The Winstedt School is an inclusive school that is built around a team of multi-disciplinary specialists, personalised learning and a small school community.

In its own words, The Winstedt School is “educating children who learn differently” and "is a school where everyone knows your name”. As one of only a few schools in Singapore to offer an  inclusive education, TWS has gained a reputation for delivering bespoke learning for diverse learners.

Winstedt is a family-owned school that was founded in 2008 by educator Sharon Solomon, who had a mission and vision to transform education based on her personal struggles as a student in the conventional education system. In 2017, Winstedt expanded into a fully-fledged private international school with the capacity for 400 students at its campus in the central Kallang district.

With its smaller learning environment, focus on emotional well-being, low teacher to student ratio (2:15), and a support team for each student, Winstedt has set itself up to deliver differentiated learning for diverse learners – from students who may need additional support to access a mainstream education through to those who are exceptionally gifted and talented.

CEO Ann Yom Steel says:

"Winstedt is a leading international school specialising in differentiated learning. At Winstedt, each student is included, celebrated, and supported by a team of specialists to leverage their strengths and personal gifts. Some of our students may or may not have learning differences, and some are Twice Exceptional students who benefit from a tailored and imaginative learning environment to thrive in an academic setting."

The school currently operates under significantly under capacity, with 170 students aged four to 18 years old (Nursery to Year 13). The small size however does help it to create a welcoming, nurturing learning environment.

Curriculum

In common with mainstream schools, students here follow various international curricula: the International Primary Curriculum and the International Middle Years Curriculum, as well as the Edexcel IPC and Edexcel Lower Secondary Curriculum, which are both based on the National Curriculum for England. However, it's the delivery of this curricula that sets this school apart from more mainstream schools.  Lessons are delivered using "multi-sensory and differentiated teaching approaches to allow students with diverse learning profiles to make meaningful connections". 

In the secondary school, students sit IGCSEs in the core subjects, and can choose up to three supplementary subjects from options including art, music, ICT, STEAM and drama. There is also a Career Studies Elective offered in partnership with Raffles College of Higher Education and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and other tertiary education providers.

Winstedt offers students an extra level of support than you would typically expect. There is an in-house, highly trained team of speech and language, occupational and behavioural therapists work with teachers to support students inside the classroom, in targeted groups, and throughout the school-day during unstructured times.

All classes at Winstedt have two qualified teachers. Specialist teachers include Drama, Art, Music, STEAM, Physical Education, Technology & Computing, and Language & Culture.

There is a focus on integrated therapy that students can practice in 'real-time' in lessons rather than in an isolated therapy session; the therapists work in tandem with the teachers here to make this model very effective.

One of the school's strengths is the SEED (Readiness) Programme, which is designed for students who are not yet ready to access the mainstream curriculum and need some extra support and resources.

SEED provides a 2:8 teacher to student ratio with a dedicated special education needs teacher and a behavioural therapist in the classroom. The programme is also supported by push-in therapy sessions as well as social and emotional development curriculum delivered by a team of therapists and a clinical psychologist – both conducted twice per week.

The school wants students of all abilities to reach their full potential, and this also applies to students with outstanding gifts and talents. The Curie-Einstein Programme supports students who are “twice-exceptional,” also referred to as “2e,”; these students have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and give evidence of one or more learning disorder/s.

Through this programme, students are given ample opportunities to demonstrate their abilities and perform continuously at the level of their talents.

Beyond the classroom, the school offers a wide choice of extra-curricular activities covering a variety of sporting, artistic and academic interests.

Student wellbeing

Winstedt has a very robust Pastoral Care Team that consists of psychologists, school counsellors and behavioural therapists. It also has a designated 'safe place' at the school called The Cloud, which is designed to facilitate emotional “cooling-down”; according to the school, it's one of the students' favourite places on campus.

The school says:

"For a small school size with less than 200 students, Winstedt has a pastoral care team that is unmatched in most international schools. The pastoral care department believes in a personalised approach towards meeting the psychological and self-fulfilment needs of the Winstedt community which includes its students, parents, and staff.

"Such an approach is aimed at embedding qualities of productive and respectful relationships and a strong sense of school community and individual responsibility."

Campus and facilities

As the school expanded due to a growing demand for its personalised teaching approach, Winstedt moved to a larger and very well-equipped campus (a former Singapore Ministry of Education (MoE) school) in early 2017.

Facilities focus on multi-sensory activities and experiential learning and include occupational therapy, behaviour therapy; and speech and language therapy clinics; two specialist gyms; and The Cloud room for quiet reflection. The school has several specialist learning classrooms including arts studios; STEAM lab; science and computing labs; auditorium that seats 350; library; and music studio. Outside, there is a sensory garden, basketball court and all-weather court.

Admission and fees

The school's admissions process is more personalised than you may find at other international schools, and it includes a class trial over one to three days to ensure that the school is the best possible fit for your child.

Annual fees range from $39,000 (Reception) to $54,891 (Years 10-13).

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