For the first time in Primary, BISP had the pleasure of being part of an international cultural exchange. Early in March, 26 students from rural Wales flew to Phuket for what they called ‘the trip of a lifetime!’ They stayed in boarding for the week and spent time with our students in classes. 

The Welsh students joined us for Baan Day and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to participate in specialist lessons at our school, including tennis, football, and golf sessions, as well as hands-on Science, PE, Art, and Computer Science classes. They didn’t want to leave!

In addition to immersing themselves in life at BISP, they explored Phuket. For many of these students, it was their first time leaving Wales and, for some, their first time on an airplane! Despite struggling with the heat, they absolutely loved their time in Phuket and at our beautiful school.

In May, eight Year 6 students, along with Mrs. Hewison, Mr. Jang and Ms. Rak, travelled to Wales to visit the students at their school, 45 minutes outside Cardiff. Our students prepared slide shows and presented information about Thailand and our school to the students at Derwendeg Primary. They participated in lessons at the school and loved it! They commented on the long, fluffy grass on the field and noticed that the school was much smaller.

In Cardiff, we spent a day with the Derwendeg students learning about the history of Cardiff at the St Fagans National Museum of History. Landmark buildings in Cardiff were taken down, piece by piece, brick by brick, and carefully rebuilt in the Museum. The students walked through old bakeries, corner stores, and a newspaper office.

We also spent two days in London. We went on the London Eye, visited the Science Museum, explored London on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus, and saw Mrs. Doubtfire the musical. It was hilarious! Seeing Big Ben was a highlight.

While in the UK, our students developed valuable skills, such as:

• Reading maps to navigate different destinations in London and Cardiff.
• Reading signs to follow directions, especially when using public transport like buses, trains, and The Tube.
• Learning about different currencies, counting money, and calculating change, as well as converting pounds to baht to compare costs between the UK and Thailand.

Our BISP students and the Derwendeg students discussed the similarities and differences between both countries and their schools. It was great to see the learning through their discussions and experiences together. The students formed lovely friendships, and it was a fabulous learning experience they’ll remember forever!