Singapore Expats

Shortlisted to these two International Schools, any parents with kids in these schools? How did your children enjoy the school?

SAIS is a school with US State Dept backing.

CIS is a school with funding from Michael Milkin.

I think you should be able to work out which one is better.

SAIS is a much better choice.

Both Stamford American International School (SAIS) and Canadian International School (CIS) are well-established choices in Singapore, and while both follow the IB curriculum, the experience can feel quite different depending on your child’s needs and your family’s priorities.

SAIS is known for its strong American influence, offering both IB and AP tracks, and has a slightly more “corporate” vibe with a sleek campus and lots of extracurricular options. It’s quite structured and offers things like MAP testing and college counseling from early on. Students who are more independent and enjoy choice tend to thrive here.

CIS, on the other hand, has a warmer, more community-oriented feel. It leans into bilingualism (especially the Chinese-English and French-English programs), and the Lakeside campus has a beautiful open layout. Families often mention how welcoming the school feels, especially for younger kids, and there’s a strong emphasis on inquiry-based learning and student wellbeing.

If you're a parent and you're still comparing or just want help narrowing it down by things like location, curriculum fit, and fees, doris.school is a free school matching tool that gives a great overview of both, including firsthand feedback. Might be worth checking out if you’re on the fence!

I would not recommend CIS. In my child's year (a year where my child and 2 others in CIS committed suicide) there was zero support from the school (before and after the suicides), and hoenstly zero commitment to academics even before all of this happened as well. Please don't drink the kool-aid and choose any other school in Singapore other than CIS.