Bang Plee Thailand
Verso International SchoolDescription
VERSO is the first international school in the world to be conceptually designed by IDEO, the world-famous design and innovation company from San Francisco. Driven by design, VERSO delivers a highly creative, student-centered education in a stunning state-of-the-art campus. VERSO’s innovative learning architecture has been designed using American curriculum standards. Learning is interdisciplinary, project-based, and personalized. VERSO will be fully accredited by WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. INNOVATIVE TEACHING APPROACH Moving beyond the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ curriculum, VERSO places each student at the center of their own learning. Students are organized into mixed-age groups and work with a team of learning designers. We value curiosity, self-direction, and independence and help students to think like designers. We have redesigned the school day so we can give students more time to dig deep into learning that truly engages them. AGILE LEARNING SPACES VERSO’s iconic ‘Loops’ are designed to bring a sense of fun, flow, movement, and interconnectedness to our learning. Traditional classrooms have been replaced by contemporary learning spaces that are flexible, agile, and adaptive to the needs of our learners. We consider our whole campus as a learning space with frequent opportunities to play and learn beyond the walls. A PASSIONATE LEARNING DESIGN TEAM At VERSO, we believe in the creative capacity of our educational teams. We intentionally call our teachers Learning Designers. They are highly-skilled educators who work closely with our students to design deeply engaging learning experiences. At VERSO we are passionate about working in a highly collaborative and creative project-based environment that inspires learning for everyone. CONNECTED TO NATURE VERSO’s impressive campus was designed to complement the rich bio-diversity of its natural surroundings. Working closely with environmental and landscape specialists VERSO’s campus has been designed to support a thriving eco-system that allows us to connect with nature on a daily basis. We have a responsibility to help students develop a deeper understanding of the natural world and what we all need to do to protect it. For details, please email admissions@verso.school +66 2 080 6200
- Day school tuition $20000 - $31000 USD
-
Grades for day school
Pre-K/Reception -
12th Grade/Year 13 - Scholarships Available Yes
- Number of Students 200
- Year founded 2020
- Boarding school tuition No Information
- Curricula US National
- Type Co-ed
Accreditations
VERSO is driven by design and we are a design thinking-inspired school. The starting point for VERSO began in 2014 with a simple question: How can we design a new international school that will truly prepare its students for a world that is changing faster than at any other time in human history? As educators, this was a challenging question as we were conditioned by years of being in a traditional school environment. We decided to approach IDEO, one of the world’s leading design and innovation firms in San Francisco. IDEO is recognized globally for using Design Thinking, a methodology that uses a human- centered design process to find solutions to a problem in creative and innovative ways. Intrigued and challenged to design a new kind of international school, IDEO formed a team comprising designers and international educators and spent 4 months doing extensive field-research in Bangkok, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore. Looking for powerful insights, the team visited more than 25 innovative schools and listened carefully to the students, parents and educators leading their change-processes. Using this research data, the IDEO team tested a number of school design prototypes with students, families and educators in Bangkok. This feedback and insight shaped VERSO’s unique purpose pillars, the mindsets and behaviors that our students will develop, as well as our signature learning experiences. The construction of the school began in 2017 with the hiring of the architects, interior designers, contractors and landscape artists. Many of our teachers, who we call Learning Designers, joined in 2018 to help develop and design VERSO’s innovative curriculum and approach to teaching. So, from the outset, VERSO is completely unique in terms of how it was conceived and designed. We didn’t go down the traditional route. We intentionally went outside of education to get a different perspective about what a future school could be like.
Tuition
For details on our tuition fees, please visit verso.ac.th/admissions Our tuition fees exclude the following fees: application, enrollment, capital development, transportation, extracurricular programs, learning resources and books and other fees. For details, please email admissions@verso.ac.th or call +66 2 080 6200
Scholarships
We do not offer scholarships for the current academic year (2020-2021) but will be sharing details for scholarships in early 2021 for the next academic year.
Curricula
VERSO follows the American curriculum because it gives us greater flexibility to design powerful learning experiences that are interdisciplinary, project-based and skills-focussed. Since we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to the curriculum, learning at VERSO will be increasingly personalized. We chose the New York State Education Standards because they’re comprehensive, research-based and internationally recognized. They also provide clear learning progressions for all students, outlining what learners should know and be able to do. VERSO will be fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which will validate the integrity of the school’s program and transcript. The entire school experience at VERSO will be deeply personal for every student and we will have the flexibility to remove a lot of the constraints that traditional schools can’t change. We see VERSO as offering students and our learning designers (teachers) a highly creative and collaborative environment where kids are active participants because learning has relevance and purpose. At VERSO, our curriculum has 5 Key Learning Experiences o Learning is Applied (ALX) o Learning is connected to the world around us (Beyond the Walls) o Learning is organized and managed using a customized online platform accessible by students, parents and learning designers (Course Compass) o Learning is assessed through exhibition and presentations to authentic audiences (Show Time) o Our behavior will be reflected in our commitment to Nam Jai, an important value in Thai culture that refers to genuine acts of kindness and generosity that comes straight from the heart, without expecting anything in return.
Admissions Information
Admissions Process
Below are some steps in this application journey and important things to take note of. 1. Please review the cut-off dates at www.verso.ac.th to determine your child’s class placement. 2. Next, complete the student application form online at https://verso.openapply.com/ 3. After reviewing the student application form, our Admissions team will schedule the student for an English ability assessment (only for Grades 1 to 8) and a meeting with the respective Loop Leader. Parent(s) or guardian(s) will also be involved. 4. New students who are accepted are requested to pay the enrollment fee and other fees upon receiving the Letter of Acceptance. This payment guarantees the student’s seat at VERSO. Until the tuition fee is paid, the student will be placed on a waiting list. Families are requested to visit verso.ac.th/admissions to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
Entry Requirements
Below are some steps in this application journey and important things to take note of. 1. Please review the cut-off dates at www.verso.ac.th to determine your child’s class placement. 2. Next, complete the student application form online at https://verso.openapply.com/ 3. After reviewing the student application form, our Admissions team will schedule the student for an English ability assessment (only for Grades 1 to 8) and a meeting with the respective Loop Leader. Parent(s) or guardian(s) will also be involved. 4. New students who are accepted are requested to pay the enrollment fee and other fees upon receiving the Letter of Acceptance. This payment guarantees the student’s seat at VERSO. Until the tuition fee is paid, the student will be placed on a waiting list. Families are requested to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
Applicant Evaluations
Families are requested to visit verso.ac.th/admissions to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
- First application deadline Families are requested to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
- Second application deadline Families are requested to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
- Students can join after the academic year begins Yes
- Waiting List Yes
Waiting List
There is a waiting list in some classes. Families are requested to contact the Admissions team at admissions@verso.ac.th for details.
Academics
- Assigns homework No
- Use of technology in the classroom Yes
- Language of instruction English
- Teacher/Student ratio 1:8 not including Learning Assistants
- Gifted and talented student support Yes
- Learning support Yes
- Native English teachers Yes
- Languages taught English
- Number of teaching staff 40
- Examinations available
Teacher Qualifications
At VERSO, we believe in the creative capacity of our educational teams. We intentionally call our teachers Learning Designers. They are highly-skilled educators who work closely with our students to design deeply engaging learning experiences. At VERSO we are passionate about working in a highly collaborative and creative project-based environment that inspires learning for everyone.
Homework
At VERSO we think of the whole child and the whole of their learning, not simply about more and more academic structured work, which is actually diminishing creativity and diminishing autonomy. Free time is not time out from learning, it is an important part of learning. In the lower loop (Early Years - Grade 4), we want our children reading or being read to every night, getting out and playing, having downtime and getting a good night's sleep. We want our students to be able to relax and just be themselves. We prefer home learning across the loops to be connected and invite learners to continue to work on their Explore projects or explore a concept that they are interested in pursuing. We encourage our students to be self-directed and motivated learners.
Gifted and talented student support
The Learning Support department works in collaboration with the English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher and Learning Designers (teachers) to support students with mild needs in the areas of academics, behavior and social and emotional development. Learning Support services range from observations and consultation with staff and parents to a range of individualized and group instruction for students with various learning needs. Applicants with mild social/emotional issues, learning difficulties or other special needs are referred to the learning support staff for evaluation during the application process. A panel consisting of the Student Success Team, Admission Director and relevant Loop Leader or nominated person will review the documents and reports, presented at the time of application. The panel will evaluate and make placement recommendations.decisions are made by the relevant Loop Leader in conjunction with the appropriate Student Success Learning Designers. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their child through the Learning Support Process. For more details, email admissions@verso.ac.th
Learning Support
The Learning Support department works in collaboration with the English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher and Learning Designers (teachers) to support students with mild needs in the areas of academics, behavior and social and emotional development. Learning Support services range from observations and consultation with staff and parents to a range of individualized and group instruction for students with various learning needs. Applicants with mild social/emotional issues, learning difficulties or other special needs are referred to the learning support staff for evaluation during the application process. A panel consisting of the Student Success Team, Admission Director and relevant Loop Leader or nominated person will review the documents and reports, presented at the time of application. The panel will evaluate and make placement recommendations.decisions are made by the relevant Loop Leader in conjunction with the appropriate Student Success Learning Designers. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their child through the Learning Support Process. For more details, email admissions@verso.ac.th
Native English Teachers
At VERSO, we believe in the creative capacity of our educational teams. We intentionally call our teachers Learning Designers. They are highly-skilled educators who work closely with our students to design deeply engaging learning experiences. At VERSO we are passionate about working in a highly collaborative and creative project-based environment that inspires learning for everyone.
Examinations Available
At VERSO we believe that an effective assessment places students at the center of their learning by allowing learning designers to monitor the students’ progress and support them wherever required. The key principles of the assessment, which apply to all three Loops are outlined below and form the principles of assessment at VERSO. Assessment is integral to planning, teaching and learning and involves many and varied instruments to give feedback on progress and set next goals. Feedback from learning designers and peers forms an essential part of each child’s progress monitoring. How students are assessed is made clear to students and parents. Student progress is monitored against learning progressions outlined developmentally in the NYSED Standards. Opportunities for peer and self-assessment are planned for. Opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning are planned for. Students’ current knowledge and experience are assessed before embarking on new learning so that prior learning can be extended. Reporting to parents is meaningful and progressive through Course Compass Assessment data is analysed to provide information about the teaching and learning, and the needs of individual students.Assessment is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum.
School Life
- Bus service Yes
- Sports teams available Yes
- Pastoral Care No
- School start time 7.45 am
- School end time 2.45 pm
- Most common nationality We accept students of all nationalities.
- Max class size 24
- School provides lunch Yes
- Supervised care before or after school Yes
- Uniform required Yes
- Access to an educational psychologist Yes
- Student nationalities 15
- Average class size 24
Living Accommodations
We currently do not provide any living accommodations.
Schools Facilities
Key Facilities: VERSO delivers world-class learning facilities that include: a) Athletic Facilities: Total indoor playground and sport facilities: 28,706 sq. m. • Thailand’s Only 50m Climate-controlled Olympic-size Indoor Swimming Pool with a salt chlorination system and 10 competition lanes • Temperature-controlled Junior Indoor Swimming Pool with a salt chlorination system • Arena/Gymnasium - A 2000-seat gymnasium consisting of basketball court, gym, climbing wall, yoga, stretching area, lockers and changing areas • Multi-Purpose Indoor Junior Gymnasium • Fully-equipped 1,000 seater Athletic Stadium with Hybrid Grass Soccer Pitch for competitions of football, rugby, and track and field with lockers and changing areas available • All-Weather Multi-purpose Training Pitch with artificial grass • Tennis Courts - Two outdoor hard courts • Basketball Courts - Two outdoor basketball courts and one half-court in Middle Loop b) Specialist Learning Facilities: Total special learning facilities space: 2,654 sq. m. • Multimedia Production and Recording Studios • Black-box Theater • Band Rooms • Double Dance Studio • Gallery and Exhibition Spaces • Digital Design Studio • Maker Labs and Fabrication Studios • Science Labs • Visual Art Studios c) Community Facilities: • Fully-catered School Cafeteria and Dining Facility - The capacity in cafeteria is 744 seats (including outdoor seating) • Parent Lounge ¬– A custom-built co-working space to spark creativity and collaboration; a space where parents can meet and work. • Medical Clinic
Bus Service
For details on bus routes, please email admissions@verso.ac.th
School Lunch
Catering at VERSO is provided by Epicure Catering Co., Ltd., which is a leading school catering specialist. VERSO will work closely with Epicure to plan and provide a healthy, nutritious and well-balanced morning snack and lunch to our students. Students in Grade 1 - Grade 9 will have their meals at Eatz, located on the ground floor of The Hub. Students in Early Years will have their morning snack and lunch served in a designated dining area in the Lower Loop. The lunch menu includes international dishes, Asian dishes, vegetarian dishes, noodles, salad and fruits. Filtered water is available for students throughout the day from our water dispenser, and students are encouraged to drink regularly to keep hydrated in Bangkok’s hot and humid climate.
Supervised Care
There will be supervision on the Lower Loop playground during 7.15am-7.45am only.
Sports Teams
More details will be provided soon.
Uniform
More details will be provided soon.
Religion at School
At VERSO, we value diversity and accept students of all natioanlities.
Access to an educational psychologist
More details will be provided soon.
University Relations
- University counseling Yes