Stamford American International School Curriculum

At Stamford American International School we offer a challenging American Curriculum that follows the American Education Reaches Out (AERO), Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) combined with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme from 18 months to 18 years old. Graduating with a High School Diploma and either the IB Diploma, Advanced Placement (AP) credits, BTEC Diploma or a combination, gives our students an unparalleled choice and competitive advantage.

What is International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for 16- to 19-year-old students. IB programme graduates receive an internationally accepted diploma, qualifying them for higher education institutions worldwide.

The two-year course develops the student’s intellectual, emotional, personal and social skills, preparing them for college in more ways than one. The goal of the IB programme is to open as many opportunities as possible for the students and equipping them with the skills that would help them take advantage of their full potential.

SAIS is one of the top IB schools in Singapore, with its students consistently achieving strong results in the IB Diploma exams. Its consistently excellent showing has made it one of the best options for the International Baccalaureate Singapore expat families can explore.

What is BTEC?

The Business & Technical Education Council (BTEC) International Level 3 is a widely acknowledged UK-based vocational education program for students in grades 11 and 12. It offers students an opportunity to specialize in art, design, and a variety of technical areas. BTEC courses are centered around practical skills development rather than theoretical knowledge, giving students a distinct advantage whether they’re pursuing further education or joining the workforce after completing their studies.

Students taking the full BTEC program must take the classes for two years. BTECs offered at Stamford American include Music Performance, Art & Design, Performing Arts (Acting), and Sport.

What are AP Courses?

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are one-year college-level courses designed to expose grade 10 – 12 students to the academic challenges of college within the supportive framework of a high school environment. College admission officers the world over recognize the value of AP courses in molding young learners for success in university and beyond.

Stamford American offers over 20 AP courses. Students take AP exams in early May to assess their capabilities in handling higher-level academic work. Students who score 3 or better on the exam’s 1-5 scale may earn college credit and/or placement into advanced courses at US-based colleges and universities. AP exams are also equivalent to A-Levels, making them valid for exam-based university entrance systems such as those in the UK, Netherlands, and Australia.

American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Standards

The AERO project is supported by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools and the Overseas Schools Advisory Council to assist schools overseas in developing and implementing American standards-based school curricula. AERO provides a framework for curriculum consistency from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes

Stamford American offers the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP). IB World Schools share a common philosophy— a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Stamford American believes is important for our students. Our commitment to these principles has made SAIS a widely recommended option for IB Programme in Singapore.

IB Primary Years Programme (PYP): Early Years & Elementary School

The IB PYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational requirements of students between the ages of 3 and 12 years.

The PYP focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. The PYP:

  • Encourages international-mindedness.
  • Encourages a positive attitude to learning by engaging students in inquiries and developing their awareness of the process of learning so that they become lifelong learners.
  • Reflects real life by encouraging learning beyond traditional subjects with meaningful, in-depth inquiries into real issues.
  • Emphasizes, through the learner profile, the development of the whole student physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.

IB Middle Years Programme (MYP): Middle School

The IB MYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational requirements of students between the ages of 11 and 16 years. The MYP provides a philosophical framework with a holistic approach to education and a rigorous framework for assessment. The MYP aims to educate the whole person and to show the impact of each individual on the world around them. The MYP fosters intercultural awareness and the importance of communication. Its goal is to constantly place learning within a context, and to make explicit the relationship between various disciplines.

IB Diploma Programme (DP): Secondary School

The IB Diploma Programme is recognized by universities in 124 countries and is designed to be taken over two years (age 16-19). The DP includes six academic subjects and the central core which consists of the extended essay, theory of knowledge and CAS (creativity, action and service). Students study two modern languages, a humanities or social science subject, an experimental science, mathematics or computer science, and another subject including the arts.

World-class Education with Stamford

Much like an American curriculum aims to do, Stamford American International School Singapore’s goal is to develop holistically sound individuals. As one of the top IB schools in Singapore, we strive to provide our students with as many learning opportunities as possible, fulfilling their social, emotional and intellectual needs. We encourage international-mindedness, cultural understanding and a positive attitude so that they become lifelong learners.

We are proud to announce that our 2020 graduates have achieved fantastic IB results with a pass rate of 94% on the IB exams and an average score of 32, surpassing the world average of 29.9. To date, 95% of our graduates were accepted to their first or second choice university.
When you have a short list of the best IB schools, identify which one has delivered results to choose the right one for your child’s future.

Raise a globally competent child with Stamford

Give your child the best secondary education, helping them grow into globally competent individuals. Learn more about Stamford American International School’s IB programmes today. Call our admissions office at +65 6653 2949 or email us at admissions@sais.edu.sg for enquiries about our school fees and application process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Unlike conventional rote learning, the IB Programme empowers learners to find their own paths to knowledge. Instead of simply giving information, the IB Programme seeks to inculcate the skills and character children need to pursue knowledge. Importantly, the IB Programme also encourages students to become positive members of the global community by having them directly engage with other cultures and learn foreign languages. Together, these benefits help mold young learners into empathetic, knowledge-seeking global citizens.

BTEC Courses offer students with hands-on, practical skills that are directly applicable to real-world careers. All courses are designed with prevailing global standards and practices in mind, giving students a realistic idea of what their desired career path will entail. The value of BTEC education is also widely understood by college admissions departments and employers, making it a great choice for students who want early career advantages in their desired fields.

Many of the top colleges and universities in the United States have shown a preference for students who have completed AP courses. The completion of AP courses and scoring a grade of 3 or better on the AP exams can show a student’s fitness for the rigors of higher learning, increasing the odds of earning course credits or preferential treatment during their application phase. However, it’s important to note that AP courses are just one of several criteria used by colleges and universities to evaluate applicants.

The choice between IB, AP, or BTEC depends on various factors, including a student’s academic goals, learning style, and future career aspirations. Though there are often comparisons made between the different programs, none of them are one-size-fits-all answers, as each has its own strengths and considerations.

Every student at SAIS graduates with a High School Diploma that is accredited in the United States. This diploma is based on their selection of either the College Board’s Advanced Placement International Diploma (AP), the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), a combination of both, or a Business and Technical Education Council (BTEC) Diploma. Stamford American is the sole school in Singapore to provide this distinctive educational path.

Yes. SAIS offers an American curriculum Singapore-based parents have come to trust. However, it is also a cosmopolitan institution that counts over 75 nationalities within its community. As one of the key IB schools in Singapore, SAIS is also committed to helping students develop a globally ready mindset, offering a language program that is designed to give young learners a decisive advantage in an increasingly borderless world. Parents can enroll their children in SAIS with the full confidence that they will not only be given an education that matches and exceeds American standards but also the skills they need to navigate a multicultural future.

The IB Programme places a strong emphasis on holistic education, inquiry-based learning, and fostering a global perspective. Critically, it also promotes the Theory of Knowledge, a framework that encourages interdisciplinary learning. This necessarily means that students are directed to learn a wide range of subjects and become active participants in their own education. The programs under IB are also considered particularly challenging as they require rigorous, self-directed academic coursework.

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a unique and foundational aspect of the IB Programme and it serves to underpin all the important goals of IB schools in Singapore, including critical thinking and cultural sensitivity. TOK explores the nature of knowledge, and it serves as a framework for most learning done under the IB Programme. It delves into how knowledge is acquired and shared, as well as how different interpretations of information impact our understanding of the world.

TOK leads the best IB schools in Singapore like SAIS to employ an approach to education that is very different from those used by most mainstream school systems. For instance, our IB learners under our Singapore international school curriculum have multiple opportunities to engage in music, the visual
arts, and the performing arts as these are seen as important for stoking the creativity, confidence, and self-knowledge needed to excel in all other fields, including ones that may not always be seen as related to the arts in mainstream systems. The constant application of TOK and its promotion in school activities helps mold young learners into well-rounded and curious adults with a healthy appreciation for all areas of knowledge.

The IB Programme, including SAIS’s IB Programme in Singapore, is designed to be a rigorous curriculum for students. The self-directed nature of IB learning also requires a significant amount of self-motivation, which means more ambitious students are likely to thrive within its framework. IB Diploma Programme is considered to be especially challenging, so much so that some major universities will credit subjects completed under it.

However, the IB does not exclude students who are willing to put in the work. In fact, the liberating self-directed nature of IB is often a better fit for independent-minded learners who might not thrive in mainstream educational systems.

In any case, before deciding on an IB school, it’s advisable to learn about available Singapore international school curriculum options and see if others may be a better fit for a student’s learning style.

Technology use in SAIS is guided by the Theory of Knowledge, and the use of digital learning devices is contextualized within wider human systems. SAIS’s Digital Learning Team constantly refines the school’s tech use guidelines to ensure that digital technologies are used safely, ethically, and purposefully.

The school has a 1:1 device program and all students are provided with tablets or laptops to help enhance their learning. Where other schools seek to put hard limits on tech use, SAIS focuses on educating students to be responsible and ethical users of technology. Notably, SAIS’s Responsible Tech Use Guidelines were developed by the school’s own Middle and High School students, demonstrating the Stamford American’s commitment to student empowerment.

Yes. As previously mentioned, the IB Diploma Programme is widely recognized by major universities around the world. Many universities have special admission policies for applicants who have completed the IB Diploma Programme, with many crediting subjects that have already been taken. Moreover, the stellar reputation that the International Baccalaureate has built up over the decades often provides IB graduates from top IB schools in Singapore with a serious advantage in college applications.