WINNER: Best Schools Award (Singapore) 2022 for Best Post-16 Education

Highly Commended: Dover Court International School

Set up in 1972, Dover Court is one of Singapore’s oldest and most established international schools, and it is well-known and highly sought after because of its combination of Britishness and internationalism. It has distinguished itself from other top tier UK pathway schools here with its focus on inclusiveness and well-roundedness over academic achievement. It’s smaller than other schools here – half the size of Tanglin Trust and a third of the size of UWCSEA – and its friendly, nurturing learning environment (that has the feel of a British village school) is part of its appeal.

Waitlists remain long here (its popularity never fades) but the school never appears complacent and shows signs looking to drive forward and improve. For example, Dover Court was the first international school in Singapore to offer college students a vocational alternative to the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) - the BTEC Level 2 and 3 in Business, although this remains a narrow choice of pathways.

It also has a very well-established Learning Pathway programme offering four distinct pathways tailored to student’s individual abilities (Nursery to Year 13), which helps to fill a much-needed gap for special needs education in Singapore. Its IB results reflect excellent achievement for such a diverse student body.

The general feedback from parents is that Dover Court is a community, family school that is wonderfully and academically inclusive. Teachers are caring and supportive, the charm of its older campus makes it all the more welcoming, and the curriculum is creative and engaging.

Judges praised the school for being fully inclusive at its core. Matthew Tompkins CEO and Principal, GEMS First Point School in Dubai, said:

“Its pathways, support and subjects are all strong indicators that there are routes for all students to be successful at Dover Court. The inclusion of BTECs alongside the IB is an excellent option for this fully inclusive school. It is also clear, when considering the school’s results, that this is a school that is equally committed to ensuring all abilities fulfil their full potential.”

Lyn Soppelsa, Reviews & Community Editor, Which Media praised the school for its “long standing focus on inclusiveness and a well-rounded curriculum together with a broad choice of academic and creative subjects at IGCSE and the benefit of the Juilliard and MIT links.”

Read our full review of Dover Court here.

Highly Commended: UWC South East Asia (Dover)

UWC South East Asia (Dover) has the space, facilities and ambitious vision to offer students a wide range of academic and non-academic opportunities at post-16 level. 

The school is enduringly popular because it delivers excellent IBDP results (39.3 in 2021), reliably and consistently almost since its founding in the early 1970s. And the school is not just academically outstanding. UWCSEA is almost as rigorous in pushing an external life and activities outside the classroom as it is academic success. It's an education that goes well beyond the classroom and will certainly appeal to families looking for learning experiences in 'real' situations.

Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the level of academic performance here, and 100% say that their child has a sense of belonging. While the school's fees are among the highest in Singapore, 72% of parents say that they represent good value for money (WhichSchoolAdvisor Parent Survey). As one parent says, "I like that the school is continuously evolving its focus and strategy to adhere to the changing needs of education."

Judges praised UWCSEA's holistic education, which is as much service-oriented as it is strong in academics, sport and the arts. This is a school that does exceptionally well at "developing well-rounded individuals with a global perspective – all skills that equip students very well for achieving offers at top universities worldwide". A standout feature of its post-16 education is the independently planned trip in Grade 11, which is a core part of the educational programme. 

Read our full review of UWCSEA (Dover) here.