[Bukit Timah] Primary Schools

[VooVoo]

verykiasu2010:

if i remember correctly, u just started pv right ? next year registration ?

Yah...just started PV...will be within 1km, hope not to ballot in phase 2B...

[verykiasu2010]

Busymom:

The experience of a friend several years ago was quite different. In her case, she felt that she was expeted by her DD's teacher(s) to teach her DD in advance of the syllabus... anyway, in the end, they transferred to another school.

I have heard that the test papers in RGPS are quite tough, which implies that standards are high? :?

it is comparable with Nanhua, Catholic High, Ai Tong, St Nic, NYPS, Henry Park, Taonan

[verykiasu2010]

VooVoo:

Yah...just started PV...will be within 1km, hope not to ballot in phase 2B...

sounds quite secure for you

[caroline3sg]

Funz:

My girl is currently in P1 in RGPS. My niece, P6 in RGPS. I must say I am pretty amazed at how RGPS goes about their curriculum. Especially when compared to my friends who have kids in NYPS, PHPPS, Cath High, HPPS...

Funz,
Jun hols, there is compulsory 3 days or so for those taking PSLE to return to sch for lesson.

For maths, generally yes, one is expected to be advanced in syllabus. For P5, the homework load is more than lower/mid primary. And when comes P6, there are tons of top sch exam papers to be done.

It was mentioned somewhere that for P1, they are fed with same old rice as in kindergarten. So there is not much tuition needed. If you ask your DD's friends' parents when come mid to upper pri, how many has no tuition? Maybe only a few bright ones or GEP ones. Then why Learning Lab is full of RGPS students? How about centres like Lorna Whiston, Morris Allen, TienHsia, Newton Apple, all these centres' slots are full and have long waiting list.

Outside academics, RGPS programmes are varied:
1) swimming
2) photography
3) home economics

[Funz]

caroline3sg:

Funz,
Jun hols, there is compulsory 3 days or so for those taking PSLE to return to sch for lesson.

For maths, generally yes, one is expected to be advanced in syllabus. For P5, the homework load is more than lower/mid primary. And when comes P6, there are tons of top sch exam papers to be done.

It was mentioned somewhere that for P1, they are fed with same old rice as in kindergarten. So there is not much tuition needed. If you ask your DD's friends' parents when come mid to upper pri, how many has no tuition? Maybe only a few bright ones or GEP ones. Then why Learning Lab is full of RGPS students? How about centres like Lorna Whiston, Morris Allen, TienHsia, Newton Apple, all these centres' slots are full and have long waiting list.

Outside academics, RGPS programmes are varied:
1) swimming
2) photography
3) home economics

Yah, forgot about that, my niece was back to school 3 days before the school reopened during the June hols.

Like I said, it is based on my experience only, others may experience differently. Just like my friends who are struggling with their P1s in other schools, one of which is NYPS, verykiasu2010 has a different experience with her kids in that school.

I am not saying everyone in RGPS don't have tuition, just relating what I have experienced so far and what I see my niece going through compared to what my friends have been telling me about their experience.

My experience so far is very different from the impression that I got b4 DD started P1 in RGPS(basically, well, the usual, tough school , very high std, must have tuition, expected to teach ahead of syllabus, teachers never teach and expect kids to know, etc). Yes, DD is only in P1 so there is more to come.

As to why all those enrichment ctrs have long waiting list? Dun think it is only becos of RGPS lah. Basically most parents want to give their kids a bit of an edge as much as possible, be they from RGPS or other schools.

[KSP]

caroline3sg:

Funz:

My girl is currently in P1 in RGPS. My niece, P6 in RGPS. I must say I am pretty amazed at how RGPS goes about their curriculum. Especially when compared to my friends who have kids in NYPS, PHPPS, Cath High, HPPS...

Funz,
Jun hols, there is compulsory 3 days or so for those taking PSLE to return to sch for lesson.

For maths, generally yes, one is expected to be advanced in syllabus. For P5, the homework load is more than lower/mid primary. And when comes P6, there are tons of top sch exam papers to be done.

It was mentioned somewhere that for P1, they are fed with same old rice as in kindergarten. So there is not much tuition needed. If you ask your DD's friends' parents when come mid to upper pri, how many has no tuition? Maybe only a few bright ones or GEP ones. Then why Learning Lab is full of RGPS students? How about centres like Lorna Whiston, Morris Allen, TienHsia, Newton Apple, all these centres' slots are full and have long waiting list.

Outside academics, RGPS programmes are varied:
1) swimming
2) photography
3) home economics

I agree. Most of the kids were over taught during their pre-schools which make their P1 and P2 so smooth sailing. Moreover I feel P1 and P2 are like honeymoon. My dd is in RGPS P2 this year and the workload is almost the same as in P1. She is still enjoying her honeymoon.

But by talking to the mid and upper pri parents, the stress comes in from P3 where they have streaming, GEP and PSLE. Most of the parents I talked to sent their dd to TLL for either English or Maths, some both.

Yes, by looking at so many students in TLL (and other branded enrichment centres) one can easily tell they are really going for academic acahievements.

[verykiasu2010]

I hazard to guess that parents treating P1 & P2 as honeymoon years will regret it later in P3 when they find the going tough as the P3 standard is a wide gap above P2, plus an additional subject in Science


If the kids are self motivated and competitive among themselves, parents may be can "take a back seat" in P1 and P2…and still catch up in P3 before disappointment and disillusion sets in.

If kids are just getting by (oh now no exams, can’t say below 80 marks), it will be a struggle when coming into P3, then P4 and then another big gap going up to P5.

Please don’t be naive - they are streamed accord to their performance. If the scores are not impressive in P2, they will be similarly grouped in P3, and they will not be any pressure to push on among themselves in the same class.

On the other hand, if they are grouped together with those around the same high performance, they will push themselves harder if they start to fall behind. Some of these observations are subtle…by the time parents realised it, it will be way past SA1 in P3, perhaps through one of those meet-the-parent sessions…then all the desperation to find tutors etc etc

It is also a fallacy to think that PSLE preparation starts at the beginning in P6. At the end of year (P4) briefing, parents are told in no uncertain terms that PSLE preparation starts in P5, in fact, right after the P4 EOY report books are handed out.

It is no surprise that DSA applicants have to furnish P4, P5 and P6 results.

Any of you are free to disagree with what I share. May be in 6 years time some of you would recall this posting I made

As a matter if fact, I do not agree with doing away with exams in P1 & P2. It will result in greater shock to the kids when they reach P3. They should at least have the EOY exams

[Busymom]

Thanks for your post above, certainly will bear that in mind. I do agree there should be a year-end exam (topical tests are really quite different), but MOE seems to be advocating it away…


So which of these schools (NYPS, RGPS, SCGS) do not have SA1 or SA1 in p1 and p2?

[verykiasu2010]

Busymom:

Thanks for your post above, certainly will bear that in mind. I do agree there should be a year-end exam (topical tests are really quite different), but MOE seems to be advocating it away...


So which of these schools (NYPS, RGPS, SCGS) do not have SA1 or SA1 in p1 and p2?

I know NYPS has done away with it liao

[caroline3sg]

If I am not wrong, RGPS P1 does not have SA1 but have SA2. Not sure about P2.