Tanglin Trust School parent Sara shares her views on what she feels makes Tanglin a good school and why she chose it for her family.
Sara and her husband are both from Holland. They have two children, a son in Year 6 (11 years) and a daughter in Year 8 (13 years). They have been at Tanglin for three years in total, with a year out in Jakarta in the middle.
Why did you choose Tanglin?
When we first knew we were coming to Singapore, we were told there were two main schools to consider – Tanglin and UWC. We felt Tanglin was the right fit for us and so we put the children on the waitlist as early as we could.
Why did you choose Tanglin and what were the most important criteria in your decision making?
It is important to us that Tanglin is a not for profit school. You notice immediately that the facilities are excellent, 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 multi-lingual family, we also value the school’s mother tongue programme. There is a really good balance in lessons and assignments between creativity and content. 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 lot the school.
How would you describe the culture / personality of Tanglin?
The great sense of humour and values really stand out at Tanglin. The people are fun and open-minded. There are lovely relationships evident between teachers and students but also between student peers and between staff and parents. The school takes a very sensible, professional yet friendly approach. It is open to talking 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.
Has Tanglin lived up to your expectations? How?
“My children have thrived academically, made great friends, feel very much at home and love going to school. I couldn’t ask for more!”
