This small, centrally located international school offer families, Filipino expats in particular, a low cost education that can prepare children for entry into a Singaporean, Ministry of Education school.

HFSE International School is the first Filipino-run school in Singapore and offers an education for less than SGP 8,000 a year. It’s a small school for six to 16-year-olds (Primary 1 to Secondary 4) which is focused on getting students into local government-run schools.

The school offers an ‘affordable’ education for SGP 7,920 a year, which is considerably less than the average cost of an international education in Singapore. As a small school with shared facilities, the school is offering far less in terms of facilities and breadth of education. However, it does offer families, Filipino expats in particular, a low cost education that can prepare children for entry into a Singaporean, Ministry of Education school.

The school was founded in 2019 by Filipino expats Ninalyn and Gary Cacananta after they were unable to secure a place for their son in a local school in Singapore. Originally a support centre for homeschooling parents, HFSE has developed into a boutique international school, and it was accredited by the Committee of Private Education in 2014.

Today, HFSE is a school designed to prepare students to sit for Singapore’s AEIS (Admission Exam for International Students), not for those looking for an international education that works towards UK, US or IB qualifications. Previously known as Happy Family School of Excellence, the school follows a Christian-based education. It follows a January-December academic year that is in line with MOE schools.

Curriculum

HFSE has developed a bespoke curriculum that combines teaching methods from Singapore and the Philippines, and it is most closely aligned with the local Singaporean education system. 

The school offers a full-time Primary 1-6 programme and Secondary 1 – 4 programme that both cover English, maths, science, Christian Living, social studies, music, art, PE and Filipino. Teaching follows the Singaporean syllabus for English and maths, and other subjects are based on the Philippine’s curriculum. 

In Primary 6, students can sit the International Primary School Leaving Examination set by the Ministry of Education (Singapore). 

The school also runs six-month preparatory courses, which are designed for students who want to apply to an MOE primary or secondary school. There are flexible start dates in both January and July.

Average class sizes are 20-25 students.

Beyond the classroom

HFSE offers a range of co-curricular activities including dance, swimming, soccer, and track and field. There is also an after-school Mandarin language class (unlike most international schools in Singapore, HFSE does not teach Mandarin as part of the curriculum). There is an option to learn French and Tamil.

Campus and facilities

The school is located in the Mountbatten Centre in the central Kallang district, where it has a several dedicated classrooms and shares facilities with other pre-schools and schools, including a play area, activity area, sports complex and hall.

Admission and fees

HFSE is one of Singapore’s more affordable schools with an annual fee of SGP 7,920.

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