GEMS World Academy Singapore was a full IB World School in Singapore, on a purpose built five hectare campus in Yishun in the north of the island. It opened in 2014 and ran from Nursery to Grade 12, offering all four International Baccalaureate programmes. Families researching it today should know the important detail up front: the school operated under the GEMS name only until 2021, and the same Yishun campus now runs as XCL World Academy under different ownership. We flag this clearly because no school pays to be listed here, and an honest account of a name change matters more than a tidy profile.
GEMS World Academy Singapore at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | IB World School offering all four programmes, the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme and Career related Programme |
| Stages | Nursery to Grade 12 (roughly ages 2 to 18) |
| Founded | 2014, operated as GEMS World Academy until 2021 |
| Accreditation | Authorised IB World School during its GEMS years |
| Fee band | Mid to premium for Singapore |
| Campus area | Yishun, north Singapore (now XCL World Academy) |
Curriculum and academics
The school's defining feature was that it ran all four IB programmes under one roof. A child could move from the Primary Years Programme into the Middle Years Programme, then choose between the Diploma Programme and the more applied Career related Programme in the final years, all on the same campus. That full continuum is relatively unusual, and it placed the school clearly within the city's group of authorised IB schools rather than the British or American camps.
For families who want to understand how the IB stages connect and what each offers, our guide to IB schools in Singapore and the Singapore IB schools hub set out the wider field and how the programmes work. Because the school now operates under a different name and ownership, the most reliable academic record going forward sits with XCL World Academy, and any historic GEMS results should be read in that light.
Budgeting an IB place in Singapore?
Our fee calculator adds registration, deposits and transport to the headline tuition so you see the real annual cost of any current IB school before you apply.
GEMS World Academy Singapore fees
As a full IB World School running from Nursery to Grade 12, GEMS World Academy sat in the mid to premium band for Singapore during its operating years. Our Singapore international school fees guide sets out where the city's IB schools fall on the fee spectrum, with tuition typically climbing through the school so that the Diploma years are the most expensive. Because the school now trades under a new name, any figure published under GEMS is historic and should not be treated as the current price.
If you are budgeting for the campus as it stands today, look up the school under its present name, XCL World Academy, for the current schedule, and use the fee line items every IB school charges, application fee, registration fee, refundable deposit and optional bus costs, as your planning checklist.
Admissions
During its GEMS years the school followed the standard pattern for an all through IB World School: an August academic year with the main intake following it and rolling entry where places allowed, an application with school reports, and an age appropriate assessment for older students. The full Nursery to Grade 12 range meant most families joined at the start of a stage.
For current admissions to the Yishun campus, applications are handled by XCL World Academy rather than under the GEMS name, so any family planning to apply should confirm the present process, intake points and requirements directly with the school as it operates now.
Location and what came next
The campus occupies a five hectare site in Yishun in the north of Singapore, reported as about 25 minutes from the city centre, with the scale and facilities of a school built to run from age two to eighteen. Yishun is a residential and increasingly connected part of the north, which suited families based outside the central core. After the 2021 transition the campus and its IB continuum continued under XCL World Academy, so the physical school and much of its provision did not disappear, only the name and ownership changed.
To weigh the current Yishun school against the other IB and international options in the city, including fees and where families live, start with the Singapore city hub.
GEMS World Academy Singapore reviews
We do not hold any verified parent reviews for GEMS World Academy Singapore. GlobalSchoolGuide is an independent guide and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have collected enough verified first hand accounts to be fair. Given the school now operates under a different name, we are especially careful not to attach a score that could mislead families about the current provision.
If your family attended during the GEMS years, or attends the campus now, we would value your account of admissions, teaching and value for money. Share it through our school reviews hub and we will add verified contributions to this page.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEMS World Academy Singapore still open?
The school operated as GEMS World Academy Singapore from 2014 to 2021. The Yishun campus continues to run as XCL World Academy under different ownership, so families searching for GEMS World Academy will now find the school under its current name.
What curriculum did GEMS World Academy Singapore follow?
It was an IB World School offering all four International Baccalaureate programmes, the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme and Career related Programme, for students from Nursery to Grade 12.
Where was GEMS World Academy Singapore located?
The school occupied a five hectare campus in Yishun, in the north of Singapore, about 25 minutes from the city centre. The same campus now houses XCL World Academy.
How much were GEMS World Academy Singapore fees?
As a full IB World School running from Nursery to Grade 12, it sat in the mid to premium band for Singapore. For current pricing, refer to the school under its present name, XCL World Academy, and our Singapore fees guide for the city's tiers.
What ages did GEMS World Academy Singapore take?
The school served students from Nursery to Grade 12, roughly ages 2 to 18, as an all through IB World School.
