A preschool is an institution where children spend the first few formative years developing their intellectual and physical capabilities. It is a place for academic or intellectual instruction under supervision, usually partaking of social and emotional influence from one or more adults. Thus, when you want your child to get the most out of his early years, you need to choose the best preschool in Singapore. Here are tips for choosing the best preschool.
Location and Transportation
You want a conveniently located school for access to your child’s home and workplace. Ensure that the best preschool in Singapore has an easy-to-reach location with adequate public transport connections that you and other caregivers can use to take your child there and bring them back when the day is done.
Curriculum and School Standards
For an early education establishment to be renowned, it must follow all licensing requirements and curriculum standards by the PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) syllabus of Singapore’s education board, MOE (Ministry of Education). This means the best preschool in Singapore should have qualified teachers who are well versed in teaching PSLE students. The teachers also need to provide a supportive environment for each child’s emotional, intellectual, social, physical development, and practical class management skills. Each school must have improvement plans that track student progress against specific milestones every six months. It will also help to read any available testimonials from former students about their experience at this preschool.
Program Options and Class Size
Ensure that the school has adequate educational resources, including staff members who can teach multiple age groups together in one class. Furthermore, you want to find out if they have enough staff to take care of children during recess so teachers can conduct their lessons uninterrupted by other responsibilities. Besides, there should be enough teachers for each child’s class, so the teacher-student ratio is low for quality attention.
Also, check if they offer aftercare services or not because this will allow you to decide whether or not your child will need daycare after school hours while still in preschool education. Finally, consider how flexible their program options are when considering a school for your child, such as starting time and duration of school sessions.
Childcare Services
You want to ensure that there are enough staff members and assistants available at all times during your preschool-aged child’s time at the school since they will be dropped off by adults daily. Furthermore, you should check if there is a parent pick-up service for children who need supervision after their day ends.
Facility Specifications and Space Availability
The physical conditions should meet or exceed government regulations and provide ample space and materials for different activities such as art, music, playing outdoors, etc., while also catering to special needs like nutrition, health care screening, and treatment methods. It must also have many toilets with sanitary fittings that conform to public health standards, including proper ventilation.
Pricing and Financial Assistance
You need to find out how much it costs for your child to attend the school or any special discounts for siblings, part-time attendance, etc. Furthermore, you want to see if they have a payment plan option so you can spread your payments into several months instead of one lump sum at once. Finally, you might get financial help from local government agencies if their fees are beyond what you can afford since education is compulsory in Singapore.
Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) Programme
Since choosing the best preschool means looking for more than just an academic program that meets PSLE standard syllabus, check what extracurricular activities they offer, such as sports and arts programs. It satisfies children’s interests and cultivates their talents while still in preschool education. Thus, this will give them an edge when they begin primary school.
Conclusion
The best way to find out all about a preschool is by visiting the school and talking to school staff and current parents and students. If you’re not able to visit the school due to time or accessibility constraints, try looking into websites of schools that can also provide you with more specific details that help make your decision easier. Read testimonials from former students on these websites too! However, if nothing seems suitable for your child yet, keep looking around at other schools till you find one offering everything on your checklist above.
