
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Our Pathway and Milestones toward being “Diverse and Inclusive”
Our Pathway and Milestones toward being “Protected, Safe and Secure”
Definitions
Diversity
The acknowledgement that our community has many different individuals, who have their own unique strengths and perspectives to share These perspectives will be shaped by their intersecting identities, which may include; Race; Nationality; Age; Sexuality; Disability/Neurodiversity; Language Background; Gender; Faith, Socio-Economic Class and life experiences more generally
Equity Justice
Equity refers to the goal that each community member receives access to the resources, opportunities, and educational support they need to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances It involves creating a learning environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential Equity differs from equality, which suggests all community members need the same provision; however, we know that this is not the case
Inclusion
Inclusion is the act of ensuring all members of our community feel welcome and over time develop a sense of belonging This means we commit to ensuring everyone has a voice, feels safe and that there is equity of opportunity in our curriculum, when moving around our campus and when participating in our extra-curricular and community activities
Justice involves making sure everyone is treated fairly This usually means following a set of agreed rules, so that everyone feels respected and cared for When a community member is careless with their words or actions, we enact a process of restorative justice to help them understand the harm that may have been caused and the actions for resolution This may also involve age-appropriate education about history and global geo-politics as we aim to develop global citizens
