If you’ve recently moved to Singapore or you’re planning to move, you’ll no doubt want to be as organised as possible. That means looking for childcare facilities for your children ahead of time.
The good news is that Singapore has many top quality international schools and nurseries, with most speaking English as at least one language. But, there are so many that you’ll need to find out which ones are the best for your child. Close proximity to your place of residence is obviously important but quality may trump that for you.
To help you start your research and perhaps pinpoint the best English speaking nursery for your child in Singapore, let’s explore five of the best.
Overseas Family School
Overseas Family School are a long-standing feature in Singapore’s educational world. The school has a nursery and kindergarten on site, with nursery starting from 9am until 12pm and kindergarten from 9am until 3.30pm, offering the International Early Years Curriculum.
Child to teacher ratios are excellent here, with 3 teachers to 15 students in the nursery and 2 teachers to 25 student in the kindergarten. The overall aim is to bring out your child’s natural curiosity and confidence through play, both initiated by the child and guided by the teacher. The focus is to allow your child to develop and grow on their own terms, to the best of their ability based on their own situation. The school finds that by doing so, children gain more confident and overcome challenges much easier.
Alongside the regular curriculum, the school offers other additional lessons by choice, kindling music, swimming, cooking, languages, and gym, as your child grows in age and confidence.
The good news is that Overseas Family School doesn’t have a waiting list and enrolment is available all year around, depending upon availability.
Little Skool-House
Little Skool-House prepares your child for transition into regular school by focusing on a literary based curriculum. The school has won awards in the past and has been in existence for 27 years. This is a very in demand school and highly rated amongst local and International parents.
Children can enrol into Little Sokol-House from 18 months and the curriculum style is designed to help them thrive in not only their education but in life too. Emotional and social skills are a focus and while English is widely spoken, children are encouraged to learn other languages at an early age, including Mandarin.
Outside of the regular curriculum, the school offers a range of lessons and activities to try. There are 20 different campuses across the country but not all have infant care on site, so it’s important to check before enrolling. You can enrol throughout the year however it’s wise to register your interest 12 months before if possible, due to high demand.
Kinderland Academy & Preschool
Kinderland Academy & Preschool is a fun-filled, immersive experience for your children. Including early years, preschool and childcare, this is a full-day arrangement and one which is very highly rated by parents.
Here, the focus is on music, as the school believes that early brain development can be beneficially effected by music training and visual spatial skills can be enhanced. Overall, this aids your child in their overall development and prepares them for transition to school. Children are able to learn a music instrument very early in their experiences and they’re surrounded by music throughout the day.
Kinderland Academy & Preschool offer a diverse and interesting curriculum that many parents find helps their child to thrive, especially in a new environment after a move. There is also the quality KinderBabes and KinderTots programmes to take into account which are designed to help the youngest students to grow and understand the world around them through play and exploration.
This school has several centres throughout Singapore although not all offer the KinderBabes and KinderTots programmes so do check before enrolment, which is offered all year around, with no waiting list. However, it’s a good idea to register your interest if you’re keen for your child to attend.
Josiah Montessori
Another nursery and school that focuses upon development through music is Josiah Montessori, one of the first Montessori-based centres in Singapore. The school has been open for 25 years and has a very high reputation amongst parents.
The Montessori approach believes that every single chider is unique and should be able to learn at their own speed, without rush or barriers. The school offers a calm and relaxed learning environment, with plenty of kindness and positivity. Montessori Moments is also offered for younger children who are observed closely as they grow and develop.
The Josiah Way is the curriculum the school follows when children reach toddler age. This allows the child to develop at their own speed, without having to hit markers and reach expectations. The musical arts programme is very impressive and children will learn singing, drama, music appreciation and dance.
There are no waiting lists for this school however there are only limited vacancies thanks to its popularity. For that reason, register your interest as early as possible, but the school does enrol all year around for younger children.
Raffles Kidz International
Raffles Kidz International offers half and full day care for infants, open from 7am until 7pm. The school looks to inspire children to reach their potential and develop at a rate that suits them. Their unique approach to learning through hands on play has won many plaudits, with many satisfied parents both past and present.
The school opened its first centre in 2014 and has expanded to 4 centres currently. Most of these centres are full, however they do enrol throughout the year. Registering your interest early is recommended to avoid a long wait for a place.
This is another school that adopts the Montessori way and it also has a strong focus on bilingual studies, helping children to learn both English and Mandarin. This approach helps children transition into primary school easily and gives them confidence to reach their academic goals. The centre also has a strong focus on numeracy and literacy from the start, creating the ideal foundation on which to build.
How London Governess Can Help Ease The Transition
When a family moves to a new location, especially one overseas, there can be a lot of anxiety and stress for everyone involved. Moving with a child is never easy and young children sense upset and a change in their routine very easily. If the situation isn’t managed carefully, this can set them back in their development and cause undue upset for everyone involved.
Finding the best nurseries in Singapore can take time and once you settle on your ideal choice, you may find that there isn’t a place available straightaway. While most don’t have waiting lists, there is often a need to wait until a place arises, with all year around enrolment on offer. Registering your interest as early as possible minimises the wait but in cases when you do need to wait a few weeks or a month, we can help you out.
To avoid your child missing out on key learning time, we can send a nanny or governess to cover the gap. Home schooling can be difficult for parents, let alone parents who are busy working or trying to settle in to a new location. Our expert childcare specialists can help you child to learn the necessary skills until a place at your desired nursery becomes available.
If you have older children, our governesses are on hand to teach the curriculum, so your child doesn’t miss out and can easily slot into school when their place is ready. This is even more important for school age children rather than preschoolers but any time missed in a child’s education isn’t a positive thing.
You can rest assured that our highly experienced childcare professionals will be able to keep your child where they need to be. If you’re still not sure about the right nursery for your child, or schools for older children, our nannies and governesses will also be able to help give you invaluable advice.
Moving to a new location is hard enough, but having someone on hand who knows the location and has experience in the field is a great help. All you need to do is reach out and let us know your requirements. From there we can match you with your ideal nanny or governess, taking your child’s care and education away from the trouble spot in your mind.
