Hello magic, just checking after looking round all 3 schools today. I'm not sure how much help I can be as we've been to look round condos afterwards and I feel like I've already forgotten so much about the schools! We went to see Tanglin first, then Dover, then Dulwich. I'll say upfront that we liked all 3 schools, and would be perfectly happy to have the dc at any of them.
Impressions of Tanglin are somewhat coloured by it being the first we saw. It seemed so huge compared to my dc's current school, which is a single entry primary, and I got a bit upset when I realised that my dcs would spend the entire school day without seeing each other. But that's no different at either of the other schools, even at Dover, which is smaller. All three schools separate Reception - year 2 from years 3-6.
The facilities were amazing at Tanglin, obviously. One highlight was the gymnastics gym Both dds are seriously into gymnastics (as much as they can be at 7 and 5!) and the gym was kitted out more extensively than the specialised one they attend in the UK. However, only dd1 will get actual lessons there, dd2 can use it in the out of school club.
Dover had a strange mix of a generally more relaxed environment, but the admissions person showing us round was really quite intense and evangelical about the new head. She had children at the school too and had a lot to say as a parent about the good things the new head was doing and his impressive background, although also talked about all the coaching and observations he is doing with the staff, which made me feel the teachers must be under a lot of pressure at the moment.
We came away from Dover thinking we really liked it, but that it would be silly not to try for Tanglin. At the moment it seems like it might be touch and go whether we'd get dd1 in for when we move, but she would have sibling priority once dd2 had been there for a term. Which makes it all more complicated.
So, we went to Dulwich thinking there was very little point even seeing it as both Tanglin and Dover are so much more convenient for where DH would be working, and they were both great. But, I just loved it. Yes, the facilities are incredible, brand new, super shiny, but I was so surprised at the feel of the place, so much more friendly and welcoming than I was expecting. The only, single, tiny, downside I found was when we went into a year 1 lesson and I noticed how different the girls' and boys' uniform was. Girls were in a green checked dress and the boys in a red t-shirt and black shorts, it really made a distinct separation between the two groups. It's less different in the higher years when at least they have the same shirt, but even then there was absolutely no question of the girls wearing shorts. So I bristled a bit at that, but was soothed later on when I found out the four houses are named after two men and two women (Amelia Earhart and Lee Choo Neo) :)
So, a bit of a splurge there, I'll add any other thoughts if I remember anything else!