Canadian International School (Lakeside) Review
Canadian International School (CIS) Lakeside is one of many large schools globally to follow the schools-within-a-school model. At first glance, CIS Lakeside is a sprawling, state-of-the-art campus that offers an IB education for 2 to 18 year olds. Look a little closer though and you’ll see three separate schools – kindergarten, primary, and secondary – which each have their own community of classrooms, learning pods, and recreational areas.
View our tour of the school here.
This 43,000 sq m campus, which opened in 2011, was designed specifically around the schools-within-a-school concept, which offers the advantages found in smaller schools with all the benefits of a large, fully-equipped campus. Students from each ‘school’ can use campus facilities such as the Olympic-sized swimming pool and a two-storey library at dedicated times, and then return to their own age-appropriate school community. The result is a campus that holds onto the spirit of the Canadian International School while offering a tailor-made, intimate learning experience for children at all levels.
Throughout the school, there is a focus on holistic, student-led and hands-on learning which is line with the IB and the Canadian style of education – and this is brought to the fore through its outdoor learning, STEAM and language programmes. Students spend a significant time learning ‘outdoors’ – particularly in the younger years in in the school’s Outdoor Discovery Centre – and in real-world settings. The school also continues to invest in facilities; opening January 2023, a new junior wing will include massive 2,600 sqm Outdoor Discovery Centre.
According to our Parent Survey, 34% of parents are satisfied with the level of academic performance at the school; 67% would recommend it to another parent; 33% totally agree that the fees represent good value for money given the quality of the school offering; and 67% say that their child has quite a bit belonging at the school.
The curriculum
The Canadian International School (CIS) offers all three IB programmes – the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and the Diploma Programme – and it has been delivering high-quality education to expats for more than 25 years in an inclusive community with a warm Canadian spirit.
Whereas you'll find that some schools in Singapore jump between the PYP, the IGCSE, and the IBDP, CIS is proud to be a full IB school. Here's a school that believes the PYP and MYP is the best – and most rigorous – preparation for the diploma programme.
Throughout the school, the focus is on holistic, student-led and hands-on learning which is line with the IB and the Canadian style of education. As well as its schools-within-a-school model, CIS Lakeside stands out with its pioneering bilingual programmes in Chinese/French and English to students aged four to 10, its focus on outdoor learning, and its huge investment in teaching STEAM (Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts, and Mathematics).
An IB school needs to encourage investigation and inquiry, creativity and collaboration – and CIS has developed several forward-thinking programmes to support its teaching of the IBs' units of inquiry.
Its approach to teaching also follows Canada’s student-led model as Head of School Peter Corcoran explains,
Our academically rigorous programme is complemented by a broad range of languages, fine arts, athletic and service learning opportunities designed to develop balance, deepen connections and to uncover true learning potential.
Early years
For CIS’ youngest learners (aged two to five), the focus is very much on imagination, creativity, and self-discovery. At Lakeside’s dedicated kindergarten wing, you’ll find a kitchen, black box theatre, STEAM makerspace, and a kindergarten aquatics complex. While there are all the facilities you’d expect from a nursery environment – colourful classrooms, a junior library, and a swimming pool – the kindergarten’s headline attraction is its Outdoor Discovery Centre, which is used for plenty of play-based learning.
Primary school
Students in Grades 1 to 6 follow an IB PYP curriculum that’s centred around dedicated English and maths lessons, and specialist classes for Chinese, French, Spanish, physical education, art, music, and drama. As mentioned previously, technology, STEAM, and outdoor learning play a huge role in helping students to reach their potential.
Secondary school
In Grades 7 to 10, students follow the IB MYP to prepare them for Grades 11 to 12, when they study the internationally recognised IBDP; languages offered as part of this curriculum include Chinese, Japanese, and French.
Bilingualism
CIS is one of only a small number of international schools that go beyond the daily hour of Mandarin to offer a truly bilingual education that immerses students in two languages. The school’s strong bilingual Chinese-English and French-English programmes offer students a well-rounded education from Kindergarten through to Grade 6 and equips them with the skills to be fluent in both languages.
The Chinese-English bilingual programme currently has 47 classes and it will be extended to nursery students in 2022; it has become an established part of the school's offering and is one of the school's strengths.35% of students are signed up to one of the bilingual programmes.
The bilingual Chinese-English programme is aligned with the IB’s Primary Years Programme, which means that students can easily transition from this bilingual programme into the English-only IB Middle Years Programme at the school; it’s the only international school in Singapore where students can study the PYP in French.
There are two qualified teachers (one native Mandarin speaker and one native English speaker) in each classroom. Students have equal exposure to both languages as they attend classes in either English or Chinese on alternating days. While most schools offer daily lessons in Chinese, this programme fully immerses students in learning Chinese for longer periods of time. With this level of exposure to learning Chinese, you can expect your child to become more fluent and confident in using the language.
Around 30% of students in each bilingual class are Chinese, which gives English-speaking students the opportunity to learn from their peers as well as the teachers. The programme works well for both English and Chinese native speakers, with all nationalities making friends with native speakers in their weaker language and learning the language this way. Also, the Chinese classrooms have bilingual materials such as pictures and puzzles as classroom decor, which helps to create an environment that celebrates dual-language learning.
The school has developed its own bespoke bilingual programme. All teachers follow the Big Apple programme, a series of books that were written by the school's principal for Chinese language and culture, Huali Xiong, and are used in international schools worldwide.
Teaching is aligned to the IB’s PYP. Students learn the same content as the English PYP, but in two different languages. For example, when studying the ‘Who we are’ inquiry unit, students will learn the different body parts in French, and how the brain functions in English.
To encourage students to become ‘bilingual, biliterate and bicultural’ the programmes focus on hands-on, immersive activities to teach not just the language, but the culture as well. Each class is taught by two qualified teachers per class (one native English speaker and one native French speaker). The benefit of this two teacher model is that learning is immersive, as teachers only speak their respective language in their classroom.
The French-English bilingual programme is delivered in the same way.
Fees for both the Chinese-English and French-English bilingual programmes are slightly higher than the English stream.
Students can enrol in Grade 1 without any French or English skills; so, you do not need to be a French speaker to join the programme. In terms of assessment, French language students write the DELF prim exam (for children aged 7 to 12 years) in Grades 4, 5, and 6.
The school also has a strong EAL programme which includes the CIS Foundation – a rigorous one-year programme for children Grades 5-8 who have limited English language proficiency. It’s an intensive programme that brings students to the point where they can access the MYP.
STEAM
Makerspaces are mainstream in many Canadian schools, and CIS has adopted this hands-on, creative way of learning about science, technology, entrepreneurship, arts, and mathematics. There are examples of its investment in STEAM everywhere in the school.
Its STEAM makerspaces encourage teamwork, collaboration, and design thinking. Students build and work on projects using traditional equipment such as wood-working machinery and sewing machines, and cutting-edge technology such as 3D printers and GCC laser engravers; early years students will work on projects as simple as making their own lunch.
An annual STEAM Fair inspires both parents and children with innovative activities such as building a rollercoaster or learning to code a robot. Walking around the school, there are many examples of the school's investment in STEAM, and it is investing a further $250,000 next year to provide additional STEAM facilities for its secondary students.
It’s only natural that schools embrace technology in the classroom, and CIS is no exception. As part of the school’s digital literacy programme, it's compulsory for Grades 4 to 6 to have an iPad, and Grades 7 through to 12 to have their own MacBook. Unlike many other international schools who charge a technology fee and provide an Apple device, CIS believes that personal ownership increases motivation and engagement. With most families owning an iPad anyway, it also reduces the need for an additional fee.
The arts
Learning at CIS extends beyond the academic, and music, dance, drama, and visual arts are all an integral part of the curriculum. Its thriving arts programme includes musical ensembles and bands, choral groups, productions, performances, exhibits, and participation in the Singapore Youth Film Festival. With a 500-seat theatre and plenty of modern studios and practice rooms, CIS is well-equipped to deliver on its promise to encourage creativity.
Outdoor learning
CIS has away been a big believer in outdoor learning, and it is currently building a new 2,600 sqm Outdoor Discovery Centre on campus, due to open early 2023.
This purpose-built kindergarten to Grade 6 facility will be much more than a playground; it will be used by teachers as an extension of the classroom to teach maths, science, language, and other subjects. You’ll find sound and art gardens, a mud kitchen and eco pond, as well as nature tunnels, a play fort and yoga lawn. If hands-on exploration and learning in a natural environment is important to you, then you’ll struggle to find a better outdoor classroom in Singapore than here.
Corcoran adds:
"For many of our children who live in Singapore, it's the first opportunity to get real mud between their toes and feel what real grass feels like. It's a great experience for learning opportunities."
There are many ways in which CIS takes learning outside the classroom. Competitive and recreational sports run throughout the school year, and include cross country and football. Outdoor learning programmes include Open Minds, which sees Grades 1 to 6 spend up to a week in real-world settings; Grades 4 to 11 travel to countries including Thailand, China, Cambodia, and Canada for excursion weeks; and secondary students participate in community service projects such as planting friendship groves in Ladakh.
International teaching staff
The campus is overseen by Head of School Peter Corcoran, and each school is managed by its own principal. He came to CIS in 2017, with 25 years' experience in the Canadian school system and director positions in schools within South Korea and Qatar.
Read our Q&A with Peter Corcoran here.
Around 30% of teachers are recruited from Canada, with the rest coming from the US and Europe.
The students
Spread across two campuses – Lakeside in the west and Tanjong Katong in the east – CIS has a 3,000-strong student population with more than 70 nationalities.
The school is now better known as CIS rather than the Canadian International School – a deliberate move to emphasise its international nature.
While it is keen to hold onto a "Canadian warmth", Head of School Peter Corcoran explains that,
"We're a true expat school, When you walk in our hallways reflect, there's no one nationality that dominates our school."
School life
Students wear a casual uniform that's really practical and comfortable, and ideal for Singapore's climate. The academic year runs from August to June.
Results
| Average score | Pass rate | Highest score | Top scorers | 40 points plus | 35 points plus | Bilingual diploma |
| 37 | 99.2% | 45 | 2 | 32.8% | 70.8% | 25% |
In 2022, the average score was 37, and the pass rate was 99.2%; 25% of the cohort passed with the Bilingual Diploma.
Read our roundup of Singapore's 2022 IB results here.
The campus
The Lakeside campus, which has 2,100 students, is the newer, bigger brother of the two CIS schools. It has classrooms connected to learning pods, sporting, outdoor, and playground facilities, as well as a performing and fine arts centre, 500-seat theatre, Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a two-storey library.
The school is opening a new Junior Wing in January 2023 at its Lakeside campus, This will include a huge 2,600 sqm Outdoor Discovery Centre with sound and art gardens, a mud kitchen and eco pond, as well as nature tunnels, a play fort and yoga lawn. The new wing, designed for students in Kindergarten through to Grade 6, will also include an indoor swimming complex which consists of a 25-metre and learn to swim pool, a new indoor gymnasium, learning bakery and a 200-seat black-box theatre.
CIS has been granted a 27-year lease at Lakeside by the Economic Development Board, which controls all land that can be zoned for international school use, so parents can be reassured that the school is here for the long-term.
As the name suggests, it is next to a lake, and is also within walking distance of an MRT station. The school also offers a bus service.
Meals are delivered to early years students, while primary and secondary students can purchase food at the large canteen using their access card. There's also a Red Dot cafe on campus, which is popular with students and parents alike.
Extra-curricular activities
CIS has an extensive programme of co-curricular activities (CCAs). This includes a range of mother tongue and language acquisition classes, which are run after school by independent providers.
Health and safety
The school has a strict security system, and all visitors must hand over ID and wear a pass around the campus. Everyone wears a pass which is used to access lifts and different areas within the school. There's a dedicated nurse for both primary and secondary students.
Contributions to the community
In terms of service and leadership, CIS involves students in both local and global activities. Whether home or away, students are offered some eye-opening opportunities to learn about independence, environmental issues, and global matters beyond the limits of a traditional classroom.
The school says:
"We are connected to a variety of voluntary projects both inside Singapore and beyond, such as an orphanage in Cambodia and community building in Nepal. We have a number of staff members who are very dedicated to community service and it's an important part of the IB programme for us."
Fees and admission
According to the school, around 80% of its parents now fund or partially fund their child's education rather than receiving an education allowance from their employer. Fees are among the highest in Singapore (ranging from $33,950 to $44,200, which is hardly surprising for a school that is employing international teachers, providing state of the art facilities and offering three IB programmes).
The fees for the bilingual immersion programme ($34,900-41,550 per year) are higher than the mainstream programme and among the highest in Singapore – but this is a well-established and incredibly well-resourced programme that is very much part of the school curriculum – and certainly not an add-on.
This school is in a Best School by parents ranking
Canadian International School (Lakeside) is a Best of school, a ranking determined by parent surveys on the site. It can be found in the following Best of rankings:
- #11 in Best Schools in Singapore
- #9 in Best IB Schools in Singapore
- #9 in Best IB DP Schools in Singapore
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