Since we are an American international school, we plan curriculum learning outcomes based on American age-appropriate standards, allowing your child to easily transition should you eventually relocate.
International School in Singapore
Elementary School
At Stamford American International School, we recognize each child is an individual with unique abilities, experiences and interests. interests. Our Primary Years Programme (PYP), an elementary school curriculum for students aged 6 to 11, ensures that learning is both relevant and meaningful, regardless of a student’s background. Recognizing the distinct potential of each child, teachers adopt an inclusive approach to accommodate different learning styles and needs.
With students from more than 75 nationalities on our campuses, our international Elementary School in Singapore offers a well-rounded approach to learning that incorporates and encourages cross-cultural communication and understanding.
The combination of high-quality standards for learning and holistic, student-centered education frameworks means we provide a rigorous and balanced educational experience, which serves students well as they progress through to Secondary School and beyond.
The Elementary Culture of Care
The Elementary School at Stamford American, one of the best international primary schools in Singapore, takes student well-being very seriously and it is culturally embedded in everything we do. We encourage students to take leadership and ownership of various aspects of well-being in order to create a positive campus environment and encourage their implementation throughout the wider community.
A number of different wellness initiatives have been initiated across Elementary School, including:
- Art of Brilliance with Dr. Andy Cope (UK) – Positivity, the importance of a smile, showing gratitude, the culture of care and more
- Peer to Peer Counseling – Students learn to help others through common problems
- Random Acts of Kindness – Ideas to inspire kindness
- Chimp Management Model, Dr. Steve Peters (UK) – Helping Students to understand and manage their emotions, thinking, and behavior through 10 helpful habits
- Peace Patrol – Students help serve as mentors to their peers and brainstorm other ways to improve the climate and culture of our school. Goals include presenting at assemblies, taking an active role in the promotion and effective implementation of the Buddy Bench (among other things). Peer mentoring is a very positive tool in school communities and the kids involved would be given an excellent opportunity at leadership.
We also use a number of different tools throughout the international elementary school in Singapore to monitor students’ emotions and feelings, including AS Tracking and Skodel check ins. We then know what’s going on with our students both in the moment and over time, and are better positioned to support them.
“My teachers care about me.”
– Ruby, Grade 3
Elementary School Curriculum
Stamford is an IB World School and is authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP). IB World Schools share a common philosophy – a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education.
The PYP is an international curriculum framework designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years, taught through guided inquiry and concept-based teaching and learning approaches. The program focuses on the development of the whole child, so in addition to academic achievement, the program strongly emphasizes the social, physical, emotional and cultural growth of all students.
“My classmates are so nice. I have a room full of friends.”
– Helen, Grade 1
Programs of Study at Stamford American Elementary School
Standards-Based Curriculum
A Typical Day for Elementary Students
Students follow a full timetable of study, spending the majority of their time with their homeroom teacher being instructed on core subjects, which include Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Specialist teachers instruct students in the areas of Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Physical Education, Modern Languages (Mandarin or Spanish), and Library. We further offer opportunities for students to learn beyond the classroom through Academic Field Studies and After School Activities programs.
“I love learning about new things. My classes make me really happy and I get excited about school.”
– Matthew, Grade 3
The Elementary Bilingual Program
The Elementary Bilingual program is offered from Grade 1 to Grade 5 and sees students learning the same content as students in mainstream classes. However, 50% of the content in Math and Unit of Inquiry (UOI) is delivered in Mandarin.
Our one-bilingual-teacher approach in the program, unique among international primary schools in Singapore, is facilitated by our bilingual teachers and teaching assistants who are fluent in both languages and demonstrate bilingualism as role models. This single bilingual teacher model ensures the seamless transition and translanguaging during learning, and provides the opportunity to explore content more deeply in both languages. This allows for learning experiences to be more adaptive and supports student-led inquiry. Classes also have a dedicated Mandarin language lesson daily, to help provide an immersive exposure to Mandarin.
Bilingual learners need to feel a deep sense of belonging to take risks and make mistakes. Our one-bilingual-teacher approach builds trusting relationships between students and teachers. To ensure continuity of curriculum programming, teachers regularly collaborate with their grade level colleagues to design lessons and share in best instructional and assessment practices.
Students from all over the world make up the nationality mix in a Bilingual class, helping to support the development of international mindedness.
“Being in the bilingual class allows me to learn more languages and be more creative when it comes to learning. Whenever I go somewhere with my mom or dad, they encourage me to speak to Mandarin speakers in Chinese and it always makes their day.”
– Lawrence, Grade 5
Browse the PEI Approved Course Names:
PEI Approved Course Names
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Elementary Years program at Stamford American International School (SAIS) is designed to offer inclusive and future-relevant education, regardless of one’s background. It also strives to bring out the best in each child, according to their own unique needs and interests, representing a notable divergence from approaches offered by other mainstream and international schools in Singapore.
The school’s unique blending of high-quality academic standards and student-centered education provides students with a solid framework with which to thrive in the SAIS’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme as well as in other future learning endeavors.
Stamford American’s integrated Elementary Years curriculum is intended for students aged 6 to 11, covering Grade 1 to Grade 5.
No. While the school does have the word ‘American’ in the name, the school is a community composed of more than 75 nationalities, making it a truly international elementary school in Singapore. All SAIS students, including those in the Primary Years Program, will be in daily contact with peers, teachers, and other education professionals from all over the world, helping contribute to a healthy, multicultural environment that encourages tolerance and understanding.
SAIS Elementary offers large classrooms, as well as a long list of specialized learning spaces, including dedicated areas for performance art, music, and athletics. Parents who want to see the facilities for themselves can get in touch with an Admissions Manager at admissions@sais.edu.sg or join one of the school’s regular open house events.
In line with its overall educational approach, Stamford American encourages students to take charge of their own well-being and share their positivity with the wider school community. SAIS Elementary School offers several wellness initiatives that are unique among international primary schools in Singapore, including encouraging random acts of kindness, peer-to-peer counseling, and other activities that encourage a mutually supportive environment.
Students with specific special needs can also expect meaningful assistance from SAIS’s Student Support Department. The department uses a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/Response to Intervention (RTI) approach to identify academic, developmental, and emotional issues that may be affecting students, offering individualized interventions that may help students overcome them.
All SAIS Elementary students have a full day of study, with most of their available time spent on core subjects under the guidance of their assigned homeroom teachers. Core subjects include Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The rest of their time is spent on specialized subjects such as Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Physical Education, Modern Languages, and Library under specialist instructors. In addition to these subjects, students can also engage in Academic Field Studies and After School Activities outside of the campus.
SAIS has a 1:1 device program where students from KG2 to Grade 5 are provided with iPads to aid in purposeful digital learning. Not only are they taught how to access information with these devices, but they are instructed in their ethical use. The use of these devices and other digital learning technologies is also contextualized so that young students understand their role within wider human-based systems in the real world. This helps to ensure that students are digitally-ready by the time they advance from the Elementary Years program.
Yes. Parents can look up the schedule of in-person open house events at Stamford American to learn more about their child’s curriculum and appreciate the school facilities for themselves. Parents who cannot make a personal visit can opt to attend a virtual open house session or book a live virtual tour instead.
SAIS Elementary offers a bilingual learning program where, in addition to English, students can learn Mandarin, the Chinese language most spoken in Singapore. 50% of Math and Unit of Inquiry (UOI) content is also in Mandarin to give students a firmer foundation in the language. Unlike other schools that offer similar programs, bilingual learning in SAIS is facilitated by one multilingual teacher, ensuring seamless transitioning between English and Mandarin when exploring different concepts.
In addition to English and Mandarin instruction, Stamford American also offers an after-school mother-tongue instruction program that’s facilitated by its international community. Elementary students can join students of other ages in weekly lessons in a dozen other languages, including Swedish, Italian, Finnish, and Dutch.
Much like in other top international primary schools in Singapore, parents are highly encouraged to take an interest in their child’s learning journey at Stamford American. Parents may also join the SAIS Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to talk to their child’s teachers or discuss matters with other parents. The Stamford American also provides three Parent Cafés all over the campus where they may talk to teachers and other parents over freshly prepared snacks. Parents can also visit SAIS Elementary’s Community Engagement Team from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm to have their questions answered in person.
