SPERS-Sec - IP schools?
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slmkhoo:
Thanks again! Your daughter is very bright to be able do very well in the PSLE while studying a different curriculum. I think she should have no problem coping in sec school. All the best!
RGS. I don't know what the 'normal' curriculum is in sec schools, and I don't really know how RGS handles the various subjects either. I am just going by what is on the curriculum outline (on the school website) and some of the test papers (also on the school website at my request). The textbooks are the standard textbooks though some 'O' level ones are also on the booklist. I think that every school has its own way to doing things and its own schedule for teaching the various topics. My thinking is that since there is no way I can replicate RGS for my daughter, I am just aiming to help her gain an understanding of the topics, and she will have to do the rest when she gets back. Since it's an IP school, she has 4.5 yrs before the 'A' levels, so she should have ample time. She is currently studying a US curriculum, so she will have more 'conversion' to do than your son. She coped pretty well last year preparing for the PSLE while studying a US curriculum, so I am hoping she will manage OK in sec school too.Kingfisher:
Dear slmkhoo, thank you very much for sharing your experience.
I will request for the booklist too and get some of the books if he goes into an IP school. If he is doing the 'o' levels, I am not so concern as his current school more or less follows the Singapore curriculum and he is half a year ahead of his peers. Do you or any mums know if there is any similarity (eg. subjects) at all between the IP curriculum and 'o' levels for the initial 2 years at least?
May I know which IP school is your daughter in if you don't mind. -
emoh:
Maybe you can still get your child to consider a dual programme school and if your child can do well, there is a possibility to convert to the IP track at Sec 3 in the same school?[/quote]Thanks! We may consider this option.
This will be a good option but in the letter, it stated that if he opts for the schools which offers dual programme, he will be offered the O-level programme.Kingfisher:
[quote]Other possibility could be to choose a school which offers dual programme, meaning both IP and the O Levels so that if the student is not able to cope with IP, he can still stay in the same school and switch to the O Level programme.
Schools such as: Victoria, Catholic High, ACS(I) and St Joseph's Institution offers both programmes. Note that the first 2 would lead to A Levels while the last 2 would lead to the IB Diploma. -
Kingfisher:
Just curious if u dun mind care to share your final choices of schools ?
Thanks! We may consider this option.emoh:
Maybe you can still get your child to consider a dual programme school and if your child can do well, there is a possibility to convert to the IP track at Sec 3 in the same school? -
emoh:
Just curious if u dun mind care to share your final choices of schools ?[/quote]I will just list the first 3 choices here which is compulsory..1st-HCI, 2nd-Dunman High, 3rd-Catholic High.
Thanks! We may consider this option.Kingfisher:
[quote=\"emoh\"]
Maybe you can still get your child to consider a dual programme school and if your child can do well, there is a possibility to convert to the IP track at Sec 3 in the same school? -
Hi Kingfisher,
We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus? -
mystuff_corner:
What does SPERS stand for?Hi Kingfisher,
We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus? -
mummy so kiasu:
Supplementary Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans.
What does SPERS stand for?mystuff_corner:
Hi Kingfisher,
We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus? -
mystuff_corner:
Hi! My ds will likely be doing spers next year tooHi Kingfisher,
We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus? -
mystuff_corner:
Hi mystuff_cornerHi Kingfisher,
We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus?
Before the SPERS-Sec tests, I have absolutely no idea what will be tested, only hear-say that it will be all MCQs and IQ questions so you can't really study for it.. so I wrote to MOE and was told this :...\"applicants will be expected to know and be familiar with the Singapore syllabus of the subject at the level preceding the level of the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans - Secondary (SPERS-Sec) tests (e.g. applicants who are seeking admission into Secondary 2 will be assessed on topics covered in Secondary 1)\".
For English, again I have no idea what is the Singapore syllabus..so I just get him to revise according to the format of the test http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/spers-sec/supplementary-exercise/info-on-tests/. For composition, he just read the compositions he had written in school and take note of the teacher's comments on how he can improve. For the MCQ questions, I bought a 4-in-1 English assessment book while I was in Singapore during the summer vacation but he only focus on doing the grammar and vocabulary MCQs due to time constraints. He only started revision 1 month before the SPERS tests as he had a lot of homework from school since he started sec 1 and also he was more interested in playing computer games than studying for the SPERS test whenever he had spare time.
As for Math, I think it helps that DS is studying Singapore Math, using the same textbk as his peers therefore saving me the time to teach him from scratch. For revision, I printed out other schools' past year SA2 papers from the internet http://www.test-paper.info for him to do. He managed to do 4 papers. He said there were about 10 questions on patterns in the SPERS paper, I guess these are the so called IQ questions.
I hope the above helps and feel free to msg me if you have any questions. -
Kingfisher,
Thanks for your information. Do you know how many EL essay writing questions? Which country do you live in now?
I have piece of information on Math text book used in both IP and Non-IP school:
NJC use Mathematics Matters Express Textbook Sec 1 and 2 published by Marshall Cavendish Education Sec year 1.
A non IP school use Mathematics 1, with consultant Dr Yeap Bon Har, Shing Lee Publishing