An expat parent’s guide to schools in Singapore

Picking a school for the kids is usually one of the toughest decisions parents have to make. Even more so if the fam bam just moved to a new country and is still in the midst of settling in! Whether you’re new to Singapore, or still searching for the perfect school for your child - fret not, we’re here to help you decipher the Singapore education landscape and schooling options for your child.

Types of schools in Singapore

There are mainly two types of schools in Singapore: local government and independent schools that mostly follow the Singaporean curriculum; and international schools that offer a variety of curricula and academic pathways.

Local schools International schools

Can a non-Singaporean citizen attend a local school? Yes - as long as you fulfil the requirements. Singapore’s education system is ranked as one of the best in the world. Students join Primary 1 at around six years of age, and usually start pre-university studies at 16 years old. With over 300 schools around the country, you’ll be bound to find one that’s within or nearby your neighbourhood. International students will need to sit for the Admissions Exercise for International Students test to be considered for admission. You can check out the Singapore Ministry of Education’s website for more details about the admission process and requirements. Curious to know more? Read about our HoneyKids mum Tracy’s thoughts on having one child in an international school and two children in the local school system.

As the name suggests, international schools cater to the international community in Singapore (ie. you!). The curriculum differs according to each school: some follow the International Baccalaureate (IB), some follow the IGCSE, and some follow the national curricula of specific countries - we’ll explain more about this later in our Let’s Talk Curricula article on page 27. As these schools are operated by independent education groups, the admission procedure for each school is different as well. But this is no cause for alarm! The Admissions Teams at all international schools are more than happy to guide you on the process and requirements. Plus, they even offer school tours for prospective families as well. Just get in touch with your shortlisted schools (psst… we’ve got a directory full of them in this guide) and let the search begin!

Essential Information

Year established

2002

Location

SMART campus: 27 Punggol Field Walk, S828649.

East Coast campus: 82 Cheviot Hill, S459663.

Age taught

2.5 - 18 years

School hours

9am - 3:30pm