What Are The Top UK Schools in Singapore?

Six UK Schools in Singapore

If you are looking for the most British education in Singapore, here are your options...

Tanglin Trust School

Year groups: Nursery to Year 13
Curriculum: EYFS, UK Key Stages 1-5
Exams: IGCSEs, A Levels or IBDP
UK inspection reports: Outstanding (British Schools Overseas, BSO)
Membership: Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA)
Entrance requirements: Non-selective
Waitlist: Yes

Founded in 1925, Tanglin has over 90 years of experience delivering a British-based education to Singapore's international community. This school is probably the most British of the top schools in Singapore, at least in terms of student numbers; its student body represents over 50 different nationalities, and 47% of these students are UK passport holders. Tanglin is the only school in Singapore to offer both the IBDP and A Levels at sixth form level (Years 12-13). 

Read our full review of Tanglin Trust School here.

Dover Court International School

Year groups: Nursery to Year 13
Curriculum: EYFS, UK Key Stages 1-4
UK inspection reports: No
Membership: Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA)
Exams: IGCSEs, BTEC or IBDP
Entrance requirements: Non-selective
Waitlist: Yes

Nord Anglia's Dover Court is a hugely popular all-through school that offers outstanding SEN provision, an existing STEAM and music programme, and has recently introduced a sixth form offering the IB Diploma Programme. What really sets this school apart from the rest is its collaborations with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The Juilliard School. The student body is made up of around 1,400 students aged three to 18 years, and representing more than 60 nationalities.

Read our full review of Dover Court International School here.

Dulwich College (Singapore)

Year groups: Nursery to Year 13
Curriculum: EYFS, UK Key Stages 1-4
UK inspection reports: No
Membership: Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA)
Exams: IGCSEs, IBDP
Entrance requirements: Selective
Waitlist: Yes

Built on the foundations of a highly respected British independent school, Dulwich College (Singapore) offers an enhanced UK curriculum with a dual language approach to Mandarin, the IBDP, an exciting STEAM initiative, and a global creative arts programme. But, as one of Singapore’s most expensive schools, it all comes at a very high price.

Read our full review of Dulwich College (Singapore) here.

The Perse School, Singapore

Year groups: Year 2 to Year 6
Curriculum: Cambridge International Primary Curriculum, Singaporean maths
UK inspection reports: No
Exams: Primary only
Entrance requirements: Selective
Waitlist: No

If parents are looking for an affordable education in Singapore terms, The Perse holds promise for delivering a strong primary education built on British values and steered by a forward-thinking leadership team. Here’s a school that may deter some with its limited enrolment of Years 2-6, a lack of space and state-of-the-art facilities, and its move away from the IB programme – but it will appeal to families searching for a standalone primary school with centuries-long Cambridge roots, a strong Singaporean maths curriculum, and low fees.

Read our full review of The Perse School, Singapore here.

Brighton College (Singapore)

Year groups: Year 1 to Year 6
Curriculum: UK, Key Stages 1-2
UK inspection reports: No
Exams: Primary only
Entrance requirements: Selective
Waitlist: No
This British public-school export, which we have seen thrive in locations across the UAE and in Bangkok, retains major elements of Brighton College UK’s DNA; it limits classes to three per year group with maximum of 22 students per class; and it delivers a strong Mandarin programme. This all comes at price, and the school’s annual tuition fees of $34,000 position it as one of the top 15 most expensive schools in Singapore.

Read our full review of Brighton College (Singapore) here.

North London Collegiate School (Singapore)

Year groups: FS1 to Year 13
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate (IB)
UK inspection reports: No
Exams: IGCSEs, IBDP
Entrance requirements: Selective
Waitlist: No

The prestigious British independent school is an all-through, co-ed day school; it is the third international campus for NLCS. NLCS is not the only IB school in Singapore, although it will eventually be one of only eight IB continuum schools here. And it is not the only school to offer a British public-school education, as there are currently four in Singapore. However, NLCS (Singapore) aims to be one of the most academically rigorous schools in Singapore – and its track record in the UK, Jeju and Dubai suggest it can deliver on this goal.

Read our full review of NLCS (Singapore) here.