Singapore International School Admissions

Choose a school around your child’s learning needs and your family’s circumstances. AREDA Education helps families compare options, organise application requirements and plan the transition to school in Singapore.

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School selection and admissions consulting · Application requirements checked school by school

Explore: consulting support · curriculum choices · cost checklist · application steps · FAQs

Start with fit, eligibility and a workable plan

This service is for families considering a first international-school application, a transfer to Singapore or a change of curriculum. Share your child’s age, current grade, English level, intended start date and family budget so the shortlist answers your actual needs.

Residency eligibility: ask whether the school can enrol your child with the pass they hold or intend to apply for.
Year-group placement: confirm the school’s age cut-off, entry year and how it maps your child’s current grade.
English and learning support: check availability for the specific year group, assessment criteria, extra charges and progression expectations.
Curriculum continuity: compare subjects already studied with the route available through secondary school and graduation.
Practical fit: confirm vacancies, intake timing, the complete first-year cost, campus location and daily travel.

Check residency before paying application fees. For example, Dover Court’s entry requirements state that students cannot enrol there on a Student’s Pass. A route available at one school may be unavailable at another. Use the school’s written confirmation and the ICA guidance for foreign system schools for your child’s circumstances.

What AREDA helps you organise

School shortlist and comparison

Set school-selection criteria, compare the relevant campuses and year groups, and identify questions about entry eligibility, English support and curriculum continuity. A shortlist should explain why each option fits your child.

Application requirements and timeline

Organise the school’s document list, translations, submission steps, assessment instructions and deadlines. Keep track of what is ready, what needs clarification and what the family must provide or approve.

Offer comparison and school transition

Compare written offers, deposits, acceptance deadlines, support arrangements and start-date conditions. Build a practical next-step checklist for school communication, subject choices and the move into a new learning environment.

The scope, schools covered and consulting fee are agreed before work starts. School fees, government applications and any academic preparation are separate unless expressly included in that scope.

Compare the learning route, not only the label

IB, British and American routes describe different structures. Check what the individual school actually offers at your child’s entry stage and how students move into its senior years.

IB programmes

Check the programme at each stage

IB offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP). A school may offer only some of these programmes; an IB diploma option does not establish an IB route at every earlier stage.

Ask about subjects, language provision, assessment and entry into the senior programme. Read the IB programme overview.

British curriculum routes

Check the qualification sequence

Cambridge separates primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and advanced stages; IGCSE and AS/A Level sit at different stages. British-style schools can use other examination boards or offer a different senior qualification.

Confirm the school’s actual IGCSE or GCSE subjects and its post-16 options before transferring. Read Cambridge’s programme structure.

American high-school routes

Check graduation rules and AP access

Ask the school about high-school credits, graduation requirements and subject placement. Advanced Placement (AP) consists of college-level subject courses and exams; AP availability is a separate question from the school’s graduation requirements.

Confirm which AP subjects the school offers and who can enrol in them. Read College Board’s AP overview.

For an older student, review completed subjects and the time available before graduation. A familiar curriculum name alone does not settle credit transfer, subject prerequisites or university entry requirements.

Build a complete school-cost checklist

Compare written fee schedules for the same academic year, campus and year group. Separate one-off application costs from recurring tuition and support charges.

Cost item	What to confirm with the school
Application and assessment	Amount, payment timing, refund policy and whether an assessment fee is separate.
Enrolment, deposits and facilities	One-off versus recurring charges, deposit return conditions and offer-acceptance deadlines.
Tuition and taxes	The relevant year group, academic year, instalments, included tax and any announced changes.
English and learning support	Eligibility, availability, whether support is included, extra fees and how long support may be needed.
Everyday school costs	Transport, meals, uniforms, devices, trips and other compulsory or optional items.
Family living arrangements	Housing and travel budget alongside school costs; any parent or guardian pass application is separate.

Discuss your school shortlist

There is no single reliable fee tier for all Singapore international schools. For an example of a school-specific schedule, see Dover Court’s published fees. Confirm the current written quotation before accepting an offer.

From family profile to an informed school decision

Applications follow each school’s own process. AREDA helps families organise decisions and preparation; the school determines assessments, offers and placement.

1. Describe your starting point

Gather your child’s age, grade, recent reports, English background, learning needs, intended start date, residency position and annual budget.

2. Verify the shortlist

Check eligibility, the correct year group, curriculum, support and vacancies with each school. Arrange a school visit or admissions conversation when useful.

3. Prepare and apply

Follow the school’s required document and translation list. Confirm fees, portal instructions and any tests or interviews before submitting applications.

4. Review offers and transition

Read acceptance conditions and refund terms, confirm the place and start date, and plan subjects, school communication and practical arrival arrangements.

Documents to prepare early

Common starting materials include the following; the school’s official checklist decides what is required.

Child’s passport and any existing residency documentation
Recent school reports and records of the current curriculum
Parents’ or guardians’ identity and contact details
English translations and certification where the school requests them
Relevant learning-support or health information requested by the school

Compare the published checklists from UWCSEA and Dover Court; these are examples, not a universal document list.

Academic preparation, when needed

If an assessment or school transition reveals an academic gap, Future Academy can be considered for separately scoped preparation or learning support. AREDA Education remains responsible for education planning and admissions consulting. Preparation does not guarantee an offer.

Official guidance checked on 6 October 2026

School names here illustrate published requirements and do not imply a partnership. Verify the latest policies with the school and the relevant authority before applying.

Questions families ask before applying

Clear answers for the first shortlist and application conversation.

+65 8957 5100

Share your child’s profile

For the examples above, see Dover Court’s EAL provision, UWCSEA’s admissions FAQs and ICA’s LTVP eligibility guidance.

AEIS and S-AEIS relate to admission to Singapore’s mainstream government schools. An international school uses its own admissions process. Ask the school which assessments, documents and eligibility conditions apply to the relevant year group.

It depends on the school, year group and level of support available. Ask about English assessment, entry thresholds, EAL support, additional fees and progression requirements. EAL provision does not mean every applicant with limited English can be admitted.

Work backwards from the intended start date and the school’s published application cycle. Allow time for eligibility checks, documents, translations, assessments and any required pass application. A school accepting applications throughout the year may still have no vacancy in the requested grade.

Use a current written fee schedule for the exact campus and grade. Include application fees, enrolment costs, tuition, deposits, facilities charges and any English support, transport or other extras. Keep the family’s housing and living budget separate so the total remains clear.

Ask each school whether it can consider the child’s application from overseas and what residency conditions must be met before enrolment. A school offer does not automatically provide a child or parent pass. A parent or grandparent Long-Term Visit Pass is a separate ICA application with its own eligibility and approval process.

No. Schools decide admissions and placement; the relevant authorities decide pass applications. AREDA’s consulting scope and fees should be agreed in writing. School charges and any Future Academy preparation are separate unless explicitly included.

Build a shortlist around your child

Tell us your child’s age, grade, English level, intended start date and family budget. We can discuss the school-selection questions and application support your family needs.

For a wider pathway comparison, read our Singapore education planning guide. Phone: +65 8957 5100.

Message AREDA on WhatsApp Send your child’s profile

Singapore education planning · Government-school and AEIS pathway · Malaysia international-school planning