HoneyKids magazine recently announced that Stamford American has earned the silver award as ‘Singapore International School Of The Year’. This is one of the most competitive school awards in Singapore, with dozens of international schools under consideration.
At Stamford American, we stand out among international schools in Singapore because of our mission-driven approach to ensure every student finds a unique pathway to academic excellence, our deep focus on inclusion to enhance school culture and classroom experience and our robust parent community to support the success and connectedness of nearly 2,800 students across two campuses. This win is a testament to our unique pathways and instruction, our inclusive culture and curriculum and the high levels of parent engagement and satisfaction.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized as among the best in Singapore,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Wenzel. “This award is a huge tribute to our teaching faculty and support staff who make magic happen every day.”
We stand out among international schools in Singapore for three reasons:
1) We employ a mission-driven approach to ensure every student finds a unique pathway to academic excellence and is prepared to thrive as a global citizen.
Our students come to us with different backgrounds, interests and passions. We structure our learning program to accommodate this diversity. Our high school offers the IB Diploma Program, 25 Advanced Placement courses and career-focused pathways through BTEC (British and Technology Education Council). Half our students commit to the full IBDP, while the other half opt for AP or BTEC. Students can also create a bespoke model that blends courses from any of the three pathways. More than 90 percent of our students get into their first or second choice of university.
We engage students and parents in active conversations about the pathways to ensure a “just right” fit for each student. We take an inclusive approach to IB, AP and BTEC program admission, then provide targeted support to ensure that students can achieve their best. Our inclusive approach also stretches to students with special needs. We have 100 students – children on the autism spectrum, struggling with dyslexia or facing severe depression, for example – receiving intensive support. Other students receive support for specific learning challenges. Our commitment to these students is the same as every other student: “We will recognize your strengths. We will do everything we can to help you learn at high levels. And we will celebrate your success in preparing you for the future.”
As part of our goal in nurturing our students to be world citizens, we make world language learning possible for children as young as 18 months. We have strong Language Programs that cover bilingual English/Mandarin, Spanish, English as an Additional Language and our distinctive Preparatory Course for Secondary School (PCS) program, all of which aims to allow students to create their own unique future.
We’re also equally proud of our Early Learning Village, which was purpose-built from the ground up with young learners as the primary focus for design. From its super-friendly (and highly qualified) teachers and staff, to its state-of-the-art facilities and curriculum, the ELV serves as a beacon for the future of early childhood education.
2) We place a deep focus on inclusion to enhance school culture and classroom experience.
We promote and celebrate an inclusive culture. In partnership with Dr. Katie Novak, one of the foremost experts in the U.S. on inclusion, we design lessons and teach with student neurodiversity in mind. We track student data through surveys and assessment results to ensure high levels of learning and engagement. Last year, we launched a school-wide DEIJ initiative with surveys and focus groups across stakeholders to collect feedback on identity, connection and belonging.
We also launched a new initiative last year: Student-led high school clubs. This year, students created more than 70 such clubs including film production, Korean culture and hip-hop dance. Students feel included when they can express their identity. At the elementary school, we launched a program called ‘Someone for Everyone,’ a focused effort to ensure that every student has a caring adult at school. At every school level, we set goals around inclusion, belonging and academic success. Middle school students, for example, recently registered strong growth on questions of belonging and academic rigor in the classroom, with students saying they felt challenged to think and were deeply valued by their teachers.
3) We engage a robust parent community to support the success and connectedness of nearly 2,800 students across two campuses.
Our parent satisfaction scores hit an all-time high last year, with strong approval of our curriculum pathways, focus on inclusion and overall learning success. This year’s kickoff PTA event welcomed 400 participants – the highest in the school’s history. Parents are more energized than ever with the success of our school and their role in helping to shape outstanding outcomes for our students.
One parent recently summed up the Stamford American experience by saying: “The international atmosphere is fantastic and has developed in our children the importance of tolerance, respect and curiosity for others. I recommend this school to everyone who wants their children to come back from school smiling and happy, challenged and encouraged every single day.”
We would be delighted to connect with you to share more about what makes Stamford American so special. Book a tour today!
