Best International Schools for Kindergarten & Year 1.

[Miller_o]

I'm looking for your opinions. What International Schools do you feel have a good to great early primary school?

[movingtospore]

There is a search function on the board - use that and you will find discussion of a lot of different schools. All comes down to what you're looking for and what you're able to pay.

[Miller_o]

There is a search function on the board - use that and you will find discussion of a lot of different schools. All comes down to what you're looking for and what you're able to pay.

I found the information a little out of date on here. I'm looking for some more current opinions.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Like what? 4pm Friday afternoon? Schools don't really change all that fast. It's too disruptive to the kids.

[Miller_o]

Ok. So any positive comments related to early primary schools are welcome. Thanks.

[movingtospore]

There are dozens of International Schools in Singaore, hundereds of private kindies, and the local schools...it really depends on what you're looking for. Some of the well regarded International Schools (all with fans and detractors) are probably UWC, SAS, AIS, ICS, SAIS, Dover Court, Tanglin Trust...

Narrow things down a bit. Where are you from? Do you want an education like your home country? What style of education do you value? How much are you willing to pay? Would you rather integrate in the local system (if so, kindie is a good place to start as very difficult later on)? Are you just here for a couple of years or for the long term (if the latter, you need to think about getting into a school set up for middle and high school).

We can help you better here if you give us a bit more to start with. It's a bit different than landing in Sydney, for example, and asking about the best schools - as it is very dependent on what you want.

[Miller_o]

Thank you very much for your reply. I'm starting from scratch, not knowing if putting my American kids in a 'Canadian' school, for instance, will make a difference in these early years. We don't anticipate being in Singapore for more than 3-5 years, so reintegration ion US elementary schools isn't paramount.

I've read on here the various opinions on schools but few experiences. My hope is to learn more about what makes a school a good fit and narrow by location, because commute times to work is a big issue.

Our offices are close to Bugis MRT station. Schools like Nexus, near the Green Line, would be convenient but I don't see that school mentioned on your short list. (Thank you for that, by the way.) I've also seen the profit/non-profit argument here in the forum as well.

I'm looking for that prefect storm and I apologize for being vague or asking questions that have already been asked.

[Hannieroo]

Ok.

We're at Nexus. We chose it for our then 5 and 14 year old boys because we like the PYP and IB approach. In addition to that it's a very inclusive school with small classes. The buildings are older but there is a lot of green space for pe and running around. There is a pool onsite and a very large, well equipped library. I like it a lot, the children seem very happy.

On tip I've learned is check on FB for pages set up by schools or PTAs. I think it can give you a good idea of the feel of the school.

[PNGMK]

I'm looking for your opinions. What International Schools do you feel have a good to great early primary school?

www.ics.edu.sg

[Pal]

See this page:
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/guides-f ... chools.htm

[movingtospore]

One thing re the Canadian school - it is not Canadian. It is (or was) owned by a Hong Kong Chinese guy and an American education company. They do hire a lot of Canadian teachers to keep up the brand. I'm not sure but I think they are 100% owned by the US company now.


My children are at SAS. Love the school except for the location, which is a pain but manageable. And, truth be told the government is slowly moving all the International Schools out the sticks anyways. We are now in the long-term expat category it seems, so it's a good fit for us though we are not American, as they are well set up for kids to go straight through to grade 12 with the intention of attending US or Canadian universities. It's very large but they manage it well. I know other families with younger children who have opted for ICS, SAIS and Nexus instead because they are smaller schools. I've heard very good things about ICS if you're inclined towards a faith-based curriculum. UWC is a world-renowned school but it can be very tough to get a spot there.

If you can arrange to come on a fact-finding mission that helps - visit your shortlist and ask them all very tough questions per other threads.

[PNGMK]

Consider for-profit vs not -for-profit.

[Miller_o]

Ok.

We're at Nexus. We chose it for our then 5 and 14 year old boys because we like the PYP and IB approach. In addition to that it's a very inclusive school with small classes. The buildings are older but there is a lot of green space for pe and running around. There is a pool onsite and a very large, well equipped library. I like it a lot, the children seem very happy.

On tip I've learned is check on FB for pages set up by schools or PTAs. I think it can give you a good idea of the feel of the school.

Thank you for your insight. I've seen the FB page and several videos on YouTube as well. I'm glad to know your kids are happy. Thanks again.

[Miller_o]

@movingtospore,
Thank you for your reply. And thanks for the Canadian school explanation , I need to look more into CIS. I like SAS from what I can tell, but as you said its location isn't ideal. With a need to be downtown and to the airport frequently, SAS seems as far away as you can get. It sounds like a good school and good neighborhood which are both very important. Can't discount that.

[sundaymorningstaple]

When looking at locations, remember you can drive from east to west in less than one hour and from north to south in under 45 minutes. If using public transport, the numbers are about the same except, barring breakdown, the times are pretty consistent and schedules adhered to. Driving can take 1.5 hours east - west during peak hours, and an hour north - south during peak hours. So, realisticallly speaking you can virtually live anywhere on the island and it would make sense to live closer to the school and further from work as to make it easier for the kids.