The curriculum split is British A-Level versus American-through-IB, with published prices on both sides. Highgate opens in August 2026 for ages 2–11 at ฿375K–฿795K; ISE has operated since 1993 with WASC and IB authorisation and tuition of ฿357.6K–฿646K. Founding-cohort risk, pathway and commute now matter more than fee transparency.
// Jump to → Highgate editorial ↗ · ISE editorial ↗ · ISE vs Rugby ↗ · ISE vs TPIS ↗ · ISE vs MIS ↗ · ISE vs St Andrew's ↗
Highgate publishes 2026/27 opening-grade tuition of ฿375,000–฿795,000; its floor is half-day Nursery without lunch. ISE publishes ฿357,600–฿646,000 tuition. Each excludes material extras, so compare the exact grade, entry charges, meals, bus and exams.
// In this guide → Highgate editorial ↗ · ISE editorial ↗ · ISE vs Rugby ↗ · ISE vs TPIS ↗ · ISE vs MIS ↗ · ISE vs St Andrew's ↗ · British schools hub ↗ · Boarding schools hub ↗
| Dimension | Highgate (Banglamung) | ISE (Eastern Seaboard) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded / status | Opening August 2026 · first overseas campus of Highgate School London (est. 1565) | 1993 · operating · WASC since 1999 · IBO IBDP since 2004 |
| Address | Near Siam Country Club, Banglamung (~30 min from central Pattaya) | 282 Moo 5, Bowin, Sriracha — inside Burapha Golf Club (~35 min east of central Pattaya) |
| Age range (current phase) | Aug 2026: Pre-Prep + Junior (ages 2–11) · Senior and boarding enquiries from Aug 2027 | 3–18 full through-school (Pre-K → Grade 12 IBDP) |
| Secondary on campus | Senior School from 2027 (not open Aug 2026) · phased cohort growth | Yes — American middle/high → IB Diploma (or American diploma) on same campus now |
| Early Years philosophy | British Pre-Prep (published pathway · verify pedagogy on tour) | American Pre-K / Kindergarten (AERO-aligned) |
| Primary curriculum | British National Curriculum (Junior School · ages 2–11 at opening) | American AERO + NGSS (Kindergarten–Grade 5) |
| Language model | English-medium British · verify additional languages on tour | English-medium · Thai · Mandarin · French · Spanish |
| Accreditation | Pre-opening — no operating audit cycle yet · sister of Highgate School London | WASC · IBO (IB Diploma Programme) |
| Class size / scale | Phased founding cohorts — enrolment numbers not published pre-opening | enrolment not published · student-to-teacher ratio below 8:1 |
| Annual tuition (published) | ฿375,000–795,000/yr · Highgate 2026/27 | ฿357,600–646,000/yr tuition only (ise.ac.th 2026/27) |
| Nursery / EY tuition | ฿375,000 half-day without lunch · ฿595,000 full day | ฿357,600/yr (Pre-K2–K4, ages 3–5 · tuition only) |
| Year 1 / KS1 tuition | ฿755,000/yr · Highgate 2026/27 | ฿514,200/yr (Kindergarten–Grade 5 band · tuition only) |
| Year 6 / middle tuition | ฿795,000/yr · Highgate 2026/27 | ฿600,500/yr (Grades 6–8 band · tuition only) |
| Sixth Form tuition | Not yet published · later phase | ฿646,000/yr (G11–12 IBDP · tuition only) · American diploma also available |
| One-time admission | ฿5,500 application · ฿200,000 enrolment · ฿100,000 refundable deposit | ฿90,000 non-refundable enrolment · ฿50,000 refundable deposit · ฿5,000 application |
| Boarding | Planned from Aug 2027 per current enquiries; one older homepage visual says 2028 | Day school only — no boarding |
| Transport | Not published · bus excluded from tuition | School bus — verify zone rates with admissions |
| Live editorial | Highgate → read editorial | ISE → read editorial |
Highgate publishes opening-grade tuition plus ฿305,500 in application, enrolment and refundable-deposit cash for a new pupil. Senior fees are not yet published. ISE publishes tuition-only figures and operates its American-through-IB pathway now. Highgate’s Senior and boarding phases are planned; the current site accepts August 2027 enquiries, while one older visual says boarding 2028.
This is the structural curriculum fork. ISE runs American AERO + NGSS from primary through IB Diploma — MAP, PSAT, and SAT integration built into the American track, with an American high-school diploma available at G11–12 alongside IBDP. Highgate's published pathway is British National Curriculum → IGCSE → A-Level only (Senior School from 2027). If US-university planning, American transcript portability, or NGSS science standards matter, ISE is the only school in this directory with a full American-through-IB pathway. If you want pure British A-Level without American overlap, Highgate is the structural fit — confirm any IB plans directly with admissions; nothing is published as of June 2026.
Highgate opens August 2026 with zero operating history in Thailand — no exam results, no graduate destinations, no parent community feedback, no audit cycle. Founding cohorts get more leadership attention and more operational risk in equal measure. ISE has operated since 1993 with WASC accreditation since 1999 and IBO IBDP authorisation since 2004 — first IB Diploma school in the region, with a current parent community you can interview today. If your child is 2–10 and fits the Aug 2026 Pre-Prep/Junior window, Highgate is a genuine opening-cohort bet on the London brand. If you need proven Sixth Form outcomes, graduate track records, or a school that has already run IBDP for two decades, ISE is the only structural fit between these two.
ISE gives exact tuition-only numbers: ฿358K (Pre-K) → ฿514K (K–G5) → ฿601K (G6–8) → ฿617K (G9–10) → ฿646K (G11–12 IBDP). Add lunch, bus and exams. Highgate publishes ฿375K half-day Nursery, ฿595K full-day Nursery and ฿715K–฿795K from Reception through Year 6. It excludes uniform, exams, trips, bus, photos and designated paid activities and charges ฿305,500 in application, enrolment and refundable-deposit cash for a new pupil.
ISE at Bowin, Sriracha sits ~35 minutes east of central Pattaya — structurally closer for families in Sriracha, Laem Chabang, or the Bowin industrial corridor. Highgate near Siam Country Club, Banglamung sits ~30 minutes from central Pattaya — often smoother for families already on the Banglamung side. Neither is a walk-to-school Pattaya City option. Test both commutes at school-run times before enrolling. If you live east of Pattaya, ISE wins logistics; if you anchor west toward Banglamung or prefer a purpose-built campus near Siam Country Club, Highgate may edge the daily run once it opens.
ISE runs a deliberately small campus (a published student-to-teacher ratio below 8:1, with current enrolment not published) inside Burapha Golf Club — intimacy, WASC credentials, and first IBDP in the region (2003) over regional sports monoliths. Highgate opens with phased founding cohorts on a purpose-built campus (FIFA pitch, Olympic pool, Golf Academy, 450-seat auditorium per published plans — architectural renders, not yet verified post-opening). Test both campuses when Highgate opens — until then, tour ISE and read Highgate's published materials critically. The right fit is often temperament — known-by-name small American-track cohort versus joining a London-brand founding intake — not headline fee bands alone.
You need operating premium British with boarding and published fees — see Rugby vs Highgate. You need American + IB at lower fees in Nongprue — see ISE vs TPIS. You want widest American vs British curriculum gap with boarding — see ISE vs Rugby. You need pre-opening British vs established Nord Anglia — see Highgate vs Regents.
August 2026 with Pre-Prep and Junior School (ages 2–11). Senior School follows in 2027. Boarding is planned from 2028. ISE has operated since 1993 with WASC since 1999.
ISE only — American AERO + NGSS through IB Diploma (or American high-school diploma) at Sixth Form; the only American-through-IB pathway in this directory. Highgate's published pathway is British IGCSE → A-Level only (Senior School from 2027).
Yes. Highgate publishes 2026/27 opening-grade tuition of ฿375,000–฿795,000. ISE publishes ฿357,600–฿646,000 tuition. Compare entry charges and excluded extras.
Highgate near Siam Country Club, Banglamung (~30 min from central Pattaya). ISE in Bowin, Sriracha (~35 min east). ISE suits Sriracha, Laem Chabang, or Bowin; Highgate suits Banglamung-side Pattaya. Test both at school-run times.
ISE since 1993 with WASC since 1999 and IBO IBDP since 2004 (a published student-to-teacher ratio below 8:1, with current enrolment not published). Highgate opens August 2026 with zero Thailand operating history — founding cohort risk applies.
29 schools verified. Twenty-nine full editorials live. Maintained, not abandoned.
Written, photographed and kept up to date by the team at Pattaya Authority, a Pattaya-based publishing studio.