VSPrimary
Comparison · British primary
Belfry vs. ISC
Rayong vs Pattaya primary
Belfry's Montessori-informed British primary in Ban Khai versus ISC's English National Curriculum primary in Banglamung.
// HEAD-TO-HEAD · current source audit
TPIS vs
Belfry.
Belfry is a Montessori-informed British primary through Year 6; TPIS is an all-through British school through age 18. The decision is a primary-specialist versus long-term continuity choice, with the two schools’ published fee structures compared separately.
// Jump to → TPIS editorial ↗ · Belfry International editorial ↗ · Belfry vs ISC ↗ · Lovell vs TPIS ↗ · ISC vs TPIS ↗ · Rugby vs Regents ↗
// 01 · current record
Same age span.
Different setting.
The fee rows below use each school’s published 2026/27 standard annual tuition, not a discounted annual-payment figure. That makes the comparison honest, but it does not make the first-year bill identical: registration, deposits and unpriced extras still need a dated admissions quote.
// In this guide → TPIS editorial ↗ · Belfry International editorial ↗ · Belfry vs ISC ↗ · Lovell vs TPIS ↗ · ISC vs TPIS ↗ · Rugby vs Regents ↗ · British schools hub ↗ · Budget schools hub ↗
// 01A · 18-point comparison
| Dimension | TPIS International School | Belfry International School |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Nongprue, Banglamung | Ban Khai, Rayong |
| Published age span | Ages 2-18, Nursery-Year 13 | Ages 2-11, Nursery-Year 6 |
| Published curriculum | British EYFS through IGCSE and AS/A-Level; Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel | British EYFS and English National Curriculum Key Stages 1-2; Montessori-informed approach |
| Published 2026/27 tuition | ฿273,000-฿665,000 annually, Nursery through Years 12-13 | ฿301,000-฿395,000 standard annual tuition before annual-payment discount |
| Early-years detail | Nursery begins at ฿273,000; confirm the child's grade-specific tariff. | Nursery/Early Years 1 ฿301,000; Early Years 2 ฿326,500. |
| Pathway detail | All-through British route to IGCSE and AS/A-Level; Years 12-13 top the stated range at ฿665,000. | Primary-only through Year 6; Years 3-6 are ฿395,000. |
| Annual-payment discount | Confirm current payment options and eligibility with TPIS admissions. | Published 5% annual-payment discount: ฿285,950-฿375,250; confirm separate fourth-year-family eligibility. |
| One-off charges | Application ฿3,000 (Nursery-Foundation) or ฿5,000 (Reception-Year 13); one-time enrolment ฿90,000. | Application ฿4,000; registration ฿80,000 non-refundable; refundable deposit ฿30,000. |
| Named inclusions / extras | Request current inclusions, meals, transport, support and activity costs in writing. | Regular programme tuition; catering, trips, clubs, events and optional services are extra. |
| Boarding | No | No |
| Primary sources | TPIS 2026/27 fee document · curriculum | Belfry 2026/27 fee document · course outline |
| Full editorial | Read the TPIS editorial → | Read the Belfry editorial → |
The range endpoints are for different years. A family comparing Reception, for example, should compare TPIS’s Reception row with Belfry’s applicable early-years row, then add mandatory registration and any services the family will actually use. The lower published Belfry tuition does not prove the lower total for every child or commute.
// 02 · decision framework
Primary focus or
secondary continuity?
What is the age-span difference?
Belfry publishes Nursery through Year 6. TPIS publishes British curriculum from early years through age 18, including IGCSE and A-Level routes. A Belfry family should plan the post-Year-6 transfer; a TPIS family should evaluate the longer pathway as well as the early-years fit.
How should the fees be compared?
Belfry publishes 2026/27 standard annual tuition of ฿301,000–฿395,000 before a separately labelled annual-payment discount. TPIS publishes its own 2026 fee structure. Compare the exact stage and named compulsory fees, rather than combining a discount at one school with a standard rate at the other.
What should admissions confirm?
Ask Belfry about its Montessori-informed delivery, registration and deposit terms, and the later transfer plan. Ask TPIS about entry stage, secondary continuity, support and the exact invoice. Commute and the child’s day-to-day fit remain family-specific.
Shortlist guidance
- Belfry suits a family seeking a focused British primary in Ban Khai.
- TPIS suits a family seeking an all-through British route in Nongprue.
Five questions.
Use the decision framework above to compare age span, fees, secondary continuity, location and the child’s fit.
// FAQ
Quick answers
before you decide.
Which school publishes lower 2026/27 tuition?
Belfry's published standard annual range is ฿301,000-฿395,000 through Year 6. TPIS publishes a broader 2026/27 range of ฿273,000-฿665,000 from Nursery through Years 12-13. Compare the child's exact grade and keep each school's payment basis clear.
Are TPIS and Belfry both British schools?
Both publish a British route. TPIS publishes British EYFS through IGCSE and AS/A-Level using Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel; Belfry publishes British EYFS and English National Curriculum Key Stages 1-2 with a Montessori-informed approach.
Do either school offer secondary years or boarding?
No boarding is recorded for either school. Belfry's published span ends after Year 6, whereas TPIS publishes an all-through route to Year 13; Belfry families should plan a Year 7 transfer.
Are Belfry's discounted fees directly comparable with TPIS's fees?
No. Belfry's 5% annual-payment discount is separate from its standard tariff. Ask TPIS for the grade-specific current payment options, then compare standard tuition, discounts and one-off charges as separately labelled lines.
What should be on the written admissions quote?
Ask for the child’s grade-specific tuition, application, registration, deposit, food, transport, books, trips, clubs, learning support and any refund terms, plus confirmation of which items are compulsory.
// 03 · The age-span decision
Primary-only versus
an all-through route.
Belfry and TPIS share a British framing, but they solve different planning problems. Belfry publishes Nursery through Year 6 in Ban Khai, using British EYFS and English National Curriculum Key Stages 1–2 with a Montessori-informed approach. TPIS publishes an all-through British route from early years through Year 13 in Nongprue, including IGCSE and A-Level routes. A family should not treat TPIS as simply a bigger version of Belfry, or Belfry as a cheaper short version of TPIS. The central question is whether the child needs a primary setting now with a later transfer planned, or whether the family wants one institution to carry the child through secondary school.
For Belfry, Year 7 planning should begin early enough that a future transfer is deliberate rather than rushed. Ask how the school documents progress, how it prepares children for the next curriculum, which records a new secondary school will expect and how the child is supported emotionally and academically during the final primary years. A primary-only school can be an excellent fit when the immediate classroom and commute are right; it simply requires parents to make the later decision visible from the start.
For TPIS, all-through continuity is valuable only if the family wants its published pathway for the child’s later stages. Ask how subjects, assessment and pastoral support change from primary into IGCSE and A-Level years, what senior options are available for the intended cohort and how a child joining mid-pathway is assessed. Continuity does not remove the need for a review at each major stage. It gives a family more time to make that review inside one school system.
// 04 · Compare fees without mixing assumptions
Use the same child,
year and payment basis.
Belfry publishes 2026/27 standard annual tuition of ฿301,000–฿395,000 before its separately labelled annual-payment discount. TPIS publishes its own 2026 fee structure. The right comparison is the child’s exact stage, not the widest headline range. Early-years attendance patterns can differ, primary and secondary fee bands are not interchangeable, and a discount at one school should never be compared with a standard tariff at the other.
Write each school’s quote in the same worksheet: annual tuition, application, registration, deposit, insurance, meals, transport, books, uniform, trips, clubs, examinations, support and payment dates. Belfry publishes application, registration and a refundable deposit; TPIS has its own fee and charge structure. Ask whether each cost is refundable, non-refundable, annual, termly, optional or compulsory. If an item is not publicly priced, mark it quote-only. Unknown is not zero.
The commute belongs in the budget too. Ban Khai and Nongprue create different daily routines. Drive the actual route at drop-off and collection times, ask whether the address is served by a bus, whether a fare is one-way or return, and what happens after clubs. A school that looks affordable before transport, meal and activity costs may not be the best total fit for a family that spends hours on the road.
// 05 · Visit the relevant school day
Classroom fit is not
a website category.
Ask to visit the year group the child would actually join. At Belfry, ask what Montessori-informed practice means in that stage and how it joins the English National Curriculum. At TPIS, ask how the early-years or primary experience connects to the later all-through pathway. In both schools, ask how a new child is assessed, how language and learning support are arranged, who communicates with parents and what happens if a child needs help after the first term.
Bring the child’s reports and describe the intended start date. Ask whether there is a place in the proposed class, whether there is a waiting list and what the first weeks look like. A general brochure cannot place a child. A specific admissions offer should identify the class, fee year, payment basis, support plan and every required charge.
// 06 · Five questions for admissions
Make the future
part of today’s choice.
First: does the child need a Year 7 transfer plan or an all-through option? Second: which classroom approach and language environment fit today? Third: what is the exact first-year cash requirement? Fourth: can the family sustain the commute and activity schedule? Fifth: what written evidence confirms placement, fees and support? Keep the fee document, admissions email, payment terms and placement confirmation together before paying a deposit.
Belfry may suit a family seeking a British primary experience in Ban Khai and ready to plan the later transfer. TPIS may suit a family seeking a British pathway through Year 13 in Nongprue. Neither is universally better. The right decision is the one where the child’s daily fit, intended qualification, journey and complete written cost align.
// 07 · Turn a shortlist into two real offers
Ask the same questions
at both schools.
Before a family accepts either place, make the comparison child-specific. Give both admissions teams the child’s date of birth, current reports, language profile, learning-support needs, home address and intended start date. Ask which class the school proposes, what assessment is required, whether a place is currently available and who will manage the transition. The answer changes the relevant tuition band, teacher team, timetable, transport and support plan. A page with published ranges is useful; it is not an enrolment offer.
Request an invoice that separates every component. Tuition should be shown on the same payment basis for both schools. Application, registration, insurance and deposits should be separately labelled. Ask about refund terms and notice periods for any deposit. Ask whether meals, buses, books, uniforms, trips, activities, devices, examinations and support are required, optional, priced later or not provided. If a cost has not been published, write “unknown” rather than deciding it will be free. This is especially important when an annual discount or a family-specific tariff is mentioned.
Ask one future-facing question as well: what happens if the household’s plans change? A Belfry family may need help preparing a Year 6 child for a transfer; a TPIS family may need to know how a student moves from primary toward IGCSE and A-Level choices. Ask how records are issued, who discusses subject selection and university planning, and whether the school can describe the next transition without relying on marketing language. A strong answer acknowledges the family’s uncertainty and gives clear next actions.
Keep the current fee PDF, email quote, admissions terms, payment calendar and class-placement confirmation together. Recheck them if the start date, year group or payment plan changes. The final decision should be simple to explain: this child can thrive in this day-to-day setting, the pathway leads where the family expects, the commute is workable and the complete written cost fits the household.
Do not transfer a deposit until the family has reviewed the same child, school year, payment basis, refund terms and required extras for both options.
// 08 · What not to assume
Keep the caveats
visible.
Do not assume that an all-through school automatically removes every later decision, or that a primary-only school cannot be the right immediate choice. Do not assume that the lower fee row covers the same hours, services or payment timing. Do not assume a British label tells a parent how a specific classroom will work. These are questions for the child’s proposed year group and the current admissions offer.
On a second visit, ask to meet the year team and see the arrival, learning and collection routine. Check practical matters: food arrangements, outdoor time, homework expectations, technology, communication channels and how a parent raises a concern. These ordinary details shape whether the school works after the first week of excitement has passed.
Finally, compare the family’s real horizon. If a move is likely within two years, ask how easily records and curriculum placement transfer. If the family expects to stay through secondary school, ask how the school reviews fit at the major stage changes. The right choice is not the school with the most impressive abstract description; it is the school with a clear, current and workable plan for this child.