Admissions 2026/27
Kinderville Nova is a licensed international school in Phuket: British and Russian programmes inside one school, with a student visa for the child.
We take children aged 2 to 11: kindergarten in Rawai, primary classes Year 1–6 in Rawai and Chalong. This year we opened a new Preschool group for children from two. Main intake is Year 2 and Year 3; other groups and classes have a few places.
You can join us in the middle of the school year too. There are no entrance exams: we look not at how much a child knows, but at how ready they are.
Which class fits which age
The guide is the child's age at the start of the school year; borderline cases we discuss with the family. Kindergarten and school are one system: a child moves from group to group without changing school.
| Age | Stage | Russian equivalent | Campus | Intake 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | Preschool | nursery / youngest group | Rawai | new group |
| 3–4 | Early Years | junior kindergarten group | Rawai | a few places |
| 4–5 | Reception | middle kindergarten group | Rawai | a few places |
| 5–6 | Year 1 | senior kindergarten group | Rawai | a few places |
| 6–7 | Year 2 | preparatory group / "grade zero" | Chalong | main intake |
| 7–8 | Year 3 | Grade 1 | Chalong | main intake |
| 8–9 | Year 4 | Grade 2 | Chalong | a few places |
| 9–10 | Year 5 | Grade 3 | Chalong | a few places |
| 10–11 | Year 6 | Grade 4 | Chalong | a few places |
Year 1 and Year 2 are two preparatory years before first grade: in Year 1 the child is already a pupil but studies on the kindergarten grounds; in Year 2 they move to the school campus. How these two years work and what grows over them → Programme and stages.
How to join
Write to us
How old your child is, which class they are in now, from which month you are considering the school.
See the school
The tour is on campus or by video call — whichever suits you. We show the classrooms, the kitchen and how the day goes. Bring your child if you like.
We get to know your child
We have no entrance exams: we do not select by knowledge and will not turn a child away for not having covered something — we do not test reading, counting or English at entry.
If a child comes to us not from our kindergarten but straight into first grade (Year 3), the head of studies meets them separately: 20–30 minutes, in person or by video, as a game. We look not at knowledge but at readiness for the class format — how the child holds a rule, hears sounds in words, tells a story. Sometimes we then suggest starting in Year 2: not as a refusal but as a run-up. We discuss the decision with the family, and the last word is yours.
Separately, after enrolment, in September all children take a short English placement — it is only used to put the child into a group of their level.
What we do if learning is hard for a child — see the support section.
A conversation with the founder
We go through the programme for your particular child: at what level they start English, what happens with the Russian programme, what to do if you are moving mid-year.
Contract
A place is secured by the entrance fee and a deposit; amounts for each stage are on the fees page.
A tour — on campus or online
The school is better seen. On the Chalong campus we show the classrooms, the canteen and kitchen, the playground and how the day goes. If you are not in Phuket yet — the same by video call; we walk through the school with a camera and answer your questions.
A conversation with the founder
After the tour — a separate conversation about your child, led by the school's founder: we go through the programme for the specific age and level and answer questions about fees, visas and documents.
Common questions about admission
We are moving mid-year — will you take us?
Yes, you can join in the middle of the year. The first weeks are adaptation, with the curator and a psychologist nearby; there is also a speech therapist — what we do if learning is hard. We check whether the child is ready for the workload; if there are gaps in the programme, the curator puts together a support plan — a booster and separate tasks if needed.
My child does not speak English.
That is normal when relocating. In Year 3–6 English is taught in groups by proficiency: the child joins the one where they understand the lesson from day one. For newcomers we recommend a booster — extra lessons to catch up with the group faster. In the kindergarten and Year 1–2 the teacher adapts the newcomer within the class.
What about visas?
For children in Year 1–6 we arrange a student visa (ED), and a guardian visa for one parent. There are no student visas for kindergarten.
You have two campuses — how do children get there?
The kindergarten and Year 1 are in Rawai, Year 2–6 in Chalong. A school shuttle runs between the campuses in the morning and evening — for children from 5. If you have several children, you can bring them all to Rawai in the morning, and the shuttle takes the older ones on. Please note: the school shuttle is not available on the Light programme. How it works out for you and what it costs — we will calculate at the meeting.
Who we are not right for.
If you have come to Phuket for a month or two, an online school is cheaper and easier. If you are looking for an English-speaking environment outside lessons — the school does not have one: almost all our families speak Russian, and the child gets the language in lessons and in the afternoon. In the kindergarten English is heard throughout the day — with a native-speaker teacher and assistants.
What comes after Year 6?
We are a primary school, up to Year 6. By the end of it a graduate receives school documents: a Certificate of Graduation and an Academic Transcript, both in English. What they give and where children go with them → Results and next steps.
Fees
One-off payments, discounts and what is included — on the fees page.