Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Updated:
5th Jan 2020

The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act (1988).
It is not a mandatory framework for independent or private schools. Private schools are free to choose their own curriculum and examinations and many have opted for the IGCSE which is not tied to the National Curriculum.
As well as private schools, UK based academies and free schools may also set their own curricula.
Scotland has its own national curriculum.
International schools - in the UK and outside of it - clearly choose to adopt the framework, each one more or less rigorously.
The purpose of the National Curriculum has been to standardise the content taught across schools to enable assessment, which in turn enabled the compilation of league tables detailing the assessment statistics for each school.
The idea has been to raise educational standards by being able to see where there are weaknesses.
These league tables, together with the provision to parents of some degree of choice in assignment of the school for their child (also legislated in the same act) was also intended to encourage a free market by allowing parents to choose schools based on their measured ability to teach the National Curriculum.
For international schools outside the UK, the framework allows schools to benchmark themselves against their peers in the United Kingdom.
Assessments are carried out at three ages: seven (school year 2, at the end of Key Stage 1), eleven (Year 6, the end of Key Stage 2) and fourteen (Year 9, the end of Key Stage 3). Some aspects of subjects are teacher-assessed, whilst others involve sitting an examination paper.
The results are considered when school and LEA performance league tables are being compiled, but they do not lead to any formal qualification for the candidates taking them.
Subject |
Key Stage 1 (age 5–7) |
Key Stage 2 (age 7–11) |
Key Stage 3 (age 11–14) |
Key Stage 4 (age 14-16) |
English |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Mathematics |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Science |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Computing |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Physical Education |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Geography |
x |
x |
x |
|
History |
x |
x |
x |
|
Music |
x |
x |
x |
|
Art & Design |
x |
x |
x |
|
Design & Technology |
x |
x |
x |
|
Modern Foreign Languages |
|
x |
x |
|
Citizenship |
|
|
x |
x |
Work-related Learning |
|
|
|
x |
Welsh (Wales only) |
x |
x |
x |
x |
The study of most subjects under the National Curriculum would usually culminate in the sitting of GCSE exams at the end of Key Stage 4.
63 Thailand Schools offering UK National Curriculum
School name |
Community |
Region |
Ascot International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Bangkok International Preparatory School (Sukhumvit 53) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Bangkok International Preparatory School (Sukhumvit 77) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Bangkok Patana School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
BCIS Phuket |
Phuket |
South Thailand |
Bloomsbury International School Hatyai |
Songkhla |
South Thailand |
Brighton College Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
British International School Krabi |
Krabi |
South Thailand |
British International School Phuket |
Phuket |
South Thailand |
Bromsgrove Early Years School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Bromsgrove International School Thailand |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Cambridge College, Thailand |
Khorat |
Central Thailand |
Charter International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Crescent International School, Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Garden International School, Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Garden International School, Eastern Seaboard, Ban Chang |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
Harrow International School Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Heathfield International School, Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Hua Hin International School |
Hua Hin |
West Thailand |
International Pioneers School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
International School of Chonburi |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
International School of Samui |
Koh Samui |
South Thailand |
Kajonkiet International School Phuket |
Phuket |
South Thailand |
King’s College International School Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Krabi International School |
Krabi |
South Thailand |
Lanna International School Thailand (Early Years and Secondary) |
Chiang Mai |
North Thailand |
Lanna International School Thailand (Primary) |
Chiang Mai |
North Thailand |
Mandarin International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Modern International School Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Mooltripakdee International School |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
New Sathorn International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
North London Collegiate School (Bangkok) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Norwich International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
PanyaDee, The British International School of Samui |
Koh Samui |
South Thailand |
Panyaden International School |
Chiang Mai |
North Thailand |
Phoenix Wittaya School |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
RBIS Rasami British International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
RC International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Regents International School Pattaya |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
Rugby School Thailand |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
SCL International School (Samui Centre of Learning) |
Koh Samui |
South Thailand |
Shrewsbury International School Bangkok (City) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Shrewsbury International School Bangkok (Riverside) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Si Ri Panya International School |
Koh Phangan |
South Thailand |
Singapore International School of Bangkok (Chiang Mai) |
Chiang Mai |
North Thailand |
Singapore International School of Bangkok (Ekkamai) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Singapore International School of Bangkok (Pracha Uthit) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Singapore International School of Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Singapore International School of Bangkok (Thonburi) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Andrews International School (Dusit) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Andrews International School (Green Valley) |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
St Andrews International School (Sathorn) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Andrews International School (Sukhumvit 107) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Andrews International School Bangkok (Srivikorn) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Andrews International School Bangkok (Sukhumvit 71) |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Stephen’s International School, Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
St Stephen’s International School, Khao Yai |
Nakorn Rachtasima |
North East Thailand |
St. Andrews Samakee International School |
Nonthaburi |
Central Thailand |
Tara Pattana International School |
Chonburi |
Eastern Thailand |
The Regent's International School, Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Traill International School |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |
Udon Thani International School |
Udon Thani |
North East Thailand |
Wellington College International Bangkok |
Bangkok |
Central Thailand |