Consider the school's curriculum, childcare options, facilities, location and child-to-teacher ratio when looking for an education system for your little one
You’re new to Singapore. You know there are loads of good schools but how do you pick one? There’s nothing like hearing it from the horse’s mouth and we’ve got heaps of advice on preschools and childcare in Singapore.
We’ve listed links below to several profiles of the preschools on offer – but this is a mere snapshot. The MOE has a list of 500+ preschools to weigh up. Mind-boggling yes. But not insurmountable. With a few simple criteria such as curriculum, childcare options, facilities, location and child-to-teacher ratio, you can narrow down your search for schools and childcare for your child.
Curriculum
You need to consider what curriculum is going to fit the needs of your child and also your lifestyle now and in years to come. Would you like your child to continue with what they were learning in their home country, or are you set on IB? Here are some options to consider.
International Baccalaureate/Primary Years Program
This program features six transdisciplinary themes to encourage confidence and identity, the IB PYP programs add an additional dimension to traditional curriculum.
- Australian International School – The only southern-hemisphere school in Singapore that offers an Australian curriculum-based global education for students from the age of two to 18 years. This truly international education begins with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) from Preschool to Year 5, Australia Curriculum for Years 6 to 8, Cambridge IGCSE in Years 9 and 10, and the Higher School Certificate (HSC) or International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB DP) for Years 11 and 12.
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556818, p. 6517 0247.
- Stamford American International School – A brand new $300 million dollar campus offering state-of-the art facilities and programs for children up to Year 12. Bonus: students enrolled in KG2 and above receive their own iPad for school.
1 Woodleigh Lane, Singapore 347691, p. 6602 7247.
- Chinese International School – Fully equipped Mandarin immersion with an IB curriculum, offering boarding for upper class students.
60 Dunearn Road, Singapore 309434, p. 6254 0200.
- Canadian International School – CIS is a leading IB world school in Singapore that offers the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme for students aged 3 to 18 years.
Lakeside Campus, 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414. Email, p. 6467 1732.
Tanjong Katong Campus, 371 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437128. Email, p. 6345 1573
Combination Curriculum
- UWCSEA – Ranked one of the most prestigious and most expensive schools in the world, United World College South East Asia offers an outstanding educational experience with classes that develop innovative and critical thinking skills in its students.
Locations at Dover and East Coast.
- Tanglin Trust School – Impressive British academic school with an equally impressive campus, Tanglin Trust takes the best of a number of different curriculums to craft a unique syllabus with a British emphasis.
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299, p. 6778 0771. - German European School Singapore – GESS provides education in German following the German Curriculum and English education following the IB Curriculum.
Main campus, 72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760, p. 6469 1131.
Junior campus, 300 Jalan Jurong Kechil, Singapore 598668, p. 6461 0802.
Reggio Emilia
A philosophy of self guided curriculum where children learn in a supportive environment that enhances exploration and discovery.
- Blue House Nursery – Incredible campus that stimulates children’s creativity and offers other perks such as soccer taught from the International Soccer Academy, Mandarin, yoga, and music classes.
2 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287988, p. 6734 0824. - Odyssey, The Global Preschool – With two huge campuses surrounded by lush greenery, your little one benefits from the Chinese Language Immersion Program.
Visit them here for more information. - White Lodge Kindergartens & Schools of the Arts – With eight locations islandwide, White Lodge offers holistic education for children to develop their skills through art, drama, music, language, culture, and creative movement.
Visit White Lodge here for more information on programs and location information.
Montessori
A school of thought that recognises the uniqueness of the child, rewarding their individuality in learning. You can find Montessori-based schools throughout Singapore.
- Little Hands Montessori Kindergarten, 30 One Tree Hill, Singapore 248688, p. 6835.2354.
- Brighton Montessori – Offers an Intensive Chinese Immersion Program led by native Chinese teachers inclusive of speech, reading and writing. 370 River Valley Road, Singapore 248279, p. 63419336.
- Nurturing Roots Montessori Preschool – Offers instruction in Tamil and English,
3 Jalan Anak Bukit, #01-01 Sherwood Towers, Singapore 588998, p. 6464 8757.
- Modern Montessori Kindergarten – Let your kid beef up on their Tamil and Chinese language studies within a Montessori environment. 12 Kee Sun Avenue, Singapore 457037, p.6464 8757.
Mandarin language immersion
- Bibinogs – Friendly, play based 100% Mandarin Immersion drop-off programs Panda Pre-Nursery (18months – 2 years) and Dragon Nursery (3 – 4 years).
Locations at UE Square, East Coast, Serene Centre and Kings Arcade. - Two By Two Schoolhouse – Offers a 70:30 ratio of instruction (70% Mandarin) in a fun environment. Half day programs only.
46 East Coast Road, EastGate #01-03, Singapore 428766, p. 6245 0838. - The Childrens’ Place – 50/50 Mandarin and English creative childcare centre near Phoenix Park.
19 Kay Siang Road, Singapore 248935, p. 6472 3788. - LEAP SchoolHouse – Offers bilingual classes for kids aged 24-36 months and employs creative movement, catchy songs, story-reading, and even introduction to thematic activities.
180 Kitchener Road, City Square Mall #09-09/10, Singapore 208539, p. 6634 0828. - Chengzhu Mandarin Center, 100% Mandarin programs that include Chinese speech and drama, Chinese culture and more.
35 Rochester Drive, #03-01 Rochester Mall, Singapore 138639, p. 6737 5348. - Canadian International School – CIS, offers a bilingual Chinese-English programme for students aged 4 to 7 years. The programme is fully aligned to the IB PYP curriculum.
Lakeside Campus, 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414. Email, p. 6467 1732.
Tanjong Katong Campus, 371 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437128. Email, p. 6345 1573
Play-based learning
Although most preschools offer a version of play-based learning, we’ve listed some here to get you started.
- Pibo’s Garden
1 Dunearn Close, Singapore 299574, p. 6466 2639/7 Hua Guan Crescent, Singapore 589034, p. 6465 0019. - Pre-School By The Park
63 Shelford Road, Singapore 288453, p. 6462.0180. - Swallows and Amazons
200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994, p. 6762.8158. - Raintree Kindergarten
60 Kheam Hock Road, Singapore 298824, [email protected], p. 6474.6181. - Little Bunnies – The Outdoor Classroom
33 Hyderabad Road, Alexandra Park, Singapore 119578 p. 9759.8990.
Childcare options
If you’re due to work while the kids are at school you may want to consider a place that offers after school care facilities too. This will give you the flexibility to collect your kids when it fits with your working hours.
- Chiltern House – With six locations across Singapore, Chiltern House also accommodates kids with special needs. Also offers Mandarin classes. For locations, email [email protected] or visit the Chiltern House website here.
- Carpe Diem – Carpe Diem operates 20+ centres and has won awards for its commitment to childcare. Focusing on eight aspects of intelligence – naturalistic, linguistic, musical, logical, spatial, kinesthetic, intrapersonal and interpersonal – your child will develop to his/her full potential.
For more info on the Carpe Diem group of schools, email [email protected] or visit the Carpe Diem website. - Cambridge Child Development Centres – Packed with fun learning activities that help develop your child’s skills include drama, music, dance, and art, centres such as the Robertson Quay location have the additional benefit of Japanese language instruction.
Multiple locations across Singapore. Email [email protected] for more info. - Cherie Hearts – The largest childcare centre with over 60 centres. Engaging a philosophy of honing your child’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social and language (PIESL) skills, some centres take children as old as eleven.
Multiple locations across Singapore. Contact the Regional office at 689 East Coast Road, Singapore 459056, p. 6271 0080. - The Little Skool-house International – Bound by six guiding principles that enhance a child’s learning, kiddies are exposed to interactive literature and creative learning techniques to help build the foundation for a successful student career.
Locations at Mountbatten, River Valley and By the Crescent, p. 6509 7880.
Australian International School
Facilities
Some schools offer significant on-site spaces for swimming, running, music, performance, computer research and more. This may or may not be important to the needs and interests of your child. In some cases, a smaller school with less facilities may move the focus towards the quality of the teaching, which could be a great asset.
- UWCSEA – These two campuses have it all! Olympic-sized swimming pools, theatres, labs for IT and science, art studios, specialist language facilities, and more than 13 acres of land. Ranked one of the most prestigious and expensive schools in the world.
For more info, email [email protected]. - Carpe Diem Kidz – At this Carpe Diem Alexandra Park location, children are spoilt with a two-story treehouse, fish pond, animal farm, and spice garden! Great for little adventurers!
B Royal Road, Singapore 118303, p. 6275 0995. - Stamford American International School – A newly reconstructed campus offering state-of-the art facilities and programs for children up to Year 12. Bonus: students enrolled in KG2 and above receive their own iPad for school.
1 Woodleigh Lane, Singapore 347691, p. 6602.7247. - Swallows and Amazons – With a massive sandpit, two-storey treehouse and huge playgym, there’s no excuse for not having fun!
200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994, p. 6762 8158. - Canadian International School – Students at CIS enjoy state-of-the-art facilities for sport, music, Visual Art, drama and science. Two new makerspaces with latest cutting-edge design and music technology have recently been opened as the school expands its STEAM (Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts and Mathematics) interdisciplinary teaching philosophy and approach.
Lakeside Campus, 7 Jurong West Street 41 Singapore 649414. Email, p. 6467 1732.
Tanjong Katong Campus, 371 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437128. Email, p. 6345 1573 - Tanglin Trust – Inside the petals of this English rose you’ll find a plethora of tennis courts, sports and performing arts complexes, sports grounds, a 25-metre swimming pool, and playgrounds galore.
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299, p. 6778 0771. - Singapore American School
The world’s largest international school, this massive school boasts enough sports facilities to keep your kids entertained all day. Steeped in the American tradition of having a strong athletics program, at SAS you’ll find world-class facilities like ten indoor gyms, six football fields, eight swimming pools, thirteen tennis courts, and a partridge-in-a-pear-tree. Maybe not that last bit, though.
40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547, p. 6363 3403
Child to teacher ratio
Singapore’s Ministry of Education mandates a maximum student to teacher ratio of 1:20. Most preschools offer a better ratio than this. If you have a younger child, it will probably be important to target schools that can provide a more intimate scenario so that your child is getting the one on one attention they need in a setting where they can more easily become familiar with other children.
- Rosemount Kindergarten – Considered as having the lowest student-to-teacher ratio in Singapore.
25 Ettrick Terrace, Siglap, Singapore 258588, p.6446.4636. - Avondale Grammar School – Has a maximum student-to-teacher ratio of 1:8.
318 Tanglin Rd, Phoenix Park, Singapore 247979 p. 6258 8544. - EtonHouse – Guaranteeing a 1:15 maximum ratio, EtonHouse offers IB PYP, Reggio-Emilia curriculum in a smaller setting.
Many locations islandwide. - Stamford American International School – With a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:5 for nursery and 1:6 for pre-Kindergarten, SAIS has one of the lowest student-to-teacher ratios for preschool. Maximum student-to-teacher ratio is 1:24 at years 3 to 12.
1 Woodleigh Lane, Singapore 347691, p. 6602.7247. - Australian International School – Has a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:7 for preschool to prep school, with year 1 to year 5 at 1:12 and year 6 and above, 1:25.
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556818, p. 6517 0247.
- German European School Singapore – Has a student-to-teacher ratio of 2:17 for 3-6 year olds and average of 1:20 for grade 1 to grade 12.
Main campus, 72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760, p. 6469 1131.
Junior campus, 300 Jalan Jurong Kechil, Singapore 598668, p. 6461 0802.
Stamford American International School
Location
Singapore is geographically small but don’t underestimate how long it may take to get somewhere. Whether you are driving or using a bus service, the age of your child, extra curricular activities and homework commitments may influence how much time you want them to be travelling each way to and from school. If a particular school is very important to you then you may choose to live close to it. Alternatively, if you’ve accepted a property a long way from your preferred school you may want to look at some other schools closer to home.
Preschools
Avondale Preschool
Blue House International School & Nursery
Australian International School
Learning Vision
Brighton Montessori
Odyssey, The Global Preschool
The Garden House
German European School Singapore
Read more about choosing a school in Singapore here, and check out our handy school selector tool here.