Overseas Family School (OFS) is one of the older international schools in Singapore. Founded in 1991, OFS has a total capacity of 5,000 students in its current location.

A unique strength of OFS is its international program curriculum which enjoys a high passing rate of 97% despite not implementing a policy of preselecting students. 

This means that OFS implements a strong curriculum capable of providing excellent education to anyone.

In terms of facilities, OFS offers some of the best educational facilities available in Singapore. OFS encourages reading habits among its students with its four impressive libraries and up-to-date computer labs.

OFS also offers classes for a wide range of languages like Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, and many others.

Although unlike the other schools featured here, the OFS shuttle service is quite limited and only offers a single train station as its main destination with several pickup points along the way.

Also, a significant number of students have complained about the lack of variety in the school canteen’s menu. Having a good meal can be essential in improving a student’s attention when in class.

The Global Indian International School, or the GIIS, is an institution founded back in 2002 with the goal of delivering excellent education to its students for a reasonable price.

GIIS is known for its early learners’ program, which earned them the award for the Best Montessori-style school at the HoneyKids Education Awards conducted last 2021.

GIIS still keeps its class sizes low and its facilities among the best in Singapore despite its cheaper tuition.

A big part of what makes GIIS great is its extremely comprehensive extracurricular programs. 

Ranging from arts and music to sports and even artificial intelligence programming, GIIS ensures that every student can explore ideas outside the classroom.

However, unlike the other international schools on the list, GIIS only uses the English language as its mode of teaching. This can be a problem for students who are more used to using other languages like Mandarin and Malay.

Stamford American International School Singapore (SAIS) is an international school which focuses on delivering American education in the international setting.

SAIS also features internationally approved curricula like the Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate and the Reggio Emilia style of education.

They also teach their lessons in a bilingual format, English and Mandarin, which can be extremely useful for students who are more used to using the latter.

SAIS also prepares its students for the prospect of studying abroad by being the first and only school to offer its students a chance to take either the International Baccalaureate Diploma or the Advanced Placements program.

The SAIS also promotes the use of technology for learning by equipping every student with their own tablet. Coupled with highly advanced facilities, SAIS is capable of letting its students explore more of their interests after school.

However, a major weakness of theirs is their poor payment policy, which was criticized for their reluctance to refund or adjust tuition payments upon parents’ request.

The Singapore American School (SAS) was founded in 1956 with the goal of delivering American-based education tailored for an international setting.

Following the US standards curriculum, SAS offers a solid and well-rounded curriculum with a strong focus on academics, arts, and sports. 

To prove that it passes the standards set in the USA, SAS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

SAS features some of the most intense support for digital-based learning, with each student receiving their own tablet and laptop to assist them in learning. 

Coupled with programming boot camps, SAS students are among the most proficient in the use of computers outside of everyday use.

In terms of accessibility, SAS ensures that every student will have no difficulty reaching the school and back home thanks to their private shuttle service, which can send students directly to their homes at an additional cost.

Featuring 25 AP courses, SAS has the largest AP program outside of the US, which allows its students to be more ready for college education compared to other students. 

SAS’s AP program allows its students to immerse themselves in different careers, which can help them in choosing their college after graduation.

However, with its average tuition reaching SGD 52,000, SAS may not be affordable to most who want to enrol their child in an international school.

Hillside World Academy (HWA) was founded in 2006 by the Beijing Huijia Private School in Singapore with the goal of teaching the International Baccalaureate program in a dual language setting, English and Mandarin.

Being an international branch of a famous private school in China, HWA aims to teach its lessons with the equal use of both English and Mandarin to its students. 

This dual-language setting is highly useful for a country like Singapore, which has a significant number of Chinese descent in its population.

HWA is also a strong supporter of digital-based learning thanks to its 1:1 student-to-tablet policy. 

Through the use of digital technology, teaching their lessons in both English and Mandarin has been made seamless and easier for their students.

Outside of the classroom, HWA strongly supports physical fitness. 

As a member of the Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools, HWA incentivizes its students to maintain their fitness by actively participating in athletic competitions among international schools.

In terms of transportation, HWA also offers a good shuttle service for its students that run through major bus stops and train stations.

However, HWA is still not fully equipped to deal with students with special needs. Lacking proper support, special needs students must look to other institutions tailored to their needs.