Annual Report 2021-22

ANNUAL REPORT 2021-2022

Chief Executive Officer

I would like to acknowledge and thank the faculty and business staff at Tanglin. My colleagues have been nothing short of amazing in ensuring that students have been supported, nurtured and appropriately challenged. This has been critical in a world where physical, emotional and mental wellbeing have been threatened by the impositions of various restrictions. The school undertook several initiatives in 2019 in framing the One School, Exciting Futures strategic plan. Significant dialogue and consideration took place to identify key areas for development. Some of our larger strategic goals were achieved, while a number were impacted by restrictions. The plan was due for review at the end of 2021 but given two years of disruption, it felt prudent to expend a little more time addressing some of our goals.

We are thrilled to have developed a revised plan entitled 100 Years of Excellence. This strategic framework incorporates the thematic focus to key areas of school life, namely: Inspired Learners, Flourishing Individuals, Personal Best, Team Tanglin, Sustainable Future and Our People. Significant achievements have occurred in each of these areas. In keeping with the school’s focus on being one school, three whole school committees have operated to support our aspirations. The academic, pastoral and co-curricular committees coordinate cross-school approaches to develop Inspired Learners, Flourishing Individuals and students achieving their Personal Best. This clear focus has allowed us to develop each key element of school life.

Craig Considine Chief Executive Officer

Our community became fragmented between 2019 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Team Tanglin is central to our strategic focus as we drive to re-establish the richness of personal interaction that defines all communities. When schools were able to reopen fully in Singapore in March 2022, a significant effort was made to bridge the gap between the barren event landscape and what one would normally expect in a dynamic and vibrant institution such as Tanglin. Student performances, music ensembles, House and year group sporting activities, parent events and a cocktail event for Friends of Tanglin at the British Club all engaged our families and students. This will continue into the new year.

As 2021/22 progressed, key areas became more apparent, and special projects have been developed to ensure that appropriate resources and focus are in place in the years ahead. These Special Projects are being led by members of our teaching and business teams. With the support of the management team, our colleagues ensure coordination across the three schools and our business teams to align the experiences of our students and broader school community. Our special projects include:

Digital First: Tanglin utilises a range of software systems to manage day-to-day activities. Like many schools, however, Tanglin has been grappling with various legacy systems. We are currently consolidating and migrating various systems to the Cloud. We are also redefining the way we store and optimise data, how we manage increased digital and cyber risks, ensure good data governance, and how we ensure our teachers and business executives are trained for their future. For example, all staff undertake PDPA training to ensure we understand how to manage personal data appropriately.

Sustainability: There has been tremendous support for the Sustainability strategic project from all areas of the school. The project kicked off in February 2022 with a working group of 30 staff members, representing school faculty as well as business departments, including Operations, Procurement and the Corporate Secretariat. Tanglin has much to be proud of in the way that it has promoted environmental responsibility and sustainable practices in the past - a big part of which was devoted to ‘greenifying’ our campus through various initiatives implemented in our infrastructure, facilities and housekeeping.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ): 2021-22 saw a renewed focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) at Tanglin Trust School. 17 staff from across the Infant, Junior, Senior schools and Business team completed a 7-month long DEIJ training course with the consultant Angie Browne. This explored DEIJ through the lens of the protected characteristics including race, disability, sex and religion. We looked at current research and best practices around providing for these characteristics in schools, and began to explore actions that Tanglin might take to make our school more inclusive for all. These include training for staff, curriculum changes and ensuring the physical environment is accessible.

The Institute: The Institute at Tanglin has started well. In Term 3 the Institute Working Committee was formed, comprising Tanglin faculty and staff. We have also formed an Institute Advisory Group, made up of Tanglin parents with a wealth of experience in various business, corporate and professional settings who have provided critical guidance on vision, strategy, and possible directions. Based on consultations with these groups and other stakeholders, we have agreed on a vision for

the Institute – a forum that inspires, challenges and prepares the next generation of leaders in our community, by promoting excellence, providing thought leadership, and encouraging discourse.

100 Years of Excellence: To celebrate its legacy and heritage, a passionate team of Tanglin staff and students came together in 2021/22 to begin planning for Tanglin’s Centenary celebrations in the 2024/25 academic year. There are three key areas to the T100 project, namely: celebrating the legacy of the past 100 years, celebrating events during the centenary year and creating a legacy for the next 100 years through the Centennial Arts Project. The Brain is the first of a series of commissions of visual and performance artworks to take place over the next decade. The theme will be focused around Respect, Responsibility, and Purpose - Tanglin’s core values that are relevant for both future and past generations. Awarded artists like Singaporean artist Victor Tan, who are selected for the Centennial Arts Project, will commit to including students in the artistic process of creating a significant work that’s aligned with the theme, context, location.

The fourth wheel of the Tanglin vehicle is the leadership of the Tanglin business. Ling Guan Heng is our CFO/COO and he leads a talented team of professionals to manage the financial, technological, and logistical elements of Tanglin. Though this exceptional team acts proactively, the school business also needs to be reactive to Government legislation and guidance, and we appreciate this.

Outstanding progress through the whole school committees occurs in partnership with the Heads of School. The three Tanglin schools have been brilliantly led by Allan Forbes, Clair Harrington-Wilcox and Paula Craigie. These amazing educational leaders have been wholehearted in their leadership of their staff and students. Insight and wisdom have been required in heavy measure through the pandemic and it is comforting to know our schools have been in such safe hands.

School Development

Plans are important aspirational tools that allow our talented teachers the opportunity to propose and implement various and achievements in their reviews. Some examples of these included the development of Middle School, Upper School and Sixth Form, creation of focused leadership in pastoral, academic and co-curricular matters, expansion of the co-curricular programme in Junior School, as well as the emergence of the Forest School in Infant School where it reinforces how much the environment and joy of play contribute to each child’s ‘sense-making’ of the natural world.

Significant challenges have befallen many industries in recent years, so it’s not surprising to note the difficulties associated with recruitment and retention of staff. The emergence of large numbers of British and other International Schools have impacted the availability of staff with experience of the UK system and IB. Despite this, we are pleased to appoint many outstanding teachers in this challenging environment and this has been reflected in the grade outcomes. Tanglin Trust School is the only Singapore international school to offer the IB and UK A level pathway. In 2022, the IB Diploma students averaged 41.4 points (the highest ever in Tanglin history) and 93% of the cohort scored 38 points and above. An exceptional 40% of all A level grades were A* and 69% were A*/A. In (I)GCSE, 68% of grades were A* or equivalent while 85% of grades were A* to A and 98% of grades were A* to C or equivalent.

Without a doubt, this was another fantastic year at Tanglin. Our students received offers from 157 different institutions, across 10 different countries. Seven students were admitted to Oxford and Cambridge in the UK. In the USA our students accepted places at Yale, Stanford, Brown, and NYU, to name a few. This impressive list continues to grow, and is testament to our students’ academic and extracurricular achievements, along with their preparation and well considered application lists. The outstanding A-level and IB Diploma results ensured a tremendous 99% of students received their first or second choices.

We are also pleased to share that Tanglin Trust School was listed as one of Singapore’s Best Employers 2022, a ranking of the top 200 companies and institutions with at least 200 employees. At the time of the independent study released on 18 April 2022 by The Straits Times and global data firm Statista, Tanglin had 300 foreign staff – a little over half of all employees, and the average tenure for all staff is 8.6 years.

While great schools are the product of great people, sadly we must bid farewell to those who have given so much. I want to give my heartfelt thanks to Allan Forbes, Sophie Harle and Cecilia Handel for their stellar contributions to Tanglin. Although they oversaw different aspects of the Tanglin experience, these three people are responsible for our flourishing community - from students to parents and our business staff. We shall miss them and wish them well in their future endeavours.

Schools are regulated by several different authorities. In Singapore, our regulator is the Committee for Private Education (CPE). We also undertake regular inspections with several global bodies. As a British School Overseas, Tanglin is inspected against Department for Education standards. Given the alignment of the school, we chose to undertake future inspection as one school, rather than as three individual schools and our most recent inspection was successfully carried out in November 2022.

As we slowly recover from the devastating effects of COVID-19, we are pleased to see so many of our special projects progress positively and well. These will be built upon in years to come and we look forward to reporting our progress on our key strategic themes and projects.

Roll on, 2022/23.

Financial Overview

Tanglin Trust School Ltd is a company limited by guarantee and is registered as a charity under the Charities Act. The school is governed by a Board of Governors that serves without remuneration. All key financial decisions, including establishment of annual budget and schedule of fees, are reviewed, and approved by the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors also ensures that an annual financial audit is conducted.

Our operating environment continues to be challenged by the disruptions caused by Covid-19 pandemic and the inflationary pressure during FY2021/22. Several costcontainment strategies implemented have helped to contain the costs escalation. For example, the 2-year fixed rate contract for utility that we entered in August 2021 has allowed the school to enjoy a lower utility rate than the current market rate and effectively resulted in immediate cost saving. Close monitoring of student enrolment is also key to our sustainable financial performance. Admissions and marketing strategies are reviewed regularly to ensure enrolment targets are met.

For the year 2021/22, we had another successful year and achieved an operating surplus of $3.8 million which was $3.6 million higher than the budget due to a healthy student roll of about 2,820 and lower operating expenditure. We remain debt-free due to the strong cash flow. Continuous investment in campus improvement and new facilities is one of our key priorities. There was a planned $7.7 million capital expenditure, but we were only able to carry out $2 million worth of project works including:

• Infant School Library refurbishment at $500,000

• Infant School vinyl flooring at $400,000

• Design and Technology Laboratory at $350,000

• Replacement of projectors, cameras and video mixer for Berrick Performance Hall at $130,000

• Retractable curtain and AV equipment for The Moot at $70,000

$5.7 million worth of project works was deferred due to the delays in the completion of Tanglin Centenary building:

• $2.2 million for the conversion of all the halls and Forest café on Level 3 of Nixon Building to drama facilities

• $1.6 million for Swimming Pool shelter and Senior School lift replacement

• $1.1 million to upgrade the Senior Language and English teaching facilities, and revamp the Year 10/11 communal area

• $0.8 million to refurbish the Junior Outdoor Creative Play Space and Junior ceiling system

These deferred projects will be completed in the year 2022/23. In addition, there is another planned $6 million of capital expenditure in the pipeline to invest in new facilities and campus infrastructure over the next few years. These expenditures aim to provide quality facilities to support education provision and will create exceptional experiences for our students.

Overall, the total audited surplus of $13.5 million (comprising the $3.8 million operating surplus, $8.7 million building fund and $1 million placement rights fund) was added to the school’s reserve in 2021/22. This is primarily designated for the school’s infrastructure, including, but not limited to, new buildings, facilities, and improvement projects.

Ling Guan Heng Chief Operating Officer

Financial Performance by Funds for FY2021/22 $

For ordinary expenses relating to the operations of the school.

All in S$m

For renewal of lease, construction of buildings and facilities (including air-conditioning and electrical installations etc) as well as improvement projects approved by the Board of Governors from time to time.

Offers accelerated access to school places. An amount is diverted annually to support the TTS Foundation for enrichment projects within the school and for projects approved by the Board of Governors.

Total Operating Fund Building Fund Placement Rights

2021/22 Revenue and Expenses

Student enrolment and new student admissions stand at 2,820 and 400 students respectively.

School fees and related revenue comprised 97% of total revenue, with other miscellaneous revenue making up the remaining 3%. Revenue composition for 2021/22 remained fairly consistent with 2020/21.

In our continuing effort to provide outstanding education services, we invest the majority of our revenue to attract and retain the best teachers and staff. We employ more than 600 staff members, of which 260 are Faculty staff. Salaries and benefits were the single largest category of expenses, at 78% of total costs.

Depreciation was the next largest category at 8% of total costs. Teaching resources, campus operations, and technology and administration costs made up the remaining 14%.

Cost composition for 2021/22 was fairly consistent with 2020/21.

Governance

Tanglin Trust School Limited (formerly known as Tanglin Trust Limited) was incorporated on 21 August 1961 as a public company limited by guarantee. It was registered under the Charities Act on 29 December 1984.

Unique Entity Number (UEN)

Registered Address

196100114C

95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299

Banker Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Auditor KMPG LLP

Governing Instrument

Tanglin Trust School Limited Constitution

Governing Board Members of Tanglin Trust School Limited

Dominic Nixon

Governor and Chair of Board of Governors and Chair of Board Building Committee

(Member since 19 March 2002)

Chris Riley

Governor

(Member since 1 July 2017)

Clare Wijeratne

Governor and Chair of Board Education Policy and Schools Curriculum Committee

(Member since 1 March 2017)

Colm McCarthy

Governor

(Member since 7 March 2013)

Fang Eu-Lin

Governor and Chair of Board Finance and Risk Committee

(Member since 1 May 2016)

Sim Preston1

Governor and former Chair of Board Building Committee

(Member 1 June 2020 – 27 April 2022)

¹Resigned as Chair of Board Building Committee on 1 September 2021 and as Governor on 27 April 2022

Chen Mee King

Group Corporate Secretary and Member of Management Team

Gina Lee-Wan

Governor

(Member since 19 February 2005)

Neil Tottman

Governor and Chair of Board Development and Alumni Committee

(Member since 13 September 2007)

Rajan Raju

Governor

(Member since 2 July 2016)

Richard Routledge

Governor and Chair of Board Talent Committee

(Member since 1 September 2020)

Robert Arbuthnott

Governor

(Member since 16 February 2012)

Sue McNamara

Governor and Chair of Board Pastoral and Safeguarding Committee

(Member since 1 September 2009)

Some Governors have served beyond 10 years. The Board, collectively, wishes to retain these Governors as they have the necessary skills, relevant experience and commitment to serve Tanglin Trust School Limited.

Board membership is voluntary and not remunerated. There are no paid staff who are close members of the family of the Chief Executive Officer or Board Members for the period 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022.

Committees

The Board appoints separate committees in relation to the following areas of responsibility:

• Building

• Education

• Development and Alumni

• Finance and Risk

• Talent

• Pastoral and Safeguarding

Attendance Record for Board of Governors’ and Board Committees’ Meetings

Period: 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022

*Resigned as Governor on 27 April 2022

Note: Due to business travel, work commitments and/or being in countries with different time zones, a few Governors were unable to attend some of the Board and Board Committee meetings.

Management Team for 2021/22

2014

Appointed March 21, 2022

23, 2010

Appointed June 17, 2019

5, 2019

Appointed April 12, 2021

15, 2021

22, 2007

Craig Considine Chief Executive Officer Appointed August 1, 2018

Ling Guan Heng Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Financial Officer Appointed April 13, 2009

Clair Harrington-Wilcox Head of Junior School Appointed August 1, 2016

Cecilia Handel Director of Development Appointed August

Tom Evans Director of Marketing & Communications

Allan Forbes Head of Senior School Appointed September 1, 2015

John Ridley Director of Learning Appointed September 1, 2011

Keith Rutherford Director of Technology Appointed August

Paula Craigie Head of Infant School Appointed August 1,

Ayako Sugaya Director of People

Brian Teng Director of Operations Appointed January

Michael Holiday Director of Co-Curriculum

Appointed January 1, 2020

Leslie Baldwin Director of Admissions

Richard Sellers Director of Pastoral Care & Deputy Head (Senior School) Appointed August 11, 2021

Mee King Chen Group Corporate Secretary Appointed December

Examination Results: (I)GCSE

(I)GCSE Results Table

% of A*/A grades achieved by Tanglin students

2022 (I)GCSE Examination Results (Class of 2024)

(I)GCSE Summary for 2022 (Class of 2024) 177

students took (I)GCSE examinations in 26 subjects

68%

of all grades achieved were A* or equivalent

85%

of all grades achieved were A*/A or equivalent

98%

of all grades achieved were A* to C or equivalent

Examination Results: A Level

A Level Summary for 2022 (Class of 2022)

100%

pass rate of A Level students

2022 A Level Examination Results (Class of 2022)

69%

of grades were at A* or A, while 98% were in the range A* to C

of students taking the EPQ achieved an A*; we are increasingly finding that the EPQ is being valued by universities

75%

of students taking the EPQ achieved an A* to A

Examination Results: IB Diploma

2022 IB Examination Results (Class of 2022)

IB Diploma Summary for 2022 (Class of 2022)

100% pass rate for all our students who completed a regulation IB Diploma

11 students achieved 44 points or more

3 Students scored 45 points of more

2 students achieved the prestigious bilingual diploma

93% scored 38 points or more

Whistleblowing Policy

Tanglin Trust School’s Whistleblowing Policy is posted on the school’s website, at tts.edu.sg/about/policies. It may be used, if needed, by employees, suppliers, business partners and others in the school community.