We arrived in Singapore in 2016 and I (Michael) started working at XCL World Academy (XWA) in the capacity of IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, Head of Grades 11 and 12 and teacher. Oscar also started in Nursery, he’s now in Grade 3; Austin started this January in Pre-Kindergarten.
There are many good preschools in Singapore, but we felt that XWA would prepare our boys for an international life – we particularly like the diversity of nationalities at XWA; this melting pot of cultures has created an international environment.
Both our children speak Thai and English, but Austin joined the English-Chinese bilingual programme. After only a few months of learning Chinese, we’re blown away at his proficiency in the language.
Our boys have a balanced and holistic education that focuses equally on academic achievement, sports and the arts. Oscar is very active, and he’s joined the school’s football and swim teams; he’s already looking forward to joining the rugby team when he’s older.
I’ve seen many international schools throughout my career as an international school teacher and XWA’s facilities are second to none. There’s an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a heated indoor learning pool, an impressive design centre and a 750-seat, two-level auditorium. Within each classroom there’s an interactive SMART Board; students have their own iPad from Grade 1 and their own MacBook from Grade 6.
From day one, our children have loved going to school every day. For expat families settling into their new lives in Singapore, XWA makes the transition of school run smoothly. When the time comes for families to leave Singapore, XWA continues to support the children by working with the child’s next school to ensure there is minimal disruption to their learning.
Ultimately, what any parent looks for in a school is that their children are happy and successful, and we absolutely recommend XWA to all families for this.
Apipa and Michael Fletcher, Thai and British; Oscar (8) and Austin (3)
