On 21 November 2019, this year’s Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results will be announced, and it will be time for parents and their Primary 6 children to choose a secondary school. 

If you have any queries about school selection, please contact the Ministry of Education (MOE) directly for the most accurate information. 

Narrowing Down The Options

By now, every Primary 6 student should have received a copy of the “Choosing Your Secondary Schools” booklet from his or her school. 

Published by the MOE, this year’s booklet contains useful information such as the 2018 PSLE entry scores for each school, the subjects and special programmes offered, and co-curricular activity options. 

To help you assess if a school is in a convenient location, the booklet also provides public transport information on bus services and the nearest MRT station.

Before the release of the PSLE results, take time to read the booklet, and encourage your child to read it too. You can also use the MOE’s School Finder to browse schools.

Although you may already have some “ideal” schools in mind for your child, it’s still good to assess all the available options, and shortlist schools that seem interesting or promising. This way, in case your child happens not to qualify for his or her dream school, you will have a ready list of alternative schools to choose from.

Here are some factors to consider when shortlisting schools:

• What sort of environment does my child thrive in? (Read our post about “big pond vs. small pond” environments and how they affect school performance.)
• What are my child’s needs, strengths, and interests? 
• Is the location accessible? What are my child’s transportation options?
• Are there financial considerations? If your child is considering an independent school, do be aware of the school’s fee structure. (For Singapore citizens, financial assistance and scholarships are available to help them attend the school of their choice.)

Special Needs Support

According to the MOE, most secondary schools are able to support students with mild special educational needs, such as dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), hearing loss, and visual or physical impairments. 

Most secondary schools have at least one Allied Educator who provides learning and behavioural support to students. Schools also have a group of teachers who are trained to plan and differentiate learning strategies, in order to support students with mild special educational needs. For more information on special needs, refer to Reference F of the “Choosing Your Secondary Schools” booklet.

For students who are unable to progress to secondary school based on their PSLE results, do consult with the school’s principal on next steps. Northlight School caters for such students, but for those who have only attempted the PSLE once, the application must be recommended by the school principal.

2019 Secondary School Open House Dates 
 

Many secondary schools will be holding their Open House events. If the school that you are interested in is not listed here, contact the school directly to see if you can arrange a visit.

Open House Dates

Source: Schoolbag.sg

What To Ask At The Open House

During the open house, do spend time getting to know a school’s current students as well as the teaching staff. Students are a true reflection of the school’s environment and teaching methods. (Find out how to tell if a school has a good school culture.)

The most important thing that you should do at the open house is to ask questions — and note the responses for discussion with your child. Wondering where to begin? Use this list for ideas. 

Questions For Existing Students

• Do you enjoy attending school? Why or why not?
• What classes do you like or not like? Why?
• What do you like about the teachers in school? Or, do you have favourite teachers in school, and what do you like about them?
• Do you enjoy your CCA? Why do you like it?
• What’s the one thing you wish you’d known before joining this school?

Questions For Teachers

• How are classes allocated in this school? (Many schools have different ways of grouping their students for optimal learning, but parents may have their preferences too.)
• What subject combinations does the school offer for its upper secondary classes? How many classes are available for each combination?
• What is this school’s strength? Or, what does this school do better than many other schools?
• What are some extracurricular opportunities that this school provides? For instance, does the school send students for events such as Model United Nations?
• Offhand, would you know which universities some of the teachers have graduated from? (You may be surprised to learn that your humble neighbourhood school has teaching staff who graduated from universities such as Oxford.)
• How does the school support children who have academic, social, or emotional difficulties?
• How does the school deal with bullying?

Questions About CCAs

• Can my child’s involvement in this sport or activity count as a CCA? (This question is useful if your child is on the national team or represents a club for a sport or activity that is not a CCA in the school that you’re interested in.)
• Do students who wish to try a new sport or activity have a chance to be selected for the school team? 
• What is the commitment required for this CCA? (You may wish to check on the time as well as financial commitments required. For instance, sporting CCAs where training is intensive may result in higher CCA fees.)