SINGAPORE – A famous independent British school which has sent several students to the very best universities in the Britain will join the ranks of international schools here largely catering to the expatriate community.
The Perse (pronounced Purse) School from Cambridge has partnered CES Cambridge, a subsidiary of property developer Chip Eng Seng.
An elementary school in Upper Bukit Timah Road is slated to open next year, subject to regulatory approvals from the relevant authorities.
It will cater to those aged six to 11, but there are also plans to extend to a secondary school.
The arrival of Perse comes five years after renowned British independent school, Dulwich College in Singapore, set up schools here for children aged two to 18 at its campus in Bukit Batok.
Fees for Perse will be kept at around $25,000 a year, lower than the $35,000 fees charged by the most expensive international schools here including Dulwich.
Chip Eng Seng said the Perse elementary school will have the capacity to take in up to 480 students.
Its facilities will include an indoor play area, science lab, music studio and an art, design and technology space. Its international curriculum will also teach students coding.
Ms Kathryn Lui, senior vice-president of CES Education, told The Straits Times on Thursday (July 4): “It promises to be a school that offers a programme with a strong academic edge, and excellent pastoral care.
“Perseans will thrive in a happy and purposeful environment, as confident young individuals with a strong intellectual curiosity, embracing a love of learning in and out of the classroom.”
Asked how Perse School here in Singapore will be able to keep its fees low, she said her company and Perse have plans to set up more schools overseas.
“There will be economies of scale being part of a larger business with a number of education units,” she said, adding that “with an emphasis on accessibility, The Perse School, Singapore, will strive to create a diverse student body, much like that of The Perse School in the United Kingdom”.
Famous alumni of the 404-year-old school, which only became a co-educational school in 1995, include two Nobel Prize winners, several actors, many distinguished academics and several musicians and artists – including Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, literary critic F. R. Leavis and theatre director, Sir Peter Hall.
The school regularly achieves some of the best exam results in Britain. Over the last five years, 185 of its students have taken up places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Perse officials said they are delighted to be partnering CES Cambridge.
“Both organisations have a commitment to educational excellence at an affordable price. The Perse and CES Cambridge have established an excellent working relationship and have a strong team of educators to deliver this exciting project,” said The Perse School head Ed Elliott.
“Cambridge and Singapore have many shared values including a commitment to high educational standards and a recognition that investment in education is key to a better future,” he added.
British parents here welcomed the entry of Perse, especially since its fees are expected to be lower than the top-end international schools.
Expatriate parents here have in recent years called for cheaper international school options because more of them are being employed on local terms.
In response, schools such as Middleton International School and Invictus International School have been set up. Their fees are under $20,000 a year and they have grown their enrolments significantly.
Briton Maggie Saelly, 30, a mother of two young children under seven years old, moved to Singapore recently.
She said she is worried about the cost of educating her children here.
“Of course one of my top concerns has been getting a good school which is affordable. I will definitely be looking at Perse,” she added.
“Source:[Renowned Perse School from Cambridge, UK, to set up in Singapore next year] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction”
