Choosing a secondary school for your child may be a daunting exercise. There seem to be so many options to choose from, and parents and students may not know how to go about sorting this information properly to make an informed decision. Secondary school is an important milestone for every child, as they will spend 4 years and undertake O Levels there. In secondary school, children will transition into becoming adolescents, which comes with its own challenges. As such, it is crucial that parents and students know what they are getting into before choosing.
There are several criteria which students and parents must consider before choosing a secondary school: (1) specialised subjects, (2) results, (3) niche CCAs and specialised CCAs, and (4) the location of the secondary school.
Specialised Subjects
Some secondary schools have specialised subjects like Principles of Accounting, Nutrition and Food Science, Computing, Economics, Literature in Chinese/Tamil/Malay, Exercise and Sports Science, and Music. Specialised subjects can replace a second Math or third Science, and this may help students who excel in these areas make a strategic choice to get into good JCs or polytechnics. A natural flair for a student’s Mother Tongue could also help secure a spot in a top institution. When deciding on a school with specialised subjects, it would be good to plan as a family and decide what resources or opportunities to showcase one’s talents in these subjects are available.
Results
There are some schools with an excellent teaching programme, such that the students who attend the school consistently produce good results at the national examinations such as O Level. There are some schools which also perform well at specific subjects due to a strong teaching department. Being aware of such schools could benefit students who are weak in a certain subject, as they can be sure of getting the help they need to score well in their examinations. Students who are also good at certain subjects can benefit from a strong teaching programme.
Niche CCAs and Specialised CCAs
CCAs are an important part of every secondary school student’s life, as they will be spending a great deal of time pursuing a CCA. A student could join a club or society, a sports CCA, a performing art, or a uniformed group. CCAs are different paths to entering JC, polytechnics, and universities, as schools value students with a diverse range of skills which show holistic development, instead of having a homogenous cohort of students who are only academically excellent. CCAs are a good way to add value to future school applications and subtract points from a student’s L1R5 at the O Level national examinations in Secondary 4.
Location of the Secondary School
Parents should be aware of prominent schools which are popular during admission applications. These schools are highly coveted due to their strong school cultures and teaching programmes. Parents interested in applying to these schools should call and ask the schools about the schedules of the children who go there and the CCAs available so they can better plan.
Students need to be aware of what they are getting into when they enter secondary school. They need to prioritise their school affairs differently – there are varied subjects which are unfamiliar to them, with their core subjects having higher demands. They need to balance their academic commitments with CCAs, which take up a lot of time and energy. Students who are not careful about planning their time well may find themselves exhausted and burnt out.
In secondary school, students need to remember that English is a core subject, and the demands of the subject are far more complex than in primary school. Some students tend to get complacent with English at the lower secondary level, which has long term negative repercussions as the General Paper for A Levels will be a challenging hurdle to get past, and as all their subjects are written in English, they may find it harder to cope with studying.
Attain Stellar Results With W@W!
English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.
At WRITERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. W@W reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how W@W makes a difference, feel free to explore our website and watch our YouTube videos!
If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WRITERS@WORK has expanded to 9 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WRITERS@WORK!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. Which Tuition Centre is Good for English?
W@W is an excellent option to help your child prepare for their English Language classes at school at any level. W@W teaches students how to write compositions which are the basic building blocks for all communication, whether it be in school or outside in the workplace.
2. Why is It Important to Attend English Enrichment Classes?
Students will be able to develop important skills such as critical thinking which will serve them well in all areas of life. Students will learn how to incorporate critical thinking and analysis skills when they read comprehension passages and plan their ideas and arguments out for essays.
3. Is It Worth Getting an English Tutor?
If your child needs help in school, it could be worth considering getting an English tutor as English is a compulsory subject at school. English is used in all areas of life and learning how to read critically and write essays are highly important skills which should be learned early.
4. How Do Students Have Poor Writing Skills?
Students often have poor writing skills as they do not have the knowledge of good exam habits to practice. For example, many students often do not plan their essays, which lead to a poor writing habit of rambling, going off on irrelevant tangents, and forgetting to list all good arguments.
5. Who Creative Writing a Skill or a Talent?
Writing is a skill which can be trained. Anyone, regardless of whether they have a strong language ability or not, can be trained to write well given that they have a structure and are made aware of their writing habits which need to be changed. At W@W, we believe that every child can write – it is up to us to instil good writing habits to improve children’s skills for the better.
6. Why Do People Study Creative Writing?
Writing is an essential skill which is useful even when a child grows up to become a working adult. Communication is the basic foundation of any society, and people study how to write to better communicate their ideas to people. At school, academic performance is measured by how well students can communicate what they know in the context of an examination.
