Singapore Expats

Hi,

We are moving out to Singapore this summer and I've been browsing forums.

Biggest queries are to do with schools for my son (7), combined with where we should live. I don't drive and I wondered: does anyone ever walk to school, or am I mad to even suggest it?

Just to clarify, I don't just mean walk direct from condo to school, I also include any situations where you can take the MRT and then walk, meaning accomm is close to MRT and school too.

I realise I am hugely tailoring my circumstances before I've even started but can't hurt to start with our ideals, eh?

Walking is fine; the only unobvious problem would be at certain times of day, it will get too hot to do so comfortably. However, the public transport system is convenient so if one is too lazy to walk, just hop on a bus. Some schools (please check) can also arrange for shuttle services.

You can use gothere.sg and Google maps to check for public transport directions to and from any point in Singapore (Google maps has walking directions too but it doesn't give shortcuts such as cutting through HDB blocks). You may just have to compare each other's results for feasibility.

Yeah it all depends on which school you are considering for your child and also where you/your spouse will be working. The ideal arrangement is to have your family staying in a location where it is accessible to travel to both (better yet, have that problem solves with school shuttle bus - still depends on which school though).

I have used both public transport and school shuttle bus for my children, you will find that it is rare that the shuttle bus is faster than public transport, but they see their friends and are perfectly safe from crossing roads etc, it is usually more expensive though too.

As the others said though, if you have to walk 500m+ it can be very uncomfortable in the heat.

Good luck

Thanks for the replies. Have had a tip from another forum that the River Valley area is a good spot for being close-ish to MRTs and also to CBD, with several family-populated condos. I take into account your comments on the heat and this will no doubt be a big factor.
Thanks all

It's not the heat, it's the humidity. normal max temp here is 32 C or 89 F which every you are more comfortable with.

Thanks, yes, humidity I meant. Husband is half Malaysian and we've spent time up there, and also visited Singapore this Christmas in the midst of the festive monsoon season, so we've had a taste of the amazing sweatiness of it all. Bit mad, really, to think of walking anywhere in the humidity, even early morning. I suppose I had my heart set on a condo just steps from schools but unless we are at the schools down near Orchard I think it will be cool school buses for us...

I used to take my children to school on the public bus. They were at Eton House (Broadrick) at the time which is a short walk from the bus stop (5 mins). It was OK in the mornings but really hot most afternoons.

5-10 mins is enough really when lugging school bags and things. We used to love it when it was dull and lightly raining............but that's fairly rare really, it's usually short heavy showers that drench everyone


If you don't have a car it's worth trying to live fairly close to your child's school if they're in primary. You're always up at the school for an assembly or something and it can get a bit much if you live a fair distance away.

There is housing near the new Stamford school, Singapore American, and the Australian School. Yes, even a young child can walk with no bus required. It's a lovely arrangement to offer your child. You won't regret it.

Thanks all, every post hugely useful. I think I have my favourites lined up, topping the list: ISS, Dover and OFS. Huge shame that we have to decide on schools before we actually see them but I will make calls and talk to the heads, all that. We're opting for serviced accomm in the first instance and will choose a home when we get out there.

Eek, though - can't believe that one week ago my main concern in life was... well I can't even remember what it was now. Other half has almost-agreed to a move out to Singapore twice before now, and both times it hasn't been right for many reasons and I've been happy to stay in the UK. This time (third time lucky), it all seems to make sense and we're looking forward to it.

We won't regret this at all, will we?

Makingthemove wrote: We won't regret this at all, will we?

Not wanting to be the fly in the ointment, I hope you don't regret it.

With the current mood here regarding Foreign Talent and the local citizenry the gahmen are doing all sorts of revamping of quotas, criteria and other sundry methods to reduce the dependency on foreigners. Hopefully this won't result in a "shortened" stay due to ever changing goalposts here at the moment. I reckon you have had a gander through a number of threads/forums here on this board so are already aware of the possibilities.

No flies on you - or me, am stepping out with as clear a mind as possible. Part of me wants to tell everyone "we're going but you never know what's around the corner, we might well be back soon" - because you really never do know.

It's important to get the negative feedback as well as the positive, but in the end (and it's a useless platitude really) it's only when we get there that we'll know what's what. I see it as an adventure; if that's naieve then thank goodness all the other famous adventurers out there weren't put off!

Walking to school is good for the kids health. It's a form of exercise and it healthy for them. You don't want them to develop a sedentary lifestyle so young. Check the MOE website which has good write-up on these matters.

Wow, almost forgot about the whole walking thing, and you have a point, it's good for them to keep active. Have to say, though, that two years on and I have come to be quite sure that to do the 40-minute walk to our school twice a day would be at best sweaty, at worst enough to make us all really ill through heatstroke - not a great way to start the day. In the end we opted for a school bus, and if I have to go in I take a public bus and then walk 15 mins, hot and bothered but doable. Nice to see the post rehashed...

Makingthemove wrote:Thanks all, every post hugely useful. I think I have my favourites lined up, topping the list: ISS, Dover and OFS. Huge shame that we have to decide on schools before we actually see them but I will make calls and talk to the heads, all that. We're opting for serviced accomm in the first instance and will choose a home when we get out there.

Eek, though - can't believe that one week ago my main concern in life was... well I can't even remember what it was now. Other half has almost-agreed to a move out to Singapore twice before now, and both times it hasn't been right for many reasons and I've been happy to stay in the UK. This time (third time lucky), it all seems to make sense and we're looking forward to it.

We won't regret this at all, will we?

Don't think you'll regret it regardless of where you're moving from. Singapore is a great place to be. You might miss the UK after a couple of years, but then you can always make the decision to go back if you decide that this is the best way forward after spending some time here. Personally I can call a couple of places home, but Singapore is more home to me now than anywhere else.

Serviced accommodation for a month for instance is a good idea as you can then explore and plan your long-term stay in a reasonable way (looking at various areas, particular condos, etc.).

In terms of schools I see that you have not yet decided on a particular system of education, as Dover is different from the others. Location-wise you also need to take a close look at this, as Dover is not in the River Valley area, whereas the others are but will be moving to new campuses in the near future.

Lots of factors to take into account when choosing where to live and which school to send the kid(s) to...