Si Ri Panya News Highlights (issue 29)

Nicola Bunchuay
1 day ago
7 min read

Nov 21, 2025 - Upper Secondary Begins

Some of you may not realise that the opening section of our weekly newsletter is usually written by Lisa, our Head of Primary. As Lisa has travelled back to the UK for her mother’s funeral, I’m stepping in this week to share a few reflections from the Director’s desk—reflections that have taken me on a rather nostalgic walk through the past twenty years.

When I first arrived on Koh Phangan two decades ago with my Thai husband, who was born on the island, and with my son—now twenty-seven—the island was a very different place for families seeking an English-medium or international education. Before we opened the school ten years ago, parents from around the world would meet here, settle for a time, have children, and then—when those children reached school age—feel they had no option but to leave. There were no internationally accredited pathways available, the expat community was small and transient, and long-term family life simply wasn’t sustainable for those who needed English-language schooling.

A decade later, the change has been remarkable. Today, you can walk through any village or along any beach and see families who have lived here for many years, and children who have grown up entirely at Si Ri Panya. I think fondly of our very first class of seven students. I’m still in touch with some of them now, and when the others pop up on Facebook—with university updates, apprenticeships, or adventures—I feel incredibly proud of the opportunities they were given here.

The same is true of the founding families who joined our first Year 7 class. Those early secondary students were stepping into a big new stage of learning, but so were we. Every phase of development—Year 1 to Primary, Primary to Lower Secondary—has shaped the school alongside the children who have grown with us.

And now we come to our next milestone. In September 2026, we will open our first Year 10 class, followed by Year 11 the year after—marking the beginning of Upper Secondary (the KS4 exam years) at Si Ri Panya. These years are pivotal for any young person, and equally significant for us as a school. Many families have asked us over the years to open Upper Secondary, but we have always waited until we could do it properly—with the specialist subject teachers, the purpose-built facilities, and the curriculum breadth to offer students genuine choice.

That moment has arrived. We are now ready not only to offer a full suite of Cambridge IGCSEs, but also to become the first school on the island offering BTEC qualifications. This expands the pathways available to young people on Koh Phangan more than ever before.

Today’s newsletter gives you the opportunity to explore our brand-new Upper Secondary KS4 webpage, which outlines the subjects, IGCSE and BTEC options, example timetables, and international pathways available to students:

👉 https://www.siripanya.com/upper-secondary-ks4-curriculum

Our aim in sharing this now is simple: to raise awareness that Year 10 and 11 will open in September 2026, and to share the exciting opportunities ahead for our students.

As your children grow, our school continues to grow with them. Just as the last decade reshaped family life on the island, I believe that in a few years’ time we will look back on this moment and see how Upper Secondary has helped strengthen our teenage community—more youth activities, more long-term families, and more opportunities for young people to build their lives here.

Here’s to the next ten years, and to welcoming our founding Year 10 class in September 2026.

Nicola Bunchuay - Director, Si Ri Panya International School

Year 1 Explore Thong Nai Pan Adventure Golf

This week, our Year 1 class enjoyed a wonderful morning at the Thong Nai Pan Adventure Golf course. The children had great fun navigating the mini-golf challenges, practising turn-taking, hand-eye coordination, and celebrating one another’s successes along the way.

It was a beautifully relaxed outing, giving our youngest learners the chance to build confidence, enjoy the outdoors, and strengthen friendships in a new environment.

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who joined us and supported the excursion. We are also grateful to Tong Nai Pan Adventure Golf and the local community for welcoming our students so warmly and creating such a memorable learning experience.

Year 9 PSHE: Working Together

Year 9 practised their 'soft skills' this week, showing collaboration, problem solving and creativity in a project where they had to make juggling balls and dog toys limited materials. The results may have been mixed, but the lessons learned are valuable and they clearly enjoyed the experience!

Year 6 Explore Pizza-Making in Their Food & Nutrition Unit

As part of their Food and Nutrition studies, Year 6 enjoyed a wonderful hands-on learning experience this week during a visit to Cuisina Pizzeria in Charlotte Club. The restaurant kindly opened its kitchen to our students, giving them the chance to see each step of the pizza-making process up close.

Under the guidance of the friendly restaurant team, the children learnt how to prepare and shape dough, spread their own sauce, and build a pizza from scratch. They explored what makes a good base, how to balance toppings, and why technique matters—all while working together in a busy, professional kitchen environment.

The session ended with the best reward of all: enjoying the delicious pizzas they had made themselves. From the smiles at the tables, it was clear this was a highlight of the week.

We are very grateful to the staff at Cuisina Pizzeria for welcoming our students so warmly, supporting their learning, and giving them a memorable experience that enriched their curriculum. Opportunities like this help bring real-world skills into the classroom and strengthen our links with the community.

Spotlight on Year 5 & 6: Christmas Talent Show! 🎄✨

Our Year 5 and Year 6 students are gearing up for a festive celebration of creativity, confidence, and fun with this year’s Christmas Special Talent Show Assembly.

From music and dancing to comedy, magic, drumming, and more, this joyful end-of-term event gives pupils the chance to take to the stage and share something they love. Whether it’s a polished performance or simply the courage to try something new, we are excited to celebrate the wide range of talents in our upper primary classes.

Event Details: 📅 Friday 28th November⏰ 9:15am📍 Drama Hall

Students who wish to perform can sign up using the link provided in today’s homework email. We can’t wait to see the fantastic acts our pupils choose to bring this year!

A wonderful way to end November with confidence, creativity, and Christmas cheer. 🌟

Year 4 Science and Maths in the Real World

Our Science lessons are all about helping young people to look closely at the world around them and develop their understanding of how the world works. This week Year 4 have been learning about shapes and their properties by finding shapes in natural landscapes.

They have also been reinforcing their understanding about matter by grouping well-known objects into three different states using columns and Venn diagrams.

Cookery & Life Skills - the 3-course meal!

Students from Year 8 and 9 have been learning a range of life skills this term, and this week's challenge brought several of those skills together - planning and cooking a three-course meal, with a limited budget, in one hour!

The results were certainly tasty, everyone came in under budget, and the kitchen at the end was the cleanest it has ever been - so now we all know that it can be done! More importantly, getting these students ready to stand on their own two feet is a big part of what we believe education should be about, and knowing that they can cook themselves a delicious meal is a great start.

Uniform Update – Jumpers Now Added for Cooler Weather

Following recent parent feedback, we have now added mid-blue jumpers to our approved school uniform. This is a new item and allows children to stay comfortable during cooler weather while keeping a smart, consistent appearance.

Families may purchase a suitable plain mid-blue jumper from Next: Click here to view the recommended jumper

In the coming months, we will explore options with our uniform supplier to provide an official Si Ri Panya jumper in a full range of sizes.

(Please note: hoodies and branded layers are still not permitted.)

Updated Staff Guidance – Classroom Temperature (“The Jumper Test”)

To ensure a consistent approach across all classrooms, the Staff Handbook now includes the “Jumper Test”:

If four pupils (around 20% of the class) are wearing jumpers and say they feel cold, the classroom temperature must be adjusted.

This supports a comfortable learning environment for all pupils and responds directly to the feedback we received this term.

Key Dates at a Glance

Looking Ahead: Key events and special days for the school year are published on our homepage.

Parent Discussion Circle - every Friday
See Newsletter Issue 21 for full details
Links to our end of term event songs to practice at home
See Newsletter Issue 21 for full details
Get Caught Reading competition
See Newsletter Issue 22 for full details
Year 1 September 2026 admissions
See Newsletter Issue 26 for full details
End of Term Christmas Learning Event
See Newsletter Issue 27 for full details

Go to https://world-schools.scholastic.co.uk/si-ri-panya/digital-book-club to browse the latest books and order online. Please place your order online by November 20th, 2025.

Ongoing Weekly Reminders

Library Reminder: Please check at home for any lost books and return them to the Primary or Secondary library so everyone can enjoy them!

Bottle Cap Collection: We're collecting bottle caps for our Precious Plastic Project! Please bring your bottle caps to the collection point located inside the Primary school gate on the left. Secondary students can bring theirs to the Design and Technology Lab. Find out more about this exciting long-term project here: Precious Plastic Phangan Facebook.

Drop Off and Pick Up: Drop-off is at 8:30 am (not earlier). Pick-up times are 2:50 pm for Primary (or 4:00 pm if attending an ASA) and 4:00 pm for Secondary. Please be punctual, as some Primary children have been waiting up to 30 minutes after 2:50 pm, which can be distressing for them.

No Idling Zone: Help make the area outside our school a NO IDLING ZONE which means switching car engines off while you wait for your child. We appreciate your action for the environment and health of all.

Absence and Illness: Notify your child's class teacher (Primary) or form teacher (Secondary) directly to inform them of absence and sickness.

Head Lice Check: Continue to check your child's hair for head lice regularly and treat accordingly. Boys and girls with long hair need to tie it up.

Uniform Orders: Ensure your child wears the correct uniform each day. Uniform orders can be placed online: 🔗 Secondary Order Form 🔗 Primary Order Form

Healthy snacks: Healthy snacks only. No sweets, crisps/chips or cakes at break times. Birthdays are the exception and dealt with per class policy.