Tanglin Trust School Prospectus

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Welcome to Tanglin Trust School, which has over 85 years of experience and tradition in delivering a quality learning and growing experience.

Tanglin is a vibrant and popular coeducational school where children learn to be successful and happy in their lives and also to be leaders of life in general.

They develop high expectations of themselves in the academic, the aesthetic, the physical, the musical and the artistic spheres of learning. Tanglin students enjoy being at school; they look forward to the challenge, the opportunities, the comradeship, the satisfaction and the fun that is part of daily life here.

They are intentionally nurtured in this environment to become balanced, confident and articulate world citizens, who have a view of what the world should look like and a deep desire to contribute to making it so.

Learning is no longer about simply accruing as much knowledge as possible. If our children are to succeed in today’s world, then we have to do more than teach them what we know. They must have the learning capacity to go far beyond our knowledge and experience. They must think critically, be able to analyse evidence and devise new pathways and solutions.

I hope this prospectus will give you an insight in to how we provide such challenges and experiences. To fully appreciate the added value of a Tanglin Trust School education, you really need to visit us so that you can see for yourselves what we have to offer. I look forward to welcoming you to our School.

Warm Regards, Peter Derby-Crook Chief Executive Officer

Who are we?

Tanglin Trust School has come a long way since it first opened its doors to five students back in 1925. Set in a heritage area, in parklike surroundings, we are still only 15 minutes drive away from the centre of dynamic Singapore.

Today we offer effective British based learning for 3 to 18 year olds, catering for expatriates from a wide range of nationalities, who benefit from world-class facilities combined with the highest possible standards of teaching. Wide-ranging opportunities and supportive relationships allow each individual - at any stage of their education - to achieve his or her best. We encourage young people to work effectively in groups, to help those in need and to accept responsibilities as members of a community. We actively promote environmental responsibility and global citizenship.

The School is divided into three distinct entities: Infant (3-7), Junior (7-11) and Senior (11-18), each with their own Head of School as well as their own style and unique set of characteristics. Yet there is a palpable sense of being part of a bigger Tanglin ‘family’.

Valuing individual differences The School promotes respect for individuals regardless of age, gender and background. The care given by teachers in the classroom is complemented by our Student Services team who place student welfare at the heart of life at Tanglin. Close communication between parents and the School further nurtures well-balanced students who are thoroughly prepared to meet life’s challenges and make a significant contribution to the world.

Tanglin is driven by a core set of values, which underpin everything that we do...

To inspire and enthuse all students, whatever their talents, to be passionate about striving to achieve their full potential in their academic, sporting, creative and social endeavours.

Celebrating personal fulfilment, achievement and success

To give each student a consistently excellent quality of education in a safe, secure and caring environment.

Treating others as we would want to be treated ourselves

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To nurture well-balanced students who have a strong sense of right and wrong, respect for both themselves and others and who are well on their way to becoming responsible citizens.

Students learn to discover who they are and who they might become

Ensuring the continued relevance and sustainability of Tanglin so that is remains vital to Singapore and the community it serves.

A community where everyone is valued and included

Infant School The foundation Stage and Key Stage One Nusery, Reception, Years 1 and 2 • For students aged 3 to 7

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Outstanding resources We are proud of the impressive resources that support and enrich the learning of our children. Our children explore, discover and learn in purpose-built classrooms. The stimulating environment features colourful displays of children’s work and state-of-the-art technologies.

Classrooms are clustered around common teaching areas, computer suites, book areas and specialist facilities for creative play and first-hand A love of learning experiences.

In our Infant School we lay the strongest foundations for the total development of We have a dedicated Infant Library, an each individual through a nurturing, child- Infant Health Centre staffed by qualified centred approach. We aim to cultivate a love nurses, fully equipped outdoor play of learning. Children gain a fascination with areas and a 25 metre swimming pool books, language and self expression and a as well as a wading pool for the genuine interest in numerical concepts through youngest children. creative and integrated learning experiences, in a stimulating environment where they feel safe, valued, confident and independent. The children’s intellectual, emotional, social and physical development is supported by our caring classroom teachers and their full-time teaching assistants as well as specialist teachers in music, languages and physical education. Learning Support specialists provide assistance to children who need a little extra help.

Cross curricular learning As children progress from Nursery through to Reception and into Key Stage 1, the cross curricular approach to learning continues with additional emphasis placed on acquiring skills and understanding in literacy and numeracy. Science, Information and Communication Technology, Humanities, as well as Music, Art, Physical Education and Chinese are also key elements of the Infant School curriculum. Learning is meaningful and relevant and field study trips help to bring learning to life.

Teaching strategies are varied according to the purpose of a task and the needs of each child. In our Infant School, we creatively nurture each individual and our teaching reflects our belief that happy and confident children learn most effectively.

Junior School Key Stage Two Years 3 to 6 • For students aged 7 to 11

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New challenges in a caring environment When students enter the Junior School they are presented with new challenges and responsibilities. The same level of care and support is offered but the school day becomes more formally structured. Students are successfully encouraged to focus on doing well in all aspects of their academic, personal, social and physical development. Teaching strategies are contemporary, rigorous and challenging with an emphasis on extending students’ skills across a wide range of subjects.

All teachers, including specialists and those in learning support, work creatively to capture students’ interest and make their learning personalised, enjoyable and meaningful. Our Juniors take full advantage of the latest technologies and are introduced to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) accessed through our website. Whilst the English National Curriculum is the basis for much of the learning, the School also teaches French and Chinese from the start of Year 3.

We offer Juniors an extensive range of co-curricular activities.

Students can learn to play a wide variety of instruments and take part in an impressive array of choirs, ensembles and orchestras.

All students are encouraged to play sport and can choose from the many opportunities that are available. A team of Junior students is also selected to represent Tanglin in sporting events against other British schools in South and East Asia.

Building group identity We understand the value young people place on group membership. We ensure students are well integrated into their classes and encouraged to be part of a wide group of friends. Each Junior student is also warmly welcomed into a House and special House Days feature innovative team-building activities. To promote year group identity, students experience learning in large shared spaces that feature computers and comfortable reading areas and are imaginatively transformed each term into a range of settings, such as a Tudor Court or an Egyptian pyramid, to enrich learning.

Towards self management Opportunities abound in the Junior School to build leadership skills as well as an appreciation of the many cultures that co-exist in Singapore.

Junior students act as buddies to Infant students and can participate in the Student Council or become a Library Monitor, Junior Listener, Maths Mentor or Computer Champion. Themed assemblies celebrate cultural festivals and reinforce the importance of self management and personal and social responsibility.

Locally focussed charity activities are organised within each class. Juniors also take part in challenging residential field studies that range from an overnight trip to one of Singapore’s islands in Year 4 to a six-day excursion to Sarawak in Malaysia in Year 6. By valuing the contribution each individual makes, and emphasising meaningful learning, self management and responsibility, we prepare our Juniors thoroughly for Senior School.

Senior School Key Stages Three, Four and Five Years 7 to 13• For students aged 11 to 18

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A positive approach Young people thrive in our dynamic learning environment and rise to the challenges offered by the innovative, energetic and demanding teaching.

Student achievement is evident both in the high levels of academic success and in each student’s personal development. Tanglin students leave ready to make a contribution to the modern world, equipped with the skills, knowledge and attributes they need to succeed.

In the Senior School, we prize individuality, initiative, independence, self expression and involvement.

While respecting tradition, our Seniors are forward looking and have a genuine desire to be actively involved in change as a positive process. They have many opportunities to take part in a broad range of sporting and arts related co-curricular activities and can participate in field study excursions to destinations such as Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand, that further expand their personal horizons. Drawing on the international nature of the School’s population, our Seniors are culturally adept. They take their global citizenship responsibilities seriously and are involved in a range of charitable projects throughout Asia.

Impressive academic results We are fortunate to enjoy a well established ethos of valuing academic success. Our impressive academic results place us in the top tier of schools in the United Kingdom, both comprehensive and independent, and have consistently allowed our graduates to enter the University of their choice, including Oxford and Cambridge, as well as other prestigious institutions worldwide. For Tanglin seniors, it’s unquestionably ‘cool to be clever’.

Supportive relationships A key ingredient in the Senior School’s success is the outstanding quality of relationships that exist between students and staff and among the students themselves. At the heart of the School is our regard for the needs of individual students and the determination to meet those needs. On graduation, students consistently comment on the tremendous help and encouragement they received from their peers and our staff. Through on-going relationships with form tutors and the close personal attention given to students by specialist staff, our knowledge of each student’s abilities and aptitudes is exceptional. This enables the School to provide all students with personalised academic and pastoral support, thus ensuring their high levels of achievement.

As students progress through Key Stages 3 to 5 of the National Curriculum of England, they are presented with a widening choice of subjects taught by our teachers. In Year 7, for example, students select two modern foreign languages, from French, Spanish, German and Chinese, while receiving grounding in Latin through our Classics course. Moving forward to Key Stage 4, or the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination, subjects such as Business Studies, Religious Studies and Film Studies are added to the programme. At Key Stage 5 (sixth form), new subjects available include Psychology, Government and Politics, Economics and Music Technology. Sixth form students can choose to follow courses leading to UK Advanced Level qualifications or courses leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

Beyond the Classroom Challenging learning experiences Whilst we are proud of Tanglin’s reputation for academic, musical, dramatic and sporting achievements, we know that not all learning takes place inside the classroom. We understand that the development of the child as a whole is paramount, also that different students are motivated by different experiences. As students progress through the School, they are encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities that are on offer.

All Tanglin students have access to a full range of sporting facilities, including a running track and playing fields, swimming pool and gymnasium.

Arts facilities are excellent, with a state of the art performance centre staging a range of drama and musical productions and inspiring studio/exhibition space reminiscent of a professional art gallery.

Students can further extend their interests through a wide range of co-curricular activities which take place after school hours and which include everything from cookery to Lego clubs to scuba diving - there is truly something for everyone here.

Libraries in each school are well stocked and equipped with all the latest in online and multimedia learning services (and of course books). Talented and dedicated staff are on hand to offer advice and to encourage a love of reading. The libraries also serve an important community function within the School; offering a place for parents to read with younger children and also an extensive resource from which parents and other members of the community can borrow themselves. There is also an active programme of visiting professionals including authors, artists and drama groups.

Interacting with the world beyond At Tanglin, we hold a strong belief in the value of learning outside the classroom. Students regularly take part in excursions off site, whether it be within Singapore or to a far flung part of Asia. We believe that our students should have first-hand experience of other places, people and cultures and well thought out field study trips enable students to look well beyond their usual horizons.

Even our youngest children in the Infant School partake in off site excursions - visiting the market in Chinatown, studying the local ‘shophouse’ architecture or learning about animal life at the Singapore Zoo. As they get older, students embark on residential trips to nearby South East Asian destinations - a night on a nearby island or in a traditional ‘long house’ in Sarawak - and our oldest students get involved in a broad variety of projects, many of which are charity-based. Recent senior trips have included teaching oral healthcare to children in a remote part of Northern India and building houses in Cambodia.

At Tanglin, understanding our place in the world is considered part of the learning experience. Our social responsibility programme aims to equip all our students with knowledge and understanding of today’s global challenges. They are given the opportunity to learn about the wider community both in Singapore and beyond, empowering them to enter the world as responsible global citizens who can make a positive difference.

This includes getting involved in specific programmes and projects - locally and internationally - in order to help those in most need; learning about global issues such as climate change and the impact of inequality and working within the school environment to ensure that Tanglin leaves a light environmental footprint.

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We believe in the children in our care and the greatness they can achieve. In the words of one of our Senior Students: “There are so many things to do at Tanglin that you can discover yourself. Tanglin teaches you to be your own person.�

Fore more information on the Tanglin experience, contact our admissions team on admissions@tts.edu.sg

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Tanglin Trust School 95 Portsdown Road Singapore 139299 tel : 65 6778 0771 fax: 65 6777 5862 email : admissions@tts.edu.sg web: www.tts.edu.sg