We may convince ourselves that when we were young our parents signed us up to whichever school was within spitting distance, but the fact remains that Mums and Dads have long wanted the best education possible for their offspring. Selecting an international school in Singapore may be somewhat more difficult than simply turning up at the local school back in our parents’ day, however. Your head will be spinning with questions such as: Which curriculum will be best suited to Junior? What facilities will they need to help develop their talents? And, when is the best time to move them to ‘big’ school?
The best way to address your questions and get a feel for any school is to tour the campus, meet the teaching team and spy on a few classes in action. Just a 10-minute drive from Orchard, the Australian International School (AIS) offers personal tours at its Lorong Chuan campus where you’ll get to learn all about their amazing facilities, exciting school life and students’ academic achievements!
AIS is the only school in Singapore to offer the best of the Australian curriculum and the International Baccalaureate starting with the youngest learners in their Early Years Specialist Program. Children aged 18 months to five years enjoy this stellar combination of curricula based on the inquiry-based IB and Australian Early Years Curriculum. Add Reggio Emilia-inspired classrooms, specialist programs and dedicated facilities for its youngest learners, including outdoor play spaces and a secret garden, and you can see why students skip to school in the mornings.
1. Daily Mandarin from 18 months
Raising a global citizen? Then you’ll love that AIS’ Early Years students are exposed to the world’s most widely spoken language, Mandarin, on a daily basis through games, stories and songs taught by a native Mandarin specialist teacher. Because, as we all know, early exposure is key to a child’s fluency and retention. Ni hao!
2. Early Years Physical Education and SMART Steps
With a weekly Physical Education lesson and a session of SMART Steps, you can be assured that little bodies and brains are kept ticking at AIS. SMART Steps Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) is a highly respected move-to-learn program designed to enhance key movement patterns essential for successful brain and body development.
3. Weekly Violin Lessons from three years old
Mini maestros will lap up AIS’ music program, including weekly violin lessons from three years and the Orff Musical Literacy Program starting from 18 months old, which uses improvisation, composition and a child’s natural instincts to create music. But it’s not only musical literacy students are developing. The cognitive and social benefits of music education are well-known and extend beyond the studio into the classroom, helping young learners build stamina and focus, develop IQ and fine motor skills, and improve posture.
4. LAMDA Speech and Drama Program
Another of AIS’ unique and enhanced programs stems from its involvement with The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Drawing on 150 years of proven experience in performing arts, children from three years old will be nurtured to be confident speakers with a varied and rich vocabulary.
5. New state-of-the-art Early Years campus launching soon!
AIS will soon be unveiling a much-anticipated Early Years campus for children aged 18 months to 6 years old, complete with a 22-metre swimming pool, indoor sports arena, five library and learning resource centres, nine arts and language specialist classrooms, and a parent café.
Australian International School
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore, 556818;
6653 2958 | ais.com.sg
Find out more about Singapore’s international schools.
