Heh..heh..she going in in January next year..she's excited abt linking bridge and air - con rooms..and ..long long escalator (The building is very tall)

No worries..!

SOTA - S chool O f T he A rts

//Editor's note: Topic selected & edited for http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/getting-sota-school-arts-parents-experience.


SOTA students admitted via what they call TAlent Camps or Talent Auditions ( Theatre/Music/Visual Arts/Dance) .This is conducted twice - once in March / the other in June.

I'll relate my experience to tell you how my kid got into SOTA.

I went for one of their talks when she was in P4 or P5 to find out their requirements for admission(I had already read it on the website but wanted to hear it from them)It was then I learnt I had to prepare a portfolio of my kid's art works(Visual Arts) and I had to sign up for one of their talent auditions in her P6 year(mine was in June 2009 this becos I heard it's better for them to be well rested- June got one month break compared to March which has only one week)In addition, I learnt that if your child is confirmed a place after the Talent Auditions , in this case applied under DSA, whether in the end the kid gets into SOTA depends on her PSLE results.She must do well enough to get into Express stream .

And the story continues.. :idea:

At the beginning of Jan 2009, I signed her up for Talent audition via website of which my kid was allocated an admisssion number. Her form and payment of $150 had to be submitted via post or by hand by a certain date.( The $150 is refunded via first month's fees of the first school tem when she child becomes a SOTA student)She was given a date to come for auditions.(this letter comes later ,2 weeks before auditions)

Then there was an OPen House by SOTA (can't remember if it is in end of last year 2008 or beginning of this year 2009) I could not make it on that day as I was working so I asked a friend of mine to bring my child. I needed my girl to find out abot the school and if she liked the 'vibe' - it's a six year prog. leading to the IB diploma and the school days are long (abt 8 to 4pm) Besides the daily training of the Arts fields-3 hrs a day- she still must go for classes in the various academic disciplines. (Whatever I am writing here is what I learnt from their talks as my dd has yet to atttend her first day of school )
My friend informed me that during the Open House, there was a talk given and they mentioned kids must get at least aggregate 230 during their PSLE to get into SOTA.

Anyhow my dd got into SOTA via DSA (confirmed place) and after the PSLE exams saga was over, we all began to worry if she would make it for the COP (as stated above)
Kiasu parents always worry ..regardless...sigh..'personiality' hazard!!

Between the time after PSLEs were over and the time the results were released, just before the end of school term, you have to confirm if your kid wants to accept the DSA offer.At this time,To help us understand SOTA better, SOTA invited the parents to a talk to detail the curriculum and the IB diploma better so that we would know what her schooling years would be like at this specialised school of the arts.At the talk, it was mentioned - whether DSA students get into SOTA would depend on PSLE results-must get into Express stream (Express stream 200 and above?)

Anyhow my dd got aggregate of 240+ (after blood , sweat and tears over her Mother Tongue and Maths!!)

Her classmate who auditioned for Dance (received a confirmed offer for Dance) had 220+ also got in.They will be reporting for school on the 23rd of December.

Hope this information helps..

You can get addititional details on their website.

don't have cop for sota -- 2010 not first batch --maybe the third or fourth batch already..admissions based on talent camp held ..in march and june ..kid must go thru' auditions..THIS is the only time sota will take in students..

Hi ! I'm trying to start a group for SOTA going :lol: My kid is going to SOTA year one 2010 and it would be great to know parents whose kids are there too!!

Hi smurf,


Teka is pricey ...mayer's better...My sis who's an avid cook swears by it over these twelve years..I have a Teka combi oven -microwave and oven purpose..that's why I chose Teka over Mayer/Ariston because they did not have that function..Also go test the buttons.controls for the oven before purchase because if u don't 'feel good' operating it...chances are when u get it in your home, it won't feel good cooking with it! Heh heh..hope this helps!!

Hi , I am a newbie and I feel so gratified to read reassuring replies to mum’s ‘panic attack’ son’s situation.


I was just thinking of what last minute things (act like a coach) to my younger daughter (pr. 3)'cos her maths exam today - and I ran through what it might be like as a student sitting for Maths exam - and I realised that if I were to instruct all that advice like ‘check , write unit of measurement’…she will feel tense and may not read the question and that would get her detrimental results…

so I just decided to highlight the positive and tell her her maths is not bad and it just depends on what she wants to get for her paper.

the giving of confidence helps, I think.

Hi , I am a newbie and I feel so gratified to read reassuring replies to mum’s ‘panic attack’ son’s situation.


I was just thinking of what last minute things (act like a coach) to my younger daughter (pr. 3)'cos her maths exam today - and I ran through what it might be like as a student sitting for Maths exam - and I realised that if I were to instruct all that advice like ‘check , write unit of measurement’…she will feel tense and may not read the question and that would get her detrimental results…

so I just decided to highlight the positive and tell her her maths is not bad and it just depends on what she wants to get for her paper.

the giving of confidence helps, I think.