Secondary School at KIS Bangkok

(Ages 11-19)

Explore Our Secondary School

Secondary School Leadership

Ruairi Cunningham

Secondary School Principal

Sophie Oxford

Secondary School Vice Principal

Maggie Graham

DP/CP Coordinator

The Secondary School at KIS

The development of the “whole” person within an environment which encourages students to become independent lifelong learners is a key aim of the KIS Mission Statement. Secondary School students have the unique opportunity to learn about themselves as individuals and their role in the greater world around them, while the uniqueness of each student challenges them to strive for personal excellence and take responsibility for their learning.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and the Career-related Programme (CP) are the central components of our Secondary School programme which provide varied and challenging opportunities for students in grades 6-12. We welcome your interest in the Secondary School!

The Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is a comprehensive curriculum framework of academic challenge and life skills appropriate for 11-16 year-olds (Grade 6 – Grade 10). The MYP is designed to foster students’ independence and responsibility and to develop internationally minded attitudes while encouraging creativity, cooperation, and compassion for others. Learning activities cultivate a hands-on approach to learning with the aim of balancing intellectual challenge with joy of learning.

Like all IB programmes, the MYP, in its aim to encourage holistic learning, emphasizes understanding concepts, mastering Approaches to Learning, and developing attitudes as well as learning knowledge. These are all tools designed to help students be successful in our global society, as well as providing a sound foundation for learning in their senior high school years and beyond.

Programme Specifics

The IB philosophy and Learner Profile value balance and the ability to learn, think, and apply knowledge across disciplines. The MYP at KIS International School is delivered through units of work within 8 subject groups. The length of each unit may vary from 4 weeks to 10 weeks. Units of work are planned collaboratively, with the aim being to authentically link the subject material to the global contexts.

The 8 Subjects groups offered at KIS are:

Language and Literature

Individuals and Societies

Mathematics

Design

Arts (Visual Arts, Theater, and Music)

Sciences

Physical and Health Education

Language Acquisition

The IB Learner Profile

The IB learner profile is the International Baccalaureate (IB) mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century.

The learner profile runs across all IB programmes. It promotes attitudes and characteristics in students that develop international-mindedness. The profile aims to develop learners who are Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective. Through the development of these attributes, students are encouraged to recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship and to help create a better and more peaceful world.

The learner profile provides a long-term vision for education and is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of the entire school community-students, teachers, administrators and parents, uniting them for a common purpose.

Apply Learning to Real Life Context

The MYP aims to authentically link learning to real-life contexts through the Global Contexts:

Identities and relationships

Personal and cultural identity

Orientations in space and time

Scientific and technical innovation

Fairness and development

Globalization and sustainability

Learning in MYP is also grounded in conceptual understanding. Each unit is linked to wider concepts that can transfer across disciplines, allowing students to develop a holistic understanding of the world around them. Example concepts include Change, Development, Communication, Relationships, Systems, and Form.

The Diploma Programme (DP)

At KIS, the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) balances subject breadth and depth in six subject areas. Critical understanding, philosophical reflection and international-mindedness are nurtured, starting with a foundation in each student’s own language and culture. They develop a positive attitude, self-reliance and become well adapted to learning that supports them towards university study. The IB Diploma has a world-wide reputation for its rigorous external assessment with published global standards. This is a qualification welcomed by universities worldwide as the highest level of academic excellence.

The DP is a two year programme in which students choose six subjects from six group areas – Literature, Additional Language, Humanities, Science, Mathematics and the Arts. Three subjects are studied at Higher Level and three are studied at Standard Level. Students are assessed through a mixture of internal assessment (coursework) and external assessment (final exams).

DP Core

The programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding.

The Extended Essay is a requirement for students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying.
Theory of knowledge (TOK) is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical).
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) challenges students to actively learn through experiential, real-world initiatives that foster a spirit of community engagement. Whether weaving all three strands into a single collaborative project or exploring them separately, students are encouraged to act with empathy, push their personal boundaries, and reflect on the impact they have on the world around them.

Programme Specifics

Students taking the IB Diploma choose their courses as follows:

All Diploma Programme students take a Theory of Knowledge Course, engage in Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) Programme, and write an Extended Essay connected to one or two of their subject areas.

Group 1

Language & Literature

Language A English Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Mandarin Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Thai Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Self Taught Literature (SL)

Group 2

Language Acquisition

Language B Spanish (HL/SL)
Language B Mandarin (HL/SL)
Language B Spanish Ab Initio (SL)
Language B Mandarin Ab Initio (SL)

Group 3

Individual & Societies

Business and Management (HL/SL)
Economics (HL/SL)
Environmental Systems & Societies (HL/SL)
History (HL/SL)
Psychology (HL/SL)

Group 4

Sciences

Biology (HL/SL)
Chemistry (HL/SL)
Physics (HL/SL)
Design Technology (HL/SL)
Environmental Systems & Societies (HL/SL)
Computer Science (HL/SL)

Group 5

Mathematics

Applications and Interpretation (HL/SL)
Analysis and Approaches (HL/SL)

Group 6

The Arts

Visual Arts (HL/SL)

Language & Literature

Language A English Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Mandarin Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Thai Language & Literature (HL/SL)
Language A Self Taught Literature (SL)

Language Acquisition

Language B Spanish (HL/SL)
Language B Mandarin (HL/SL)
Language B Spanish Ab Initio (SL)
Language B Mandarin Ab Initio (SL)

Individual & Societies

Business and Management (HL/SL)
Economics (HL/SL)
Environmental Systems & Societies (HL/SL)
History (HL/SL)
Psychology (HL/SL)

Sciences

Biology (HL/SL)
Chemistry (HL/SL)
Physics (HL/SL)
Design Technology (HL/SL)
Environmental Systems & Societies (HL/SL)
Computer Science (HL/SL)

Mathematics

Applications and Interpretation (HL/SL)
Analysis and Approaches (HL/SL)

The Arts

Visual Arts (HL/SL)

ID Diploma Requirements

Higher Education Progression

The Class of 2025 achieved an average IB Diploma score of 35 compared to a global world average of 30, with one student attaining an impressive 44 points out of a possible 45.

This cohort received over 700 university offers from 21 countries, including prestigious universities such as McGill University, University College London (UCL), National University of Singapore, The University of Hong Kong and more!

Career-related Programme (CP)

The KIS CP dual-enrollment program is designed for students ready to specialize early. The IB CP at KIS Bangkok provides a direct bridge to higher education and industry. Through our unique dual-enrollment model, students access a rich variety of career pathways while earning credits recognized by elite institutions. By partnering with world-renowned providers such as SCAD, SUMAS, ASU, Embry-Riddle, Les Roches, The Food School, Berkley School of Music, and KMUTT, we ensure our graduates are both university-ready, and career ready.

Why the Career-related Programme?

The CP is a blend of DP courses, the CP Core, and Career-Related Studies (CRS) through external, accredited providers. CP students take 2-4 DP courses alongside KIS peers. In addition, students enroll in their chosen career-related pathway.

The KIS University Counseling team get to know each student on a personal level. They work closely with families to determine the most appropriate IB programme course and combination of subjects that will challenge and prepare students.

The CP should not be perceived as less academic than the DP as it is just as challenging, in fact, the CP can involve more independent study and a higher level of self-discipline and organization than the DP.

Skilled Gained in the CP

Critical Thinking

Communication

Strong Work Ethic

Collaboration

Public Speaking

Professionalism

Skills for Higher Education

Maturity and Responsibility

IB Career-Related Pathways

The IB learner profile is the International Baccalaureate (IB) mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century.

Through the development of these attributes, students are encouraged to recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship and to help create a better and more peaceful world.

Arts & Design