Singapore Expats

Hi We are moving to Singapore from Australia shortly. We are thinking of enrolling our two boys at AIS. At this stage, we have no concept of where AIS is in relation to the CBD, MRT etc. We are looking at accomodation for upto SGD10,000 per month. Are there any family friendly places close to the AIS? Would you recommend condos or Cluster Houses? Appreciate any insights and many thanks!

AIS is located in Lorong Chuan. There are a number of condo developments in the area.

the new relatively new condos: The Chuan and Goldenhill park condo.
the older ones (but conditions look ok from facade): The Springbloom, Chuan Park, Chiltern Park.

lorong chuan has a new MRT line servicing the area of residents/schools, so the area is now very accessible. I know that for a fact, coz i used to stay around there, but I have since rented out my unit.

Your budget is far too generous. make sure you get a honest agent to service you.

SGD10k a month?

You could have your pick of anything in that area, only limiting factor being whether you will be provided with a car, or plan to get one.

Hi, a 3bedroom apt. around AISS will set you back from $3.5 - $5k/month. With $10k, you can live closer to the city center, else rent a house around the school area (~$6-8k/month). Use the property search in this website, you'll get a good view of what's available.

There are also online maps you can use to see wheere the school is with respect to other landmarks in Singapore, plus you could get a local version of Sydway/Melway, maybe the moving co. has a copy...

As the other posters have mentioned, get a good agent or use the recommended agent your company has allocated to you.

Hope this helps.
Tex.

smileyface wrote:Hi We are moving to Singapore from Australia shortly. We are thinking of enrolling our two boys at AIS. At this stage, we have no concept of where AIS is in relation to the CBD, MRT etc. We are looking at accomodation for upto SGD10,000 per month. Are there any family friendly places close to the AIS? Would you recommend condos or Cluster Houses? Appreciate any insights and many thanks!

Many thanks for all your responses. Cheers

Hi, we've just moved from Melbourne and both kids are now in AIS and are loving it.

The school bus picks up from most areas and taxis are used frequently for drop offs and pick ups. Cost avg from $5 to $10 depending where you are.

If you don't know too many people, then I would recommend a expat area or condo where you and kids can meet other expats. Very helpful to get started as a house can be isolating.

The other matter to consider is where your partner works as traffic can be very busy at peak hours.

Other questions to consider, do you have pets? Are you coming from a house, (apt/condo sizes are much smaller and you'll need to adjust. (Older condos have more space.) do you like shopping? walking (some streets no footpaths), do you all like eating out? (markets have great food, great prices and I'm barely cooking...probably more to consider but I think I've covered basics.

We originally stated looking in Braddell Heights, Serrangoon Gardens and realised whilst living in serviced apt in town, we loved walking to markets and restaurants for dinner and very easy to flag a taxi. So we changed to looking at Orchard/Holland area which is just up from town with loads of expats and easy for kids playdates. Our kids jump on bus outside our condo at 7.45am and are back home by 3.35pm! The dog and I walk the Botanic gardens most days.

When you arrive, best to find an agent to help orientate. If you don't get assigned an agent the school will help you with names and info.

Take your time, don't rush and goodluck.

smileyface wrote:Hi We are moving to Singapore from Australia shortly. We are thinking of enrolling our two boys at AIS. At this stage, we have no concept of where AIS is in relation to the CBD, MRT etc. We are looking at accomodation for upto SGD10,000 per month. Are there any family friendly places close to the AIS? Would you recommend condos or Cluster Houses? Appreciate any insights and many thanks!

Hello. We're moving to Singapore in two months from the US and are strongly considering the Stamford American school, which is close to AIS. My husband is in Singapore now, and has been looking at the Novena and Newton areas. They look convenient to Stamford and AIS, and seem centrally located, being just north of Orchard. Not sure what your or your spouse's work situation is, but it seems somewhat convenient to the business area too.

Does anyone have any feedback on Novena and Newton? I did a search on old posts, but mostly the comments are about the construction noise in the area. Is construction still an issue (the posts were from a few years ago)?

Good luck to you Smileyface. I'll look forward to reading any replies too. Thanks!

Newton/Novena is indeed handy for you. It's very close to transport, shops etc and close to major expressways. As for construction, you cannot avoid it in Singapore. It's everywhere.... I would recommend asking the agent when viewing, what is being constructed around you, what stage it's at and what else may be coming up. Even though there are laws about construction hours, it can be a 24/7 event! Getting your kids into school, and asking around on popular condos etc will give you an idea of where other school kids and families are. Goodluck!

hi Tanusa,

Yes there is quite a lot of construction noise in the newton area at the moment but no more than in other central areas (it seems that condos being torn down and replaced regularly). We live in the Newton area (near Stevens Rd) and are right next to a construction site however the noise is not too bad as we are on the opposite side of the building from it. We love this area as it is very convenient for transport, restaurants and access to botanical gardens. Get a good agent and as them about the options for lease clauses regarding construction. Goodluck!

Smileyface, most people I know that live further out towards the Aust International School do so because they don't have a car. There is a new(ish) condo right next to the school and I know there are a few Aussie families living there. You can rent quite cheaply out that way. It is also very easy to drive to the school from orchard/central Singapore however traffic can be a little crazy at times on the PIE.

Cheers

tanusa wrote:

smileyface wrote:Hi We are moving to Singapore from Australia shortly. We are thinking of enrolling our two boys at AIS. At this stage, we have no concept of where AIS is in relation to the CBD, MRT etc. We are looking at accomodation for upto SGD10,000 per month. Are there any family friendly places close to the AIS? Would you recommend condos or Cluster Houses? Appreciate any insights and many thanks!

Hello. We're moving to Singapore in two months from the US and are strongly considering the Stamford American school, which is close to AIS. My husband is in Singapore now, and has been looking at the Novena and Newton areas. They look convenient to Stamford and AIS, and seem centrally located, being just north of Orchard. Not sure what your or your spouse's work situation is, but it seems somewhat convenient to the business area too.

Does anyone have any feedback on Novena and Newton? I did a search on old posts, but mostly the comments are about the construction noise in the area. Is construction still an issue (the posts were from a few years ago)?

Good luck to you Smileyface. I'll look forward to reading any replies too. Thanks![/quote

Make sure you check them out well before you decide. You might consider OFS or even AIS before Stamford. Don't let the "American" in their name fool you. They bought their curriculum from a UK firm, they are owned by a British for-profit outfit, and they don't have a gymnasium/pool, etc. Very sparsely equipped despite fees of $25k Singaporean. Their fees are reportedly a bit higher than even Singapore American though you might not get in there due to waitlists. Americans have a better chance, though.

Anyway, perhaps the UK vs US curriculum doesn't matter for young kids. But the school is still under 100 students, food is trucked in from outside, and there is less of a community for your child. Maybe they'll be larger for next year but they are still a new school facing all of the new school issues. I suspect you'd be better in one of the more-established programs such as International Community School or OFS. They may be doing a good job, I don't know, but don't think of them as an "American" school. They are NOT accredited by any USA agency (or even any UK agency, for that matter.)

Thanks for your input. I am aware of Stamford being owned by a for-profit UK company. It happens to be the same company that owns an American school in Dubai (*see edit below) we were considering when we thought we were moving there (never did). My husband toured the school last week and liked what he saw. Yes, they are new, but the other schools they run around the world are highly regarded. The principal came from the American school in Dubai, so is experienced. New doesn't really worry me. While they are not accredited at this point (how could a school be during its first semester?), they most likely will be next year. No, they don't have their own pool at the foundation campus. They currently share the pool at AIS (which is also owned by this same company) until they move to the permanent campus, which will be a first class facility ($250 million investment). A school of less than 100 kids actually appeals to me, as my daughter is five years old and currently goes to a school of 28 kids. My husband also toured UWC (East campus), which he thought was overcrowded. He toured SAS, which he liked, but said it was WAY too far out. I know the distance isn't an issue for many, which is great for them. But for us, it just doesn't work at this point. Beyond the practical issues of Stamford, my husband said he really liked the feel of the school. He thought the teachers and staff seemed enthusiastic. The children seemed happy. He said it just felt like the right fit for our daughter. If our children were older, maybe some of the issues surrounding a new school would matter more. But for us, this seems like the best choice.


*edit 12/13/09* I wanted to add that Cognita does not run the school in Dubai we were interested in. I was mistaken. Blame it on sleep deprivation! We've "almost" moved to three different countries in the last year, so I'm a little confused, LOL. But Singapore is definite. Will be there in two weeks!

Well, the principal from Dubai that you liked has been "let go" from SAIS. Really, you might be better off at the Australian school, even, rather than SAIS.

Wanna take a bet on whether SAIS has accreditation next year?

tanusa wrote: He toured SAS, which he liked, but said it was WAY too far out. .

It's all relative but I hope you realize that Singapore is 1/5th the size of Rhode Island and is only 26 miles "long" x 14 miles "wide." Nowhere is very far from anywhere else. In other words, there isn't any place that is "WAY too far" unless you are walking. Not to mention there are houses all over the island and you can live next door to any school you decide to attend - even SAS.

Scarbowl, I don't mean for this to sound rude or snarky, because I do appreciate your feedback and comments. But I do wonder why the idea of someone sending their child to Stamford bothers you so much. It's a new school with not even a semester completed, and you have such a STRONG opinion against it. Why? Did you send one of your children there initially? Do you know anyone with children there that are unhappy? Have you toured the school or talked to any of the teachers or staff? Or is there just a big competitive thing between the schools there that I just don't understand yet? Why such strong negative feelings? I realize you have issues with it not being truly American, since it's owned by a British company, etc. But other than that, really, what's the problem? And, honestly, for us it doesn't matter as my children are both American and British. Seems like the perfect fit. The food is trucked in, as you say. OK. That doesn't mean it's bad, does it? They don't have their own pool. My daughter is five. She won't be on a swim team this year. They're not accredited yet. OK, it's a new school. Their goal is to be accredited by next year. I hope it works out that way. I see no reason to make bets against it. Why would I, or anyone else for that matter, want a school to fail? As far as the principal being let go. My husband was there just over a week ago touring the school, so that is news to us. We'll call next week and ask about it. I realize SAS is a good school. I have a dear friend who went there and loved it. I have nothing against SAS. I, personally, don't want to send my daughter on the bus at this age. That's just my thing. I have no issues with others that choose to do that. Good for them. I don't want to live near SAS and have my husband commute an hour each way to work. AIS is not an option for us, as I don't want to be on a different school calendar than the US. It would complicate things if we moved back. There are many things we really like about Stamford. Our hope is that it turns out to be a fantastic fit for our daughter. If not, we'll make changes if we need to.

I apologize if I sound as though I want them to fail. Perhaps I've stated myself too strongly.

My own son is at ICS which is an American (Christian) school. We are US based and offer a US diploma.

I do believe that SAIS is portraying itself in a manner different than the reality and I have a moral objection to that. But if you find it acceptable for your daughter I do hope she has a good experience. As for myself, I'm more interested in an established program, one that is honest in its self-description, and without what seems to be so much turmoil.

But perhaps ICS wasn't always the calm and predictable place it is now.

My best wishes for your own experience.