Introduction to Secondary School

Secondary schools in Singapore fall under three categories: government-funded, government-aided or independent. Students attend four or five years of secondary education under the Special, Express or Normal Course. The Special and Express Courses prepare students for the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education'Ordinary' (GCE'O') Level examination in four years. Students in the Normal Course can opt for the Academic or Technical stream, both of which prepare students for the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education 'Normal'(GCE'N') Level examination after four years of study and upon satisfactory completion, the GCE'O'Level examination in the fifth year.

Secondary education curriculum includes English, the Mother Tongue, Mathematics, Science and the Humanities. At Secondary 3, students can opt for electives of their choice, depending on whether they are in the Arts, Science, Commerce or Technical stream.

Singapore's secondary school curriculum is recognized worldwide for its ability to develop students with critical thinking and intellectual skills. Foreign students are accepted at secondary schools subject to availability of vacancies. The Singapore educational system has been acknowledged by international education bodies as being one of top quality.

If there are places, foreign students can enroll at local secondary schools.

Objective
The preparatory courses for admission to government school (S1-S3) are for 12-16 years old local/international students who wish to attend Singapore government secondary schools. Teachers will teach students in small groups in preparation for secondary school's entry test. The subjects offered are English and Mathematics.

Lesson Time
Morning – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. English or Mathematics (Monday to Friday); 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Break time

Afternoon – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mathematics or English (Monday to Friday); 2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m, Break time

Course Duration (Full-time)

There are two semesters per year: Semester 1: March to August (6 months), Semester 2: September to February (6 months). Depending on each student-applicant's level, some students may need to take both Semesters 1 and 2 to complete the whole course. A monthly assessment is also administered.

Students may join classes at any time in the year as long as they agree to the School's terms and conditions.

Our Teachers
We have highly qualified teachers who are dedicated and responsible. Our teachers are not only experienced in their teaching subjects but are also very amicable and caring.

Manner/Methodology of Teaching
Our course is classroom-based. Teachers explain the main focus of the courses and difficult points, adding relevant knowledge outside of the curriculum, interspersed with some class discussion and interactive activities, for students to have a fun learning experience.

Teacher to Student Ratio
The optimum teacher-student ratio stipulated for the courses is capped at 1:22.

Course Materials
Course materials include class notes, text books, slide presentation, educational media

Course Outline
Students are prepared accordingly to the level of admission to government schools. Our teachers follow the MOE syllabus, and provide guidance to our students.

The available courses are as follows:

For more information about secondary school English & Mathematics module syllabus , please visit www.moe.gov.sg

Entry/Enrollment Requirements

Student – applicants will need to take our School’s Placement Test and be placed into the relevant course based on the results of their placement test.

Students will also need to observe the age ranges criteria as determined by the MOE.

The following age ranges are for new international students seeking admission to government schools and former international students seeking re-admission.

International students who will be studying for a period of more than 2 months will need to apply for a STUDENT PASS.

For further details, please visit Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Assessment

The learners/ students are evaluated on their performance based on monthly exams, worksheets, announced quizzes, class activities (pair and group work), and homework.

Graduation

The Preparatory Course for Admission to Government Schools S1-S3 has no graduation exercise. Students only need to finish the Modules and their requirements.