Opt for schools with an environment, ethos and culture that resonate and best suit your kid’s personality and learning style. Schools also have distinctive programmes that nurture a child’s strengths and interests – or even improve an area of weakness.

There are 27 secondary schools affiliated to primary schools with links to religious and clan associations. This allows your kid to study there at a lower cut-off score. But if your kid wants to continue in the affiliated secondary school, she must indicate that school as her first choice.

Experts generally suggest that you choose a school that fits your kid’s academic ability, so she won’t struggle under the pressure. Under the new secondary school streaming changes starting from 2020, 25 secondary schools will offer also full subject-based banding. This means students can take subjects at a higher or lower-level, depending on their abilities.

Kids in secondary school spend longer hours in school than primary schoolers. So, choosing one that’s closer to home would reduce travel time and fatigue.

Some kids are more suited to the more structured framework of the O levels, while those who are self-directed in learning might prefer the Integrated Programme that skips the O levels and leads to the A levels or other diplomas.

Specialised schools like the School of the Arts, the Singapore Sports School or the School of Science and Technology, Singapore serve students who believe they have the talent and potential to grow in their mastery of a field such as aesthetics, sports, mathematics or science. These schools are designed to provide students with maximum opportunities to excel in those fields.

Pupils in mainstream schools with mild special educational needs, such as dyslexia or Autism Spectrum Disorder, may want to check if the secondary schools have the experience and resources to support students with similar types and levels of need.

Some schools differ in the degree to which they are resourced with Allied Educators (Learning and Behaviour Support).

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Additional input from Associate Professor Jason Tan and Associate Professor Kenneth Poon from the National Institute of Education.

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