| Australian International School Singapore | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 1 Lorong Chuan Singapore 5568181 in Serangoon Gardens area |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Private International School |
| Established | 1993 |
| Principal | Peter Bond |
| Faculty | 182 academic; 72 teaching support; 49 admin (2009) |
| Enrolment | Over 40 nationalities, with 67% Australian[1] |
| Campus | Urban |
| School Colour(s) | Green and Gold |
| Phone | +65 6883 5155 |
| Website | www.ais.com.sg |
The Australian International School Singapore (AISS) is an co-educational international school in Singapore. The school is owned and operated by Cognita. The AISS has adopted a five subschool model comprising Preschool, Junior School (P–2), Primary School (3–5), Middle School (6–9) and Senior School (10–12).
In 2007 the school adopted the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) and in 2009 the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for the primary and middle schools.[2] The IB curriculum is taught in conjunction with New South Wales Board of Studies syllabuses. Final year students take the New South Wales Board of Studies Higher School Certificate examinations.
The subschool model allows each subschool to retain its independence while still enjoying the benefits of economies of scale that a large comprehensive school allows. Each sub-school has its own block of classrooms and its own teachers (except for Physical Education and Music). The pre-school, led by a director, is almost completely separate from the rest of the school. A Head of School is in charge of each of the sub-schools.
Contents |
The school opened in 1993 with 32 students and seven teachers. By the end of that year, its enrolment had grown to 200. Today the school has around 2250 students and around 250 staff. The student body comprises over 40 nationalities, with 66% coming from Australia and New Zealand. Very few Singaporean students attend the school, as the Singapore government's regulations prevent most of its citizens from attending international schools within the country. The average stay of a student is just over three years and the average stay of a teacher is over five years.
The principal is Peter Bond, formerly of Balwyn High School a selective High School in Victoria, who started his tenure in 2002, following the departure of the founding principal, Coral Dixon. Bond's tenure has seen a modernisation of the school, particularly in the realm of Information Technology, as well as the move to a new campus.
The anticipated enrolment for the beginning of 2010 is 2,400 students: 300 in Preschool, 600 in Junior School (P–2), 600 in Primary School (3–5), 600 in Middle School (6–9) and 300 in Senior School (10–12).[1]
The school's original campus was at Mount Sophia, the former campus of the Methodist Girls' School. It rapidly outgrew the facilities available there, and in 1994 it moved to Emerald Hill when the Singapore Chinese Girls' School moved out. After three years, space again became tight and in 1997 the school moved to Ulu Pandan, where it took over the larger campus formally occupied by the Singapore American School. This campus featured a 25-metre pool, two gymnasiums, a large playing field, which was primarily used for cricket and a smaller soccer pitch. By 2003, however, teaching space had run out, primarily due to a rapidly expanding primary school. This affected the secondary school; many secondary classrooms were converted to primary classrooms in the 2001/2002 holidays, with further modifications in subsequent holidays. Furthermore, the aging and decaying campus was falling apart, and tradesmen conducting repairs were an everyday sight.
In July 2003, AISS moved to a new campus along Lorong Chuan in Serangoon. It was smaller than the Ulu Pandan campus and featured fewer grassed areas. Facilities at the new campus include a theatre, a soundproof examination room, a 25-metre swimming pool, tennis courts, two indoor gymnasiums, and the 'School Oval', a multi-purpose sports field, primarily used for the codes of football. The following September, the school was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, John Anderson and Singapore's then Acting Minister for Education, Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
In June 2008 the school opened a purpose built Junior School which now sees the Pre-school and students to Year 2 housed in a separate campus adjacent to the main campus. Specialist areas are catered for with music, art, PE and ICT classrooms available to the younger students. There is a library.
AISS is privately owned by Ausmore Pte Ltd, a company registered in Singapore and owned by the UK parent company Cognita. Cognita owns a number of independent schools in the UK, and since 2007 has begun to expand its international schools. In late 2007, Cognita purchased Ausmore from its original founders,[3] a consortium of approximately 20 private investors.[4] Under the current owners, AISS has undergone change with new Pre-school and Junior School buildings and grounds opening (this expansion was started under the previous ownership group). In 2009, the Senior School expansion will begin.