International Preschool in Singapore

A play and inquiry-based preschool following the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, for students aged 2-5 years old.

Our Preschool Team partners with your family as you take your first steps in your child's school journey. Through planned play and inquiry, your child will learn important concepts and skills such as how to communicate, share and collaborate. Our professional educators will guide, nurture and develop your child into a confident, lifelong learner, fully prepared for primary school and beyond.

Meaningful learning through play and inquiry

Learning is intentionally planned for with an expertly planned, student-centred curriculum that is hands-on, fun and engaging.

An inspirational campus

A specially designed preschool campus for our youngest community members with over 50 dedicated learning spaces and facilities designed to inspire curiosity.

A caring community

At the heart of our school is our community. We greatly value developing partnerships and supporting our preschool families and students.

WHAT OUR PARENTS AND STUDENTS SAY ABOUT US

"GESS is a school where children are encouraged to take risks"

Family Martins

"The school provides a variety of activities like cooking, art, sports and music"

Family Kramer and Matsuda

See more testimonials

A CAMPUS IMAGINED BY OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Join us on a guided virtual tour of our international school preschool campus and discover how our world-class learning facilities help our students grow.

Instantly book a school tour or online meeting today!

Maximum class size

Pre-Kindergarten 15 students and 3 educators

Kindergarten 18 students and 2 educators

Pre-Primary 20 students and 2 educators

School day

5 full-day programme
8.00 - 14:50

3 half-days and 2 full-day programme
8.00 - 12.30 / 14:50

Lunch

Freshly cooked meal provided

School bus service

Supervised door-to-door bus service and shuttle bus available

After school activities

After school programmes available for Preschool students

Language of instruction

English, German or Bilingual

Curriculum Information

Languages

Co-curricular after-school programmes

Entry requirements

Curriculum Information

GESS Preschool is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education and built on the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our curriculum is inquiry and play-based with plenty of hands-on, experiential learning helping your child to make real-world connections to the topics being taught. In playful ways, your child will learn important concepts (e.g. about relationships or expression) and skills (e.g. to communicate, collaborate and social skills).

Your child will enjoy and benefit from a range of specialist lessons and activities including:

Music
Art
Sports
Library lessons
Outdoor learning

Grade placement
Children are developing rapidly during preschool and therefore grade placements are followed to ensure your child is together with other children of the same social development level.

Pre-Kindergarten: 2 years old by 31 July or 2 years old by 31 January for semester 2 entry

Kindergarten 1: 3 years old by 31 July

Kindergarten 2: 4 years old by 31 July

Pre-Primary: 5 years old by 31 July

Study Options
Our preschool programmes are designed for a full-day schedule (08:00-14:50), however, in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten grades, families may choose to follow a shorter programme of 3 half-days (08:00-12:30) and 2 full-days (08:00-14:45).

See a typical day in our Preschool

Languages

Pre-Kindergarten Programme
In the classroom, children are naturally exposed to and immersed in both English and German. English is the language of instruction and there are daily German activities with the German Language Team.

Kindergarten and Pre-Primary Language Options
We offer three language streams in kindergarten and pre-primary grades:

Bilingual - Students are immersed in both languages in the classroom. This is the perfect option for multilingual families who would like their child to learn both in English and German.
English - In the English immersion stream, the teacher and assistant teacher teach in English. Language support is available for students that need help with developing their English proficiency. Students are exposed to and study German as the second language.
German - The German immersion stream is taught in German only with a German-speaking teacher and assistant. Some specialist lessons are taught in English and students learn English as the second language.

Language Support
There are language support sessions available for children in the German or English streams who need to further develop their German or English skills. Children may be supported within the classroom, or out of the classroom with a small group of peers to engage in additional activities to build their language proficiency skills.

Co-curricular after-school programmes

Our Kindergarten and Pre-Primary students enjoy a full range of after-school activities (CCA), expertly designed to develop children's interests. Your child can choose from:

Mandarin
Art
Cooking
Multi-sports
Music
Ballet
Gymnastics
Sports

Entry requirements

GESS is a non-selective international school and we welcome students with a diverse range of talents and abilities.

Year-round enrolment (students can start on any Monday)
Students of all English levels are welcome
Entry into Pre-Primary German and Bilingual streams is subject to minimum German proficiency levels

Find out about more about the application process

Curriculum Information

Languages

Co-curricular after-school programmes

Entry requirements

Curriculum Information

GESS Preschool is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education and built on the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our curriculum is inquiry and play-based with plenty of hands-on, experiential learning helping your child to make real-world connections to the topics being taught. In playful ways, your child will learn important concepts (e.g. about relationships or expression) and skills (e.g. to communicate, collaborate and social skills).

Your child will enjoy and benefit from a range of specialist lessons and activities including:

Music
Art
Sports
Library lessons
Outdoor learning

Grade placement
Children are developing rapidly during preschool and therefore grade placements are followed to ensure your child is together with other children of the same social development level.

Pre-Kindergarten: 2 years old by 31 July or 2 years old by 31 January for semester 2 entry

Kindergarten 1: 3 years old by 31 July

Kindergarten 2: 4 years old by 31 July

Pre-Primary: 5 years old by 31 July

Study Options
Our preschool programmes are designed for a full-day schedule (08:00-14:50), however, in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten grades, families may choose to follow a shorter programme of 3 half-days (08:00-12:30) and 2 full-days (08:00-14:45).

See a typical day in our Preschool

Languages

Pre-Kindergarten Programme
In the classroom, children are naturally exposed to and immersed in both English and German. English is the language of instruction and there are daily German activities with the German Language Team.

Kindergarten and Pre-Primary Language Options
We offer three language streams in kindergarten and pre-primary grades:

Bilingual - Students are immersed in both languages in the classroom. This is the perfect option for multilingual families who would like their child to learn both in English and German.
English - In the English immersion stream, the teacher and assistant teacher teach in English. Language support is available for students that need help with developing their English proficiency. Students are exposed to and study German as the second language.
German - The German immersion stream is taught in German only with a German-speaking teacher and assistant. Some specialist lessons are taught in English and students learn English as the second language.

Language Support
There are language support sessions available for children in the German or English streams who need to further develop their German or English skills. Children may be supported within the classroom, or out of the classroom with a small group of peers to engage in additional activities to build their language proficiency skills.

Co-curricular after-school programmes

Our Kindergarten and Pre-Primary students enjoy a full range of after-school activities (CCA), expertly designed to develop children's interests. Your child can choose from:

Mandarin
Art
Cooking
Multi-sports
Music
Ballet
Gymnastics
Sports

Entry requirements

GESS is a non-selective international school and we welcome students with a diverse range of talents and abilities.

Year-round enrolment (students can start on any Monday)
Students of all English levels are welcome
Entry into Pre-Primary German and Bilingual streams is subject to minimum German proficiency levels

Find out about more about the application process

Brochures

School brochure

Preschool brochure

IB Primary brochure

IB Secondary brochure

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General

Admissions

Curriculum

Communication

General

How long is the school day?

The full-day is 08:00-14:50. The half-day timing is 08:00-12:30. The after school CCA programme is from 15:00-16:30.

How many students study at GESS International school?

There are 1850 students studying in total. In preschool, there are currently 260 students.

My child doesn't speak German

Most new students do not speak German in the English stream and the programme is designed to support beginner students. School communication is in English and parents do not need to speak German.

How international is your school?

At GESS International School, there are over 68 nationalities and 70 mother tongues spoken within the student community. Students are carefully placed into homeroom classes to ensure a good mix of nationalities and language profiles.

Where is the school located?

Our international school campus is located in Hillview, Bukit Timah in the centre west of Singapore. Hillview MRT (Downtown Line) is 800 metres from the school. Downtown Singapore is 20-30 minutes by train.

Admissions

How strict are the age / grade placement guidelines?

Age cut-off and grade placements are strictly adhered to in preschool. If you are not sure which grade your child will join, please enter your child's information here and we will send you the placement and related school fees by email.

Is there an application deadline?

No, you can apply all year. We accept applications for the current and next school year.

When can my child start school?

Students can start on any Monday of the school year.

How much are the school fees?

Enter your child's information here and we will send you a personalised school fee breakdown.

Is there an application fee?

Yes, there is an application fee of 200 SGD. All other fees are invoiced after you accept the place and sign the student contract.

Do you have waiting lists?

Yes, some grades have waiting lists. We recommend submitting early applications to ensure you get your first choice of language stream.

Can I visit the preschool?

Yes, we offer on-campus preschool tours Monday to Friday from 08:30-16:30 and online admissions meetings for families unable to visit our international school campus. Click here to instantly book a school tour or online meeting.

Curriculum

Is there homework?

There is no homework at the preschool level.

Do you offer Mandarin?

Mandarin is not offered during the regular school day. There is a once a week after-school Mandarin CCA for non-native speakers.

Is it possible to change the language stream?

It is not possible to change the language stream mid-year. You can request to change for the following school year.

How do you help new students?

GESS offers a three-stage orientation programme called SureStart, helping our new families have a successful start to school. In Pre-kindergarten, new students complete the First Steps programme which gradually guides and supports new students over a four-week period. For other preschool grades, individual support is offered by the homeroom teaching team, if required.

Communication

What is a homeroom teacher?

Also known as a form or class teacher, the homeroom teacher is the main teacher for the class. As part of our partnering with families approach, you and your child will develop a strong relationship with your homeroom teacher. Your child will also be taught by specialist teachers for arts, library and sports.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Your child's homeroom teacher is your main point of contact. Communication is mainly by an app called SeeSaw and meetings can be arranged by appointment.

Are there school reports?

Yes, there are two report cards per year. One for each semester.

Are there parent-teacher meetings?

Parent-teacher meetings/conferences are arranged throughout the school year.

Is all the communication in German?

No, communication in the international section is in English.

General

Admissions

Curriculum

Communication

General

How long is the school day?

The full-day is 08:00-14:50. The half-day timing is 08:00-12:30. The after school CCA programme is from 15:00-16:30.

How many students study at GESS International school?

There are 1850 students studying in total. In preschool, there are currently 260 students.

My child doesn't speak German

Most new students do not speak German in the English stream and the programme is designed to support beginner students. School communication is in English and parents do not need to speak German.

How international is your school?

At GESS International School, there are over 68 nationalities and 70 mother tongues spoken within the student community. Students are carefully placed into homeroom classes to ensure a good mix of nationalities and language profiles.

Where is the school located?

Our international school campus is located in Hillview, Bukit Timah in the centre west of Singapore. Hillview MRT (Downtown Line) is 800 metres from the school. Downtown Singapore is 20-30 minutes by train.

Admissions

How strict are the age / grade placement guidelines?

Age cut-off and grade placements are strictly adhered to in preschool. If you are not sure which grade your child will join, please enter your child's information here and we will send you the placement and related school fees by email.

Is there an application deadline?

No, you can apply all year. We accept applications for the current and next school year.

When can my child start school?

Students can start on any Monday of the school year.

How much are the school fees?

Enter your child's information here and we will send you a personalised school fee breakdown.

Is there an application fee?

Yes, there is an application fee of 200 SGD. All other fees are invoiced after you accept the place and sign the student contract.

Do you have waiting lists?

Yes, some grades have waiting lists. We recommend submitting early applications to ensure you get your first choice of language stream.

Can I visit the preschool?

Yes, we offer on-campus preschool tours Monday to Friday from 08:30-16:30 and online admissions meetings for families unable to visit our international school campus. Click here to instantly book a school tour or online meeting.

Curriculum

Is there homework?

There is no homework at the preschool level.

Do you offer Mandarin?

Mandarin is not offered during the regular school day. There is a once a week after-school Mandarin CCA for non-native speakers.

Is it possible to change the language stream?

It is not possible to change the language stream mid-year. You can request to change for the following school year.

How do you help new students?

GESS offers a three-stage orientation programme called SureStart, helping our new families have a successful start to school. In Pre-kindergarten, new students complete the First Steps programme which gradually guides and supports new students over a four-week period. For other preschool grades, individual support is offered by the homeroom teaching team, if required.

Communication

What is a homeroom teacher?

Also known as a form or class teacher, the homeroom teacher is the main teacher for the class. As part of our partnering with families approach, you and your child will develop a strong relationship with your homeroom teacher. Your child will also be taught by specialist teachers for arts, library and sports.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Your child's homeroom teacher is your main point of contact. Communication is mainly by an app called SeeSaw and meetings can be arranged by appointment.

Are there school reports?

Yes, there are two report cards per year. One for each semester.

Are there parent-teacher meetings?

Parent-teacher meetings/conferences are arranged throughout the school year.

Is all the communication in German?

No, communication in the international section is in English.