All About International Schools

[Chengkek]

Dear all,


I’m about to be posted to Shanghai. DD is born in 2008 December and we’re expecting to return to Singapore in 2016 - P2 for DD.

Any suggestion on:

1) Which international school in Shanghai is good and worth considering?
2) What do i need to do to make sure I can still register for the primary school that I want in Singapore?

Thanks!

[wushixiancn]

Singapore international school in shanghai is a good choice for you.

[shaber]

Chengkek:

Dear all,


I'm about to be posted to Shanghai. DD is born in 2008 December and we're expecting to return to Singapore in 2016 - P2 for DD.

Any suggestion on:

1) Which international school in Shanghai is good and worth considering?
2) What do i need to do to make sure I can still register for the primary school that I want in Singapore?

Thanks!

Hi

Just to share with you that my kids did not attend Singapore Int Sch while we were in shanghai when DH was posted there from 2004-09. The Singapore Int Sch there uses the spore school textbooks and has some sporean teachers there but it is not registered or recognized by the MOE. The school has a large Asian population comprising largely Singapore and other SE Asian nationalities.

We picked the Amercan system for their pre-school and later moved them to the British system when they were ready for Grade 1. We have no regrets and our kids thoroughly enjoyed the different style of teaching. They had very good exposure and learn phonics and creativity in their early years from native speakers. The only thing lacking was MT as it was very different from Singapore . As the schools need to cater to other nationalities who want to learn Chinese, the language was taught in a \"fun\" way and it wasn't the same standard as Singapore. We supplemented by purchasing local textbooks and get tutors to teach them at home, it worked!

Well it all depends on what you are looking for. If you are worried that your kids will not be able to \" integrate\" when you return , then the Singapore school in Shanghai may be your choice. For us, we didn't want them to go through the rough road and would rather they have a more \" international\" school life and so we picked the western int schools, but of course, the fees in these schools are also much higher that the Singapore Int school in Shg.
If your company is paying then it should not even be an issue.

My kids returned to join p3 and p2 and the integration was smooth. Note that these schools register children not based on the same birth year, normally kids born after Aug 31 will start a year later compared to their peers in Singapore. My son is also a Dec child and was still in kindergarten when we left for Singapore, he went straight to P 2.

I advised you to do some research and visit some int schools on your preview trip to understand better.

When your child is ready for p1 registration, do check the dates on MOE website in advance and you can register through the Singapore Embassy in Shanghai according to the phase you are eligible, just like you'd do so in Singapore. Alternatively, you can return to Singapore to register in person.

Hope this helps.

[jilltan]

Hi, has anyone heard of or enrolled his/her kids in the Winstedt School? It is also called Learn Different. Any feedback is welcome, thanks!

[Canvas]

Local kids can attend International schools up to year 1 (until the December before starting primary 1 in local schools). However, if a child has some learning problems, special needs or have lived abroad for a substantial amount of time, the child can continue attending the Elementary/middle/high schools. There are a handful of students who started out at local schools but couldn’t cope and transferred to international schools. One thing to consider is the school fees which can be as high as $2k per month. There are a few tiers of international schools (fees and facilities), for example ISS international school is much more affordable than UWC (long waiting list) but doesn’t have its own pool etc. Hope that helps.

[sweetbaby]

Canvas:

Local kids can attend International schools up to year 1 (until the December before starting primary 1 in local schools). However, if a child has some learning problems, special needs or have lived abroad for a substantial amount of time, the child can continue attending the Elementary/middle/high schools. There are a handful of students who started out at local schools but couldn't cope and transferred to international schools. One thing to consider is the school fees which can be as high as $2k per month. There are a few tiers of international schools (fees and facilities), for example ISS international school is much more affordable than UWC (long waiting list) but doesn't have its own pool etc. Hope that helps.

Thx canvas. Do you know whether the schools provide tours before enrollment? Where can I find a list of international schools especially British curriculum? MOE website?

[Canvas]

sweetbaby:

Canvas:

Local kids can attend International schools up to year 1 (until the December before starting primary 1 in local schools). However, if a child has some learning problems, special needs or have lived abroad for a substantial amount of time, the child can continue attending the Elementary/middle/high schools. There are a handful of students who started out at local schools but couldn't cope and transferred to international schools. One thing to consider is the school fees which can be as high as $2k per month. There are a few tiers of international schools (fees and facilities), for example ISS international school is much more affordable than UWC (long waiting list) but doesn't have its own pool etc. Hope that helps.

Thx canvas. Do you know whether the schools provide tours before enrollment? Where can I find a list of international schools especially British curriculum? MOE website?

Yes, make a call to the school and the friendly admission personnel will bring you around. You may also ask about their curriculum during the tour. While some schools seem to be more British (like Dover Court etc), many schools follow a certain curriculum, for e.g: IB PYP/MYP programme which many universities around the world recognise. You can try google-ing for the list of international schools in Singapore. Do bear in mind that most international schools are more about character building instead of achieving academic excellence. There is no exams in elementary level, but plenty of group projects.

[sweetbaby]

Thx Canvas

[bpr81]

Hi All,


I am a Singapore citizen while my wife is a SPR. My kid is also a Singapore citizen. For the past few weeks, I have trying to find information on how I can get my kid to enroll in an international school. The local school system though great and proclaimed as world class does have its own drawbacks like emphasis on rote learning, exam pressures, Singlish etc. These are pretty significant for me since I would like to have my son go through a more broad based education (like IB PYP) and instill a joy for learning.

Since a MOE approval is required, I was wondering whether anyone in these forums has gone through this process and can answer a few questions:
1) When does the process need to be initiated if I want to get my son into primary international school? ( like month/quarter of the year)
2) Other than health reasons, is there a provision for appeal solely based on the fact that one of the parents is not a Singapore Citizen?
3) Any idea of the success rate?

Emigration is an option which I am seriously considering if all else fails, though I wish it does not come to that.

Appreciate your help.

[chickenpox]

I have intend to put my DD in the international school gifted programme but was rejected by MOE even the int’l school has already accepted my DD’s enrolment. MOE wanted my DD to wait till P3 to sit for the GEP exams and go for GEP Programme in P4 even we had submitted them her IQ report and the fact that she is a Mensa member. Anybody any idea what other alternatives I can take as I am afraid normal stream school is unable to nurture her full potential and keep her challenged. Thanks in advance.