Bangkok--27 Sep--Denla British School (DBS)
"Spending one and a half hours longer than in other schools can enhance all students' skills! Learning through co-curricular activities is hugely important for the acquisition of life skills."
Mr Mark McVeigh, Principal at Denla British School (DBS),who has extensive experience from leading schools in the UK and SE Asia, says that the UK's independent school model is the best in the world. A very high proportion of students who graduate from the UK's independent schools such as Marlborough or Eton can gain access to the world's top universities, and go on to have distinguished careers as doctors, engineers, analysts, innovators, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and even Michelin-star chefs! The key to this success originates from their UK independent school education, which inspires students to find their destiny. In the UK curriculum, students discover their skills, interests, and talents, and once they find their own mix of specialisms, they are encouraged to excel. One of the keys to success is the extended school day in many UK independent schools.
The UK curriculum focuses on the skills-based nature of learning that requires children to think and question at a deeper level, often lending itself to the pursuit of individual enquiry and global contexts. It prepares them for a future where education is more than the sum of examination results. However, the UK curriculum is delivered by two sectors in the UK: independent (also called public or private) schools, and state schools. The UK independent school curriculum is very intense and considered to be the strongest in the UK. DBS implements an enhanced UK curriculum from the best practice of independent schools in the UK. All teachers are native English-speakers (apart from Thai and Mandarin teachers), and they are very experienced. The uniqueness of DBS's enhanced UK curriculum includes its approach to Personalised Learning. Personalised Learning is about focusing and concentrating on each student according to their skills and preferences. It can range from individual to small group teaching under the supervision of teachers and learning assistants. Not only does DBS focus on academic excellence, it also promotes an all-round education, so children can find their talents and acquire vital life skills.
Another characteristic of DBS is the additional learning period in the Extended Day system. DBS students will have 1.5 hours per day more school time than students in other schools, adding up to nearly 8 hours per week. The subjects taught are called Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), for which parents don't have to pay an extra fee. CCAs are specially provided in the UK's independent schools. At DBS, we offer intense CCAs aiming to give our students the opportunities to try new experiences, to develop excellence, to foster fantastic relationships, and to develop the whole child; academically, physically and mentally.
"At DBS, we believe that the longer learning period is very important. Students will be encouraged to choose from over 61 courses and activities per week, including English language, literature, art, music, dance, sport, robotics, cooking and leadership activities. They can focus on what they like, they can join clubs and also use this period for homework groups to prepare themselves for the next school day. All students will be looked after by expert teachers and without an extra fee. This is enormously worthwhile and hugely beneficial to students' development," Mr McVeigh says.
Challenges and talents in CCAs
"Challenging and difficult subjects and activities can also be fun! When students study in a UK independent school model, they will enjoy subjects that are difficult, and sport and arts will encourage acquisition of new skills and talents." DBS's native and expert teachers will teach CCA subjects themselves so students can smoothly develop their skills during the extended one and a half hours a day. Students will be better in English language and discover their talents.
-Robotics & Technology:The skill of the future. If students are dreaming to become a part of Silicon Valley, the centre of the world's innovation and technology development, it is necessary to understand a programming language. Now, robotics skill is in high demand. Coding also encourages Computational Thinking which provides various problem-solving processes such as data analysis, logical organisation, algorithm, and splitting data to help with complex problems or open-ended questions.
-Reading, Poetry, Library:Reading builds great imagination because it stimulates children's brains. Children will be clever, process good judgement, and have critical thinking skills. English poetry and library clubs are also the first steps for writing skills and they encourage children's positive socialisation and emotions. Poetry also promotes confidence and imagination. Students will creatively perform arts from what they have read. Those who are outstanding in languages gain their core skills from reading because they can develop their vocabulary. Each week, students will learn a new set of vocabulary and that can be used in other subjects as well.
-Entrepreneurship:The Entrepreneurship skill is not only vital to future entrepreneurs, but creativity is increasingly important in all careers. Students will learn necessary skills needed for developing marketable products, designing and assessing their own products, planning strategies for targeted customers, and researching ways to make profits.
-School Newspaper:Students will work in teams for news production. Students will pitch for newsworthy stories, promote interesting activities, and gather all the information to publish in offline and online formats. Communicators develop their skills from suggesting interesting and unique topics, and gathering effective and thorough background details. If children dream to become Pulitzer prize winners, they must be introduced to journalism skills.
-Arts, Craft, Sewing:Every culture has an arts element. In business, product design, photography and illustration all come from artistry and imagination. The arts encourage students to develop creativity, imagination, concentration, and promote decision-making. In this class, students will enjoy creating various artworks independently. Craft is also a form of arts practised by hands. Even for top surgeons, dexterity of hands is an important skill.
-Music, Orchestra, Choir:Albert Einstein once said, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." Successful geniuses often play musical instruments: Einstein was a violinist, for example. In this class, students will develop the fundamental skills of musicians from playing musical instruments, reading musical notes, writing songs, and singing. In orchestra and choir, students will develop their singing and harmonising skills and will learn many songs from around the world. Students will also have many opportunities to showcases their talent at Denla Fest, the House Song Competition, and many more. Orchestra, a compulsory CCA, focuses on the highest level of music composition and performance, and as a result, students will understand, be creative, and work together in the DBS Orchestra.
-Sports:Sport is not only a magic medicine for health, but it is also a key to success. Keys to success, such as diligence, discipline, determination, teamwork and sportsmanship are embedded in sports like swimming, football, netball, rugby, boxercise, badminton, yoga and cycling.
-Board Games:Board games were invented thousands of years ago. Today, they are popular among students, and there are many board-games cafes. The benefits of playing board games are not just about fun, but also students can practise various skills such as communication, calculation, planning, creativity, teamwork, and many more. Moreover, board games are activities that can be played with only 1 player up to 68 players.
-Cooking, Baking:Culinary activities promote children's development in 4 areas: physical, emotional, social, and intellectual. In a bakery club, students will learn how to make English bread, muffins and biscuits, as well as discover culinary vocabulary.
Every day with the 1.5 hours longer than most other international schools, DBS can promote excellence in a wide variety of areas. A longer learning period and rich activities, under a close supervision of expert teachers, with small class sizes, means that students will have full attention and enjoyment. This is a crucial area for students to focus more on what they truly like. They will also join clubs and homework groups to prepare themselves for the next school day. This promotes all-round development in accordance with the school's vision, "Nuturing Global Leaders."
For more information:
Marketing Communications Dept., Denla British School (DBS)
Ms. Saruttaya Mahanavarani, Tel. 096-861-4656, Email: saruttaya.m@dbsbangkok.ac.th