Singapore- Tanglin or Dulwich.

[Pgoyal]

Hello,
Any insights on either Dulwich or Tanglin for secondary? I have 2 children a boy and a girl. Year 7 and Y12. We are moving next summer (2024) from London. Finalizing school has become a battle. Every school is claiming to be the best in the country . Hubby will be there in few months but kids and myself joining later as my daughter will starting Y11 in sept 2023 and there is NO Y11intake in British schools in Singapore. I will move to Singapore after she has written her GCSE in London on June 2024. Please share your experiences with these 2 schools (good or bad). The school choice has become a bigger decision than to move to new country.
Any help greatly appreciated. Sorry for long post. We know this is a very nice decision to make, but somehow that's making it very difficult!!
😊

[Justcannot]

The main question is curriculum; Dulwich is IB, Tanglin is mostly A Level with a small IB cohort. Location also differs; Dulwich is a long way out but accessible if you'll be living in HV, Bukit Timah or 6th Ave, If you're further south or central then Tanglin might be better.
Other factors are facilities: Dulwich probably better for sports, theatre, Tanglin probably better for music, art etc. Also if you want both in the same school, you might have to take whichever has space for year 8; that will be more restrictive than a y12 place.
Also have you checked with Dulwich? They do allow some y11 entrants with strong profiles.

[Pgoyal]

Thanks Justcannot. As we are still in process of choosing we are totally flexible on where we want to live. I am more inclined towards West Singapore (less crowded). I did get in touch with Dulwich regarding Y11 but the board my daughter is doing in London is different from GCSE board dulwich is doing, so Y11 is not an option. My son will start Y7 as he is a deffered entry to Reception (summer born). We were looking at upper Bukit Temah using Hillview MRT . Easier for my husband to get a direct to BUGIS MRT. Still not sure how are 4 bedroom

[illiterato]

Bukit Timah is really nice. You can get the black and whites from the government up there- they’re a bit if a hassle as rented as a shell but worth it IMO.

[Storynanny1]

My eldest lives in bukit tamahine and my 3 infantaged grandchildren are in the Tanglin system. They did research but I can’t remember why Tanglin was chosen. But I know they intend to stay with Tanglin all through.
They get picked up from their condo about 6.45 am!

[Storynanny1]

Bukit timah!!

[Limpshade]

Tanglin recently won the International School of the Year Award. Also recently opened a brand new wing with some very impressive facilities.

Don't get me wrong, Dulwich is also fantastic but is prioritised (unfairly I think) by many families simply because of the Dulwich name.

[ThePM]

Can you actually get a place at either? What time would the bus be at?

If you were looking at Bukit Timah plus IB then GESS might be a better fit.

[Pgoyal]

Hi, Thanks a lot for replying 😊.
I have been in touch with both the schools they both are quiet positive about August 2024 start. My daughter will be IB but my son starts Y7 and I would like to stick to National Curriculum for KS3. I am looking forward to the video consultation hoping to get few answers to help me decide.

[grasset]

@Pgoyal have you managed to secure places at TTS or Dulwich in the end? I have applied to TTS for children who will be in y7 and y10, but they haven't informed me of their outcome yet. I am wondering if I should try Dulwich as well. How long is their application process? To be honest, I feel quite knackered after going through 11+ in London and rejecting all the offers before knowing if we'd have a place in SG. Many thanks.

[Pgoyal]

@grasset we finally secured TTS. We didn't apply at dulwich.
One thing off the list!! Admission process was long and communication with school wasn't a regular flow but tye staff was helpful and reachable when needed. When do you move?

[grasset]

@Pgoyal congratulations! We are planning to move in late July-early August so that children could finish this school year and be in SG on time for 2024-25 . I'll write to TTS tomorrow. I don't want to bother them too often. Fingers crossed!

[Pgoyal]

@grasset Great, we too will be moving around same time!