School
A warm welcome to ALFA education, Swedish school in Thailand! ALFA education is a combined preschool and an F-9 school with a maximum of 10-12 students in each class. The small school environment is advantage for the student’s learning in comparison to bigger schools as it gives our learners more opportunities to express themselves and interact with others. Our staff are highly experienced and engaged in creating a positive and fruitful learning environment.
KNOWLEDGE AND JOY is the motto of the school. The foundation for effective learning in our school is characterized by a challenging environment that promotes creativity and encourages the students to be inquisitive and risk takers. We expect high of ourselves and of our students and we believe that good communication with parents is very important for student’s achievement.
Our goal is also that all students leave the school as responsible individuals with positive self-esteem, self-confidence and self-image, as knowledgeable 21st century citizens and with outstanding communication skills. To create a really good school, a world-class school, we need a clear vision to strive towards. If we do not really reach our vision, nothing is done, the very point of a vision is precisely that you strive for it.
As we are constantly gathering new experiences and coming up with new ideas along the way, one can therefore say that a good vision is always a number of steps ahead in time.
This is ALFA education’s vision, the image we see of the school we want to be when we look in the future. It is quite long, but well worth reading if you want to understand where we are going.
THE VERY LATEST PEDAGOGY
The last ten years have made tremendous progress in research on pedagogy. At ALFA education we keep informed of the latest findings in research, so that we build our business on what we know works best, we do not follow old routines of old habits. Some of our guiding educational principles are
- We learn just as much, sometimes more, from our mistakes and are therefore not afraid to try out new solutions regardless of the effort required to do so. Behind every successful invention, there are often hundreds of unsuccessful attempts – we want to teach our students to dare to try and dare to fail.
- Students receive clear feedback from teachers and peers on how they can develop and improve their work. The students also make their own self-assessments of their abilities, based on clear assessment criteria. When everyone can clearly see what the next development goal is, it is also easier to reach the next level of knowledge.
- We learn more by doing and experiencing than by being told, so we make teaching more concrete and practical and less abstract and theoretical. Instead of talking about how to make a newspaper or how vegetables grow, we make our own newspaper and plant our own tomatoes.
- The teachers do not talk much about their teaching, but instead concentrate on the students’ learning. They are constantly trying to find different ways to get students to learn more and have different ways to follow up and gather evidence that this is really happening.
- Children with difficulties often learn more together with others. That is why we always strive to include all children and create learning situations where children can learn collaboratively.
- When students seriously understand that they themselves are the key to their learning, their knowledge development accelerates. We are constantly training students to take ever greater responsibility for their results. In Alfa education students lead their own development, participate in planning and evaluation of work areas and are given increasingly responsibilities for activities at the school.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF HEART
A permissive climate characterizes the school where children and adults embrace differences and innovative thinking, where mutual consideration and trust prevails between everyone at the school. The school staff sees and meets all students at the school with positive expectations and acts as exemplary, adult role models in all contexts. The adults at the school sometimes talk about values with the students, but the important thing is that they show in practical action throughout the school day that they live as one learns. Bullying or abuse is not something we accept at our school, especially since students focus so much on their own learning. We have a clearly stepped-up plan for how we work to develop students’ social abilities in each New Year. If any student is bullied or abusive, we are quick to respond and have clear processes of action. We regularly carry out special theme weeks where students are given new, challenging and increasingly difficult tasks to solve social dilemmas, both at home and at school. We have regular lessons in life skills, incremental or other socio-emotional training, all educators are well acquainted with these tools and can use different exercises in teaching when appropriate.
GLOWING COMMITMENT
School educators are full of energy and love their job. Since our practical routines work so well, they can concentrate on their main mission, whether they work as educators or in the kitchen. Everyone who works at the school strives for our common goals and vision. We have a well-functioning and welded team smoothly cooperates with each other. Our differences complement each other.
CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
Different cultures enrich us, give us new impressions, and create a sense of solidarity and harmony with other people on earth. The world our children are growing up in is global in a completely different way than when their parents did. The biggest problems we have in front of us are global and so must be the solutions.
We let the students who have roots in other cultures help us to broaden our views. In teaching, we try to relate to global issues and help students to get more angles on tricky questions.
Everyone should develop their abilities, become aware of their own learning and maintain a curiosity for the future.
VISION
We want all students at ALFA education to:
Be equipped with good self-esteem, self-confidence and have good self-image.
Be motivated, creative, a critical thinker and have outstanding communication skills
Our Values
We work for children and adults to
- be safe
- feel work satisfaction
- treat each other nicely and with respect
- be able to cooperate
- have a good and stimulating learning environment
To achieve this, we need adults
- spreading joy of work
- have a common view of learning
- see the needs of every child
- see all children as everyone’s children
- strive for good cooperation with the homes
- follow decisions made
Expectations
As a student at ALFA education, you can expect the following from us in the staff:
- That we are prepared to do everything we can to give you an educational and safe schooling
- That we work to create a camaraderie environment and counteract violations
- That we listen to you and show you respect
- That we are clear about what goals you will achieve
As a student at ALFA education, we expect the following from you:
- That you are well rested, have eaten breakfast and arrive on time
- That you take your responsibility for acting properly
- That you show respect for peers and staff
- That you stand for what you do and do not blame others
- That you take responsibility for your school work and your homework
Remember to!
- Take good care of your own, the school’s and your peer’s belongings
- Stay within the school premises
- Refrain from eating sweets during school hours
- Not wear hats and caps indoors
- Be responsible for your own valuables that you choose to bring to school.
As a parent, you can expect from us:
- That we work on the basis of three K’s; Love-Requirements-Impact
- That we are prepared to do everything we can to give your child an educational and safe schooling
- That we will give you continuous information about your child’s knowledge and development
- That we work to equip your child for the future
Parents, we expect from you that you trust us – we have your child’s best interest in our eyes! That you make sure your children are well-rested, have breakfast, do their homework and have sports clothing with them. That you work with us to foster and enhance your children’s develop so that they can achieve the best that they are capable of. We expect you to acknowledge all school communication and to come to development talks and parent’s meetings.