Growing up in Singapore, we may all have stereotypes about how students of different schools are like, based on information from hearsay or even by seeing students hanging around outside their school. However, nothing beats actually learning more about the school from the school itself, as well as the teachers and students who grace the school grounds each day.
If going to secondary school is next on the cards for your child, it’s worth making the effort to research which secondary school would be a good fit for your child. Beyond meeting the PSLE cut-off point, factors like the school culture, teaching staff, and available talent development programmes, can be huge determiners in shaping your child’s secondary school life.
What to do at a Secondary School Open House
School open houses are a great chance to explore the school campus, learn more about the school’s programmes, and get a feel of the school culture. Compared to just browsing their website and brochures, physically attending an open house gives you a better opportunity to meet and interact with actual teachers and current students. So, if you want to ask a real teacher about how they approach teaching in a particular school, or even ask a student about their favourite canteen stall – school open houses are the place to go!
Most school open houses consist of an array of talks, booths, and activities that parents and students can take part in. Be sure to check out the day’s programmes ahead of time so that you can plan to attend any talks you are interested in. When you arrive at the school, most of the time there will be guides to give you a tour of the school – and present you with exclusive freebies! We highly recommend checking out not just the academic programmes, but also explore the school’s facilities, performances, interactive activities, and CCA booths.
What if I don’t attend the Open house?
Open houses typically only run once a year, so once you miss it, the opportunity is gone! However, there are still plenty of ways you can find out more about a school. The school website is the first destination for most essential information. Alternatively, some schools may also offer digital alternatives like recorded videos and virtual tours for parents who decide not to attend the physical open house.
For information on school culture and environment, you can turn to forums on Reddit, Facebook, or Telegram to see what other people are saying about various schools. However, do tread with caution as everyone’s experience is different and some people may have heavily biased views of certain schools.
2024 Secondary School Open House Dates
Got your eye on a few secondary schools? The earliest open houses start as early as in April, meaning it is time to book your calendars and make plans to head down soon. This is especially so for popular schools like IP schools or schools popular with DSA applicants – as the DSA application window usually starts in May. (If your shortlisted school is not having their open house soon, don’t fret! Some schools hold their open houses in November, before the PSLE results release date.)
For your convenience, we have compiled some of the Open House dates for the more popular secondary schools in Singapore. Please understand that some popular schools may be omitted because they have not yet announced their open house for the year.
Note: The information below is accurate as of March 2024, but changes may occur. Do check the school’s official sources for the latest updates before heading down to any school. Also, please note that some schools require visitors to register – either to attend the open house or to attend certain talks within the open house itself.
Pathways to Secondary School
While the most common way is to choose your secondary school via the Sec 1 posting exercise after you have obtained your PSLE results, some students also secure a spot in their school of choice via Direct School Admission (DSA) before even sitting the PSLE papers.
As a primary school tuition centre in Singapore, we provide full-fledged services helping students reach their version of success. Want to apply for DSA? We provide training classes preparing students for their DSA auditions, interviews, and entrance tests, especially for DSA in academic areas, like DSA via mathematics.
Focusing on the PSLE? We also provide PSLE tuition for the core subjects, equipping students with the motivation to learn and exam confidence.
Come and learn with us and pave your next steps in education!