Singapore Expats

Information Required Please - Expats Kids in Local Schools

Discuss about childcare, parenthood, playschools, educational, family & international school issues.

Sponsored by:

Canadian International School
Post Reply
weybridge
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 6:18 am

Information Required Please - Expats Kids in Local Schools

Post by weybridge » Sat, 19 Apr 2014 6:33 am

Hi there,

Great forum so have decided to join. I have been reading the last couple of days but is unable to gather all the information so far hence the first post.

Can you please share your experience re. your expat kid\s in local school. We have possibility of moving this coming July\August at the end of the school year (UK):

1. Name of the local\neighbourhood school your expat kid\s attend?
2. Their age and current level in school.
3. General feedback about their experience at their local school.

I have two boys, aged 11 at Y6 (turning 12 in September) and 10 at Y5 (turning 11 in January 2015). Both are currently attending school in the UK - any general advise? I am keen to send them to local school for various reasons however I've have read that no local school takes Y6? Is this true?

Sorry for the long post and plenty of questions.

merichan
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 171
Joined: Thu, 14 May 2009 11:29 am

Post by merichan » Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:17 am

My daughter is in local school


1. to answer your first question, I don't have an exhaustive lists of school that tend to have room for kids that aren't Singaporean or PR... However, I can tell you they are none in East Coast, bishan/toa Payoh area.

Try to find data about school that had still room in phase 3 admission last year, those are your best chances to find a school that has room to accept your children.


2. My daughter is 9 and half ( 2004) and is in P3. Most of her class in from 2005. They integrated her on the lower level of her age group ( she joined local school this year) which gives her time to adapt to the specificities of the local curriculum.

3. My daughter is really happy in local school, actually happier than she was in International School before that. she is not in a trendy school but it actually results in less pressure, compared to a trendier school. As she is exempted from mandarin ( she has french with a private tutor to fill the 2nd language requirement) she doesn't usually have much homework... except when they are getting close to the tests.


Oh and yes they don't integrate kids in P6... the PSLE is a whole year of efforts and first the school would not have the ressource to integrate a child on that year, would not be fair to the child either as PSLE requirement are quite specific and prepared way ahead of time, so it's best to give it some time to understand the mind set and the working techniques of Singapore schools before taking it

They usually integrate the child in P5 or as an alternative you can tutor at home privately and get him ready for Secondary 1 admission the year after. ( which would start in January ;-) ) ... if you don't want him to lose a year, that's also totally possible.

katbh
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 599
Joined: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:01 am
Location: Singapore

Post by katbh » Sun, 20 Apr 2014 3:45 pm

I have 5 all local schools. We have gone from P1 right through to JC.
They will not admit to P6 (the year they are in when they turn 12) but unless your child has accelerated in the UK, it is unlikely that their maths (and yes even english) level would be ready for P6. Best to put him/her in P5 and do extra tutoring (one to one - not in a tutor centre) to get them ready for P6.
Local Schools are great, but I will not bluff you, they are very academically strong and driven. But they are 10X better than ANY expat school i have experienced or know about.
Go for it. Trust the school to chose the best year for your child. Do not think in terms of academic years, because even if your child goes back to P5 they will be doing work far in advance of their peers in the UK.

Roasted squid
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon, 15 Apr 2013 3:08 am

Post by Roasted squid » Tue, 29 Apr 2014 3:40 pm

There is a facebook group called "singapore expats in local schools" with a simple FAQ as well as many, many expat families with kids in local schools from Nursery, Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary, all the way through university. It's a great forum where you can ask folks directly about their experience enrolling in school (both mid-term and during P1 Registration) as well as what school is like now. It's a very active group and people are friendly.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/438205052966017/

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Parenting, Family & Schools”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests