Tanglin Trust School

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Address: 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
Website: www.tts.edu.sg
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +65 6778 0771
Gender: Co-educational
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate and British (English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels)
Teaching language: English
Ages: 3 to 18

Background

This year, Tanglin Trust School celebrates its Centenary, marking 100 years since its founding in 1925. It all began at the Tanglin Club with just five students under the guidance of Miss Anne Griffiths Jones, a dedicated Welshwoman who had travelled to Singapore to visit her brother.

Known affectionately as Miss Griff, she aimed to educate children who had joined their parents in Singapore, offering an alternative to being sent away to boarding school in England. Today, Tanglin stands as the oldest British school in Southeast Asia, a vibrant international school with 2,850 students from over 50 countries, ranging in age from 3 to 18. As a not-for-profit school, tuition fees are devoted to the provision of an outstanding education.

As the only school in Singapore to offer A-Levels or the IB Diploma in Sixth Form, all of Tanglin’s Sixth Formers study a programme that is tailored both to the subjects they are passionate about and to the style of learning that most suits them, ensuring they thrive and flourish.

Tanglin has an excellent academic reputation. Students’ examination results consistently surpass Singapore and global averages, with around 95 percent of graduates typically receiving their first- or second-choice university, which are among the best in the world.

What the school says

"Drawing on professional and dynamic staff, Tanglin aims to nurture students to achieve their intellectual, spiritual, cultural, social and physical goals. We strive to make every individual feel valued, happy and successful. Responsibility, enthusiasm and participation are actively encouraged, and integrity is prized. Working together in a safe, caring, yet stimulating environment, we set high expectations whilst offering strong support, resulting in a community of lifelong learners who can contribute with confidence to our world."

What the inspectors say

Tanglin is inspected every year within the British Schools Overseas (BSO) framework, recognised by Ofsted. All three schools have been awarded ‘outstanding’, the highest possible grade.

“Tanglin pupils talk with passion about their school because it is special. They say it makes them feel happy and valued, not just for what they can do, but for who they are.”

– Junior School Inspection
“A rich and diverse curriculum provides outstanding learning across the school. Leaders are relentless in their ambition to offer pupils not only breadth but also depth in their learning. As a result, stimulating opportunities are built into everyday lessons for all pupils.”

– Infant School Inspection
“The teachers’ enthusiasm for learning is often infectious, leading to students seeing learning as a highly worthwhile and enjoyable process; students are highly motivated to succeed.”

– Senior School Inspection

Curriculum

The Enhanced English National Curriculum forms the basis of study, and this is contextualised to the school’s setting in Southeast Asia. Following IGCSEs, students have the opportunity to choose either A-Levels or the IB Diploma at Sixth Form.

Tanglin Trust School is proud to announce its impressive 2024 A-Level results, marking one of the strongest performances in over a decade (excluding the Covid-19 exam years). An outstanding 64 percent of our students achieved A or A grades, significantly surpassing the average achieved by students in England of almost 28 percent.

An impressive 186 Tanglin students passed their IGCSEs with 91 percent of grades A–B equivalent (9–6). These results are particularly impressive when compared to schools in England.

Tanglin encourages both broad participation and the achievement of excellence in the arts, sports, outdoor education and co-curricular activities. Over 140 teams compete in 17 different sports each year, both in Singapore and the wider region. Exceptional sporting facilities enable students to participate in a wide range of competitive and non-competitive events.

Tanglin has a thriving and energetic Arts programme which plays an important part in school life. Students develop their skills in art, design, drama, music, and film-making, facilitating creative, social and intellectual development. Nearly 25 percent of students participate in a Music co-curricular activity. Throughout the year, there are many opportunities for students to participate in high-quality ensembles, recitals, performances and exhibitions.

Tanglin students are also encouraged to contribute actively to the local community, support service projects, and participate in a wide variety of extracurricular pursuits that stimulate and broaden their experience. These include 80 outdoor education trips, the International Duke of Edinburgh Award, and the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme.

Highlands Programme

As part of its Centenary in 2025, Tanglin will launch the Highlands Programme at the new Tanglin Gippsland campus in Australia. The Highlands Programme is a five-week immersive programme designed as the pinnacle of a Year 9 student’s Middle School education at Tanglin.

Mark Cutchie, the new Head of Tanglin Gippsland, will head up the programme, which will focus on fostering three essential attributes: curiosity, confidence and community.

Visit Tanglin Trust’s website for more information on the Highlands Programme.

Fees

For the 2024/2025 school year, fees range from SGD 33,330 a year for nursery school and SGD 53,505 a year for Years 12 and 13. Fees are payable termly, and there is an enrolment fee of SGD 4,500 for all applications and a non-refundable capital levy of SGD 4,500.

Location

Located on Portsdown Road, Tanglin Trust School is approximately a 15-minute drive from the city centre. The school is positioned within Singapore’s ‘one-north’ high-technology cluster of biomedical sciences, ICT and media industries and among the heritage and nature areas of Rochester Park and the Wessex Estate.

From the CEO

“Tanglin is a vibrant co-educational day school where children learn to be successful and happy in their lives. In developing the whole child, we set high expectations for achievement in academics and the arts whilst also nurturing their life skills. Our students enjoy being at school; they look forward to the challenge, the opportunities, the comradeship, the satisfaction and the fun that is part of Tanglin's daily life. It is important to us that they have a clear view of the world and their place in it, along with a deep desire to sustain it.”

– Craig Considine

What the parents say

“It is important to us that Tanglin is a not-for-profit school. You notice immediately that the facilities are excellent and that the classrooms and units are neat and well taken care of. It is reassuring to know that all school fee income goes back into the school. For us, curriculum and academics are critical.

"At Tanglin, the children have been able to study the same subjects they would be taught in Holland, which makes a future transition home easier. As a multilingual family, we also value the school’s mother tongue programme. There is a good balance between creativity and content in lessons and assignments.

"Teachers don’t just tackle subjects on a superficial level but in real depth. I have also found the writing to be of an exceptionally high standard. The fact that Tanglin is not selective but still achieves such amazingly good results says a huge amount for the school.

"The values really stand out at Tanglin. There are lovely relationships evident between teachers and students and also between student peers and between staff and parents. The school takes a very sensible, professional yet friendly approach. It is open to talk about anything. I feel that my children are important to the school, and my opinion as a parent matters – I feel truly heard.

"I also admire the respectful, mature relationships between the children. There is less emphasis on being popular or ‘cool’ but on being a kind, friendly, caring student and friend. The messages and values that the children are taught, such as a recent lesson on humility in the Senior School, are important.

"My children have thrived academically, made great friends, feel very much at home and love going to school. I couldn’t ask for more!”

– Sara Marseille, Tanglin parent

What the students say

"I am beyond thankful that Tanglin has encouraged me to develop as a person, gain a wealth of knowledge both inside and outside the classroom, nurtured me every step of the way and given me unforgettable memories I will treasure forever."

–Meghan, Former Head Girl 2018/2019