Introduction
Choosing the right preschool in Singapore is essential for your child’s early development. Thankfully, many affordable options offer quality education. This guide highlights some of the best budget-friendly preschools to help you make an informed choice.
Top affordable preschools in Singapore
1. E-Bridge Pre-School
Monthly fees: $741.20 – $2,084.63, depending on age group and nationality
Locations: Over 20 centers islandwide
E-Bridge Pre-School is an early childhood education center established by the EtonHouse International Education Group. On top of building literacy from a young age, the preschool injects creative arts, physical education, and character-building into its curriculum as well. Almost all of its preschools are SPARK-certified, with its Telok Blangah one recognized under its Commendation category for higher quality teaching and learning practices.
2. MOE Kindergarten
Monthly fees: $160 for Singapore citizens; $320 for Singapore Permanent Residents
Locations: 55 centres islandwide
Catering to children at Kindergarten 1 and 2 levels, MOE Kindergarten is popular among families for offering quality preschool education at an affordable rate. Bilingualism is also prioritized here, where children will learn to listen, speak, read, and write in English and one of the three Mother Tongue Languages (Chinese, Malay, and Tamil) through its Starlight Literacy Programme. MOE Kindergarten also supports the holistic development of children through the HI-Light Programme.
3. My First Skool
Monthly fees: $741.20 – $2,084.62, depending on age group and nationality
Locations: Over 150 centers islandwide
It’s a familiar sight to see kids in orange uniforms going on daily walks around most neighborhoods. These are the students from My First School, a preschool that’s known for its great childcare and education services over the past 40 years. It follows a unique pedagogical approach called PETAL, which stands for Playing, Exploring, Thinking, and Applying Learning.
4. PCF Sparkletots
Monthly fees: $741.20 – $2,084.63, depending on age group and nationality
Locations: Over 360 centers islandwide
PCF Sparkletots is the biggest early childhood education group in Singapore, so there’s bound to be one near you! The preschool offers kiddos a holistic educational program that covers six domains: aesthetics and creative expression, discovery of the world, language and literacy, motor skills development, numeracy, as well as social and emotional development. Mother Tongue Language classes are available in Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Plus.
5. M.Y World Preschool
Monthly fees: $741.20 – $2,084.63, depending on age group and nationality
Locations: Over 50 centers islandwide
Founded by Metropolitan YMCA, M.Y World Preschool has been a household name since the 1980s. Children at this preschool learn through active participation, exploration, inquiry, and reflection. If you’re looking for a SPARK Commendation center for your child, M.Y World Preschool has two of them in Tampines Central and Bukit Panjang respectively.
6. Skool4Kidz Preschool
Monthly fees: $734 – $2,065.50, depending on age group and nationality
Locations: Over 30 centers islandwide, including 4 mega campuses
It’s common to see primary and secondary schools with large campuses but have you ever heard of a preschool campus? More specifically, a preschool campus that’s 5,000 square meters? Skool4Kidz Preschool has four of these! This preschool is the first childcare center to be built in a park, with features like an eco pond, butterfly lodge, and garden atrium. Known for its Technology Programme and Nature Curriculum, Skool4Kidz aims to develop both 21st-century skills and an appreciation for nature in the children under their care.
7. Star Learners Child Care
Monthly fees: $540 onwards; fees vary across centers, hours, age groups, and nationality
Locations: Over 40 centers islandwide
Most of Star Learners Child Care’s centers are appointed by ECDA to operate under its Partner Operator (POP) scheme. POP preschools offer subsidized monthly fees capped at $720 for full-day child care; or $1,290 for full-day infant care for Singaporean children. The fees are still affordable for all, regardless of nationality, with the full-day infant care program coming in at approximately $1,500.
8. Little Seeds Preschool
Monthly fees: $784.80 – $2,268, fees vary across centers and age groups
Locations: 16 centres islandwide
Most of Little Seeds Preschool operates under ECDA’s POP scheme, allowing Singaporean children access to its progressive values-based curriculum at a subsidized fee, but it also offers competitive fees for all its students. The school draws from some of the best approaches to early childhood education from around the world, Multiple Intelligences from the USA, Reggio Emilia from Italy, and MATAL from Israel, to name a few.
9. Sunflower Childcare Group
Fees: $760 onwards, fees vary across centers
Locations: Over 30 centers islandwide
Being ‘smart’ means more than just having advanced numeracy and literacy skills. Sunflower Childcare Group follows the Multiple Intelligences theory in its approach to early childhood education. The preschool believes that each of us possesses eight types of intelligence, and aims to develop all of them in the children under their care. Parents can expect learning activities such as Dramatic Play, Art of Language, and Character Building.
10. Little Footprints Preschool
Monthly fees: $540 – $1,700, fees vary across centers
Locations: 50 centres islandwide
Little Footprints Preschool is a community-based preschool run by Babilou Family Singapore, a subsidiary of the France-based early childhood organization, Babilou Family Group. The fees are affordable too, with half-day child care as low as $540. What’s more, Little Footprints’ center in Punggol 107 has a SPARK Commendation certification, and most of its centers are under ECDA’s POP scheme as well.
11. Greentree Montessori
Monthly fees: $960 – $2,100
Locations: Three centres in Sembawang and Thomson: 45 Jalan Mata Ayer, 26 Jalan Shaer, and 2 Thomson Hills Drive.
At Greentree Montessori, children are allowed to be themselves and enjoy their childhood while learning new things every day. The preschool supports parenting, using a combination of the Montessori method, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE), and the Pikler approach. More than just a preschool, Greentree Montessori caters to children as young as two months old to primary schoolers at nine years old, teaching the latter how to master Mathematics and Languages using the Montessori method.
12. Children’s Cove
Monthly fees: $1,620 onwards
Locations: Six locations islandwide
The environment takes the lead at Children’s Cove as the preschool believes that it has a powerful effect on children. The Jalan Penjara campus itself is 30,000 square feet, with a forest trail for outdoor walks. Discovery Play Centre; Art Atelier, and more! Curriculum-wise, Children’s Cove has award-winning programs like “From Farm To Table” to teach children about nutrition and cookery; and “Wordless Wonders” that help all children (including those with dyslexia) to read independently.
