As Phuket continues its transformation from a mass-tourism destination into a residential hub for globally mobile families, expectations are rising well beyond basic healthcare and education. Increasingly, residents are seeking the highest international standards these sectors can offer.

We have already written about the island’s leap forward in healthcare; this week brought an equally significant development in education. British education group NLCS International and Phuket-based hospitality operator VLC Group have signed an agreement to establish a Phuket campus of North London Collegiate School.

The new campus will operate under the streamlined name NLCS Phuket, following the naming convention already used for the group’s schools in Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong – markets that mirror the internationally mobile audience the school is designed to serve. For many globally minded families, a classical British education remains one of the defining considerations when choosing where to build a life.

NLCS is, in every sense, a historic institution with deep Victorian roots.

The original North London Collegiate School was founded in 1850 by educational pioneer Frances Mary Buss, a leading reformer of girls’ education in Britain. Today, the international NLCS campuses are fully co-educational.

For more than 175 years, the London school has remained among the most respected educational institutions in both the capital and the United Kingdom as a whole. In The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026, NLCS was named Independent Secondary School of the Year, Independent International Baccalaureate School of the Year, and Independent Secondary School of the Year in London.

Additional accolades included ranking as the number one girls’ school in the UK, second among all schools in London, and third nationally.

Among the school’s alumnae, one name stands out in particular: Anna Wintour, the longtime editor and defining force behind Vogue.

NLCS Phuket is planned for central Phuket, near the Niran country club and an emerging lakeside premium residential district. The campus will feature boarding facilities, multiple academic buildings, and extensive sports infrastructure – all designed to the same British standards already adapted successfully for Dubai and Singapore.

“Serving students from Early Years to Year 13, NLCS Phuket will be developed as a premium co-ed day and boarding school in Cherng Talay, one of Phuket’s fastest-growing residential districts. The school is planned for Thai, expatriate and internationally mobile families seeking a rigorous British education in Phuket, with boarding provision for students from across Thailand and the wider region,” NLCS International explained.

To find a project of comparable scale in Phuket’s education sector, one would likely have to look back decades, to the opening of Dulwich International College in the same part of the island.

As was the case then, the British education group has secured a strong local partner. The agreement establishing NLCS Phuket was signed by Daniel Lewis and Naruj Chirayus, managing directors of NLCS International and VLC Group respectively. VLC Group is best known as one of Marriott’s key hospitality partners in Phuket, and the signing ceremony took place at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Patong Beach Resort.

“For many families, Phuket already offers an exceptional quality of life, but there has been a clear gap in the market for a highly academic school with a direct connection to one of the UK’s leading educational institutions,” said Mr Naruj Chirayus, Managing Director of VLC Group.

According to Mr Chirayus, VLC Group sees education as a natural part of Phuket’s next phase of development.

“As a Phuket-based family business, we see education as a natural part of the island’s next stage of growth. Our aim is to help make Phuket a more complete place to live, learn and build community,” he added.

One of NLCS International’s central priorities when opening schools abroad is preserving the educational philosophy of the founding institution. That means rigorous academic standards, highly personalized student development, and a vibrant co-curricular environment.

“NLCS Phuket represents an important new chapter for our international family of schools,” said Daniel Lewis, Managing Director of NLCS International. “Our aim is to deliver an education that develops scholarship, in a joyful and exciting environment, that celebrates every individual for who they are, and that is rooted in a genuine love of learning.”

“This is not simply a well-known name above the door. The strength of NLCS lies in the authentic connection between our schools, the quality and depth of our academic support, and our shared belief that happy, confident students are best placed to achieve exceptional outcomes,” Mr Lewis added.

For more information, please visit nlcs-phuket.com.