Headstart International School was founded in 2005 and today teaches more than 1,500 students across two campuses — the original Chaofah City Campus in Vichit (39/99 Moo 4, Vichitsongkram Road) near Phuket Town, and a purpose-built campus in Cherngtalay in the island's northwest, opened in August 2015 and expanded again in 2023. It follows the English National Curriculum from the Early Years Foundation Stage through Cambridge Primary, and is the school on the island that combines Cambridge IGCSEs, A-levels and Pearson BTEC vocational routes in one sixth form — which, alongside a more accessible fee level than Phuket's premium schools, is why it carries the island's largest roll.
The campus, and how you actually get there
Address: Chaofah City Campus: 39/99 Moo 4, Vichitsongkram Road, Vichit, Muang, Phuket. Second campus: Cherngtalay, Thalang.
Two campuses under one school. The Cherngtalay campus is the newer of the two — purpose-built and opened in 2015 on a reported 600-million-baht investment, then extended again in 2023.
Getting there: No rail on the island — but Headstart is the one Phuket school where the campus choice does the work rail would. Chaofah City sits in Vichit just south of Phuket Town, serving the town, Chalong and the southeast; Cherngtalay sits behind Bang Tao and Laguna in the northwest, serving the beach belt. Pick the campus that matches where you want to live, then check that your child's year group runs there before you sign a lease.
Phuket has no rail network of any kind — no BTS, no MRT, no commuter line. The island's long-discussed light rail scheme is still in study and procurement, so every school run here is a car, a motorbike or the school bus. Read the Phuket getting-around guide and the Phuket area guides before you commit to a beach.
The curriculum pathway
How a child progresses through the school, stage by stage:
- Early Years on the English Early Years Foundation Stage
- Primary on Cambridge Primary
- Lower secondary through to IGCSE — the school is an authorised centre for both Cambridge IGCSE and Pearson Edexcel GCSE/IGCSE
- Sixth form: Cambridge International AS and A Level, Pearson A Level, Pearson BTEC courses, or Pearson project-based courses
Accreditation & memberships
Accreditation is the closest thing to an objective quality signal in international schooling — it means an outside body has inspected governance, teaching and safeguarding. BAANLYY does not rank schools, so this is what Headstart International School and its accrediting bodies publish, not our verdict:
- Authorised and licensed Cambridge International Education examination centre
- Authorised Pearson Edexcel and BTEC centre
- Passed the CfBT Education Trust (now EDT) International School Quality Mark accreditation in 2014, and was rated 'Good' at a later inspection in 2021 — ask the school for its current cycle and report
- International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT) member
Boarding and the size of the school
Boarding: Day school — no boarding at either campus.
Scale: More than 1,500 students across the two campuses, representing over 50 nationalities on the school's own reporting — the largest international roll on the island. Roll and nationality figures move every year and schools report them differently — treat these as indicative and ask the admissions office for the current numbers.
Who this school tends to suit
Families who want a British pathway without premium fees, families whose child is better served by a BTEC or applied route than by three A-levels, and anyone who wants the flexibility of choosing a campus to match a neighbourhood rather than the other way round.
This is our editorial read for relocation planning, not a ranking or a recommendation — and no school pays to appear on BAANLYY. Visit shortlisted campuses before you decide.
Living near Headstart International School
Two campuses means two catchments — read the guide for the side of the island you are actually choosing:
Check the school's bus catchment before you sign. Phuket is a big island served by one congested north–south spine and a handful of hill roads — a villa that looks close on a map can sit outside the route, and a home on the route can be further away and still be the easier morning.
What to confirm directly with the school
BAANLYY deliberately does not publish per-school tuition figures: they change annually, schools publish their own current schedules, and a stale number is worse than none. Take this list to the admissions office:
- Which campus your child would attend, and whether the exact year group and subject options run at that campus — the two are not identical.
- Whether a later move between campuses is possible if you relocate within the island.
- Which examination board your child's IGCSE and sixth-form subjects sit under, since Headstart runs both Cambridge and Pearson.
- The current fee schedule — tuition, application and registration fees, any refundable deposit or capital/development levy, uniforms, lunches, the bus and trips.
- Whether the year group you need has a place, or a waitlist, for your intended start date.
- School bus routes, catchment zones and pick-up times for the specific beach or town you are considering — Phuket is a large island with a single congested north–south spine, and a home twenty minutes further out on the route can be the easier morning.
- Entry requirements: assessments, interviews, English-language support and the school reports or transcripts you must supply.
- How far the school takes your child — several Phuket schools stop before IGCSE or before sixth form, which means planning a second move.
BAANLYY does not rank, endorse or accept payment from schools. Facts on this page are compiled from Headstart International School's own official website and its accrediting bodies, and are provided for relocation planning — not as admissions or financial advice. Curricula, campuses, fees and admissions rules change; always confirm current details with the school.
Sources & References
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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School shortlisted — now match a beach or a town to the bus route and your budget, and line up healthcare and your visa.
