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Whitewindy,

Thanks for your reply and sharing!

Unfortunately, my daughter has to come off her IFC so our options are limited. She'll have to go in and learn to like the environment cos everywhere else possible is full....

Fingers crossed things will work out
I did notice that \"Mandarin\" was a specific lesson on the timetable.
I'm not familiar with how effective that is, because my son has always been in a bilingual learning environment - 1 English/ 1 Chinese teacher attached to the class...

Tanglin’s Principal (Ms Ada) organized a Curriculum Briefing in March and I really enjoyed the 2-hour session. She and her teachers had taken the effort to prep for the day, as parents were invited to join in the Music class + mini Sports event after the PowerPoint presentation.

My child is in Playgroup, so I don’t have very high expectations on learning outcomes, but it was nice to see how he enjoys his music lesson.

I was surprised to hear that my friend’s 4-year-old (who has attended Pat’s for more than a year now) is still learning to recognize the alphabet.
In contrast, my 3-year-old transferred to Pat’s already knowing his upper/ lower-case letters. So there must be some truth that other schools are more academically-focussed (I.e. intensive drilling) because my child learns at average pace.

Nonetheless, I am happy with what kiddo picks up from Letterland - he hums the tunes, identifies with the characters and can now express himself with stories he makes up on the go.
I see him becoming more confident, more articulate and surprisingly close to more than 1 of his teachers. All the intangibles that warrant the premium I guess.

Hi wenwen,

I’m queuing to place my 18-mo into Playgroup.

The admin lady was very nice to brief me on their teaching philosophy despite my abrupt walk-in, but they seem very busy all the time (I called once and was told it was peak hours for them) and for a Montessori school, she was trying to keep the pen/ paper off my restless child’s hands.

I didn’t manage to look at the premises because classes were on.
Is the interior very cramped and do the kids have outdoor playground time?
Appreciate if you could share a bit more about the core activities your daughters’ curriculums are built around?

Many thanks in advance!

And yes, MFS teacher: child ratio is very high.

1:8 was my experience, 24 kids to 3 teachers at the time of our exit (so you can imagine the chaos when 1 teacher takes MC!)

Because the cohort is large, some of the teachers find it hard to engage my boy as he doesn’t like sitting down too long (I am told he continues to fiddle and explore during class time at Pat’s!)

So far, we’ve been getting a weekly lesson debrief (about things they learn in class - called Playground Chatter?) + my son seems to be more vocally expressive about bits & bobs he heard in school, it does seem like he is liking it.

Karl12,


We were on Pat’s waiting list long before we got our MFS vacancy!
There were a few reasons we decided to do the switch:
1. Core of all, MFS had a very organised curriculum, but lacks the teachers and support to deliver content.
On some days when teachers are absent and they are short handed, the toddler class was left to do their own activity (aka fiddle with toys).

The quality of teaching staff can vary widely.
I’ve tagged along for 1 school excursion, but I didn’t think the Teacher-In-Charge maximized the learning opportunities nor planned the content very well.
My child’s MFS Chinese teacher was very old-school, even I couldn’t identify with her during PTMs.
Comparably, the teachers at Pat’s Tanglin are really passionate with their charges. My child never fails to give his Chinese teacher a hug before going home, unprompted. I think that says a lot.

2. I felt the Letterland system provided a very comprehensive and cohesive foundation. 8 weeks in, my child is telling me about Annie Apple and Dippy Duck and humming the songs when I prompt him.

3. The bilingual immersion feature works for my child.
Having both English and Chinese teachers assigned to the class allows my child to see how the language blends into daily activities and keeps it relevant/ timely for him.
At MFS, Mandarin came in the form of Chinese lessons.
At Pat’s, I see the language cottoning on to my child in the form of fun/ daily conversations/ frequently used terms.

So yes, I could see very concrete learning objectives at MFS and the fees were way more affordable. But I saw/ felt a lot more passion from Principal Ada and her staff when they are interacting with the children.
Plus, my child is still enthusiastic about "going Pat’s" every morning, unlike some days when he was at MFS.

Hi,

I’m a full-time working mom as well.

My elder is at a "premium preschool".
I’ve just come to realize that instead of the stated 1-7pm, the school only operates from 1.30pm - 5.30pm (pick your child up any later than 5.30pm and you will have to pay a "fine").
The lights go off by 6-ish and they have more holidays and non-teaching days than a semi-government childcare.
Most of the kids there get picked up by their domestic helpers or grandparents.

If your job requires you to work standard hours, you may be better off exploring places like PCF or My First Skool.
My younger child is in the latter’s infantcare and their hours span 7am - 7pm. She goes with me to work (the childcare is just 5 minutes’ walk from my office) and I pick her up at late 6-ish after work. We take the bus to/fro.

The proximity also means it is less of a mad dash to fetch her if I’m held up at the office.
Plus, I don’t have to anxious about unreliable public transport/ train glitches on my way to pick her.

My younger child’s infantcare is only allowed (by MSF) to close for 5.5 days a year.
No funny self-declared half days or non-teaching days.
Which means you have a more dependable operator and can conserve your leave for when the kids fall ill.

empressplace, MFS = My First Skool


I liked that my child's former school had parental involvement activities.
They invite the parents along for excursions (based on their learning theme for the term), have assignment sheets that require parents' help (e.g. doing a piece of craft together) and update us on what the learning objectives are at the start of every term.
Parents are briefed on show-and-tell requirements, we do a little write-up so the teacher can help the child along if he/ she is unable to articulate certain concepts and we get to see photos/ debrief of the activity at the half-yearly PTM.
I've even taken up the teacher's invitation to read a book at my child's class - my kid was so fascinated that Mommy was sitting in the storyteller's chair

Actually I do feel quite paiseh to always raise pointed questions to Pat's admin.
But some things are quite important to me - like spelling my kid's name correctly and ensuring he has a fixed/ proper space to place his bag + shoes to build a sense of belonging and be able to locate his stuff independently.
I was really quite upset by the whole setup in the first month. It's not a new centre but it feels like they couldn't cope.

My only consolation so far, is that my child looks forward to going to Pat's and seems to have an affinity with a couple of his teachers.
I'm hoping my gut discomfort is part of the initial settling-in process...

empressplace, thank you for your sharing


Yes, we dropped him off at morning class starting today, and there was a teacher on duty at the door - although parents were still waltzing in and out without temperature declarations or hand sanitizing.
At afternoon drop-offs, the gate is unmanned. Parents are asked to take kid's temp and record on their own. I have seen parents signing in \"37.7\", \"37.8\"!!

My child's shoe cubby was not ready, we were left wondering what to do next until we grabbed one of the admins to ask.
We weren't told about the portal either - though I know of it existing based on forum discussions and from friends.
I fully agree that they aren't particularly well-organized.

With regards to child updates.
My child spent 17 months at MFS before switching over to Pat's.
At his old school (which charges about 25% of Pat's fees), we had daily updates when we went to pick him up, despite the bigger cohort.
The teachers also conscientiously compile a portfolio of artwork/ progress observations and photos for the half-yearly PTM. Really quite impressive considering they have to mind more kids with longer hours (typically 9-7pm)!

I guess, at the back of my mind, the subtle comparisons are inevitable.
I was expecting a bit more, given the hefty price tag.

And you are probably right in that I have to sharpen my own communication skills - to sound less complaining and soliciting feedback in a less aggressive manner
It's just quite a lot of kids and chaos at Pat's. I feel sometimes I have to repeat/ speak up in order to understand what is happening.

Hi,

My kid has also had a month @ Tanglin now, but I have some nagging concerns.
Wonder if any Pat’s-seasoned parent can enlighten?

1. Why do the teachers not check temp/ HFMD at the door?
Currently, the parents take their kid’s temp, self-record and that seems to end there. I have not seen the teachers checking the kids before they enter the classroom either.
How do they then keep the suspect cases at bay?

2. Is there a set curriculum, like this-term-we-learn-about-the-weather?
Or having fixed activity (e.g. Water play) days?
So far, I have seen stuff pasted in the communication booklet, but there is no individualized observation. Apart from hearing my kid’s enthusiasm to go school, I know very little else about what kiddo does there.

My kiddo’s teachers are nice and gentle with the kids, but I honestly don’t feel like they connect with me as a parent on an individual basis.
Is one month too short to be making observations like these? What is the steady state like, esp at other Pat’s branches?

I had signed up on the strength of Principal Ada, but as it is, I rarely see her at afternoon drop-offs this month.