Tanglin Trust has taught in Singapore since 1925, which makes it the oldest British international school in South East Asia and one of the most established names a relocating family will meet. It is a single, large all through school of around 2,800 students, organised into an Infant School, a Junior School and a Senior School with a Sixth Form, all on one green campus on Portsdown Road. The school keeps a clearly British character while drawing families from across the international community, and its defining feature is choice at the top: it is the only school in the city to run both A Level and the IB Diploma side by side.
Tanglin Trust at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | English National Curriculum; IGCSE in Years 10 and 11; A Level and the IB Diploma in the Sixth Form |
| Stages | Nursery to Year 13 (ages 3 to 18) |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Accreditation | Inspected under the British Schools Overseas framework; rated at the top grade by UK inspectors |
| Fee band | Premium, rising to the top of the city range in the Sixth Form |
| Campus area | 95 Portsdown Road, south Singapore near Queenstown and one north |
Curriculum and academics
Teaching follows the English National Curriculum from the early years upward, with IGCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11 setting up the senior choice. In the Sixth Form, students pick between A Level and the IB Diploma, a genuine two route model that is rare anywhere and unique in Singapore. A Level suits students who want to specialise in three or four subjects, while the Diploma keeps a broad six subject spread with Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay and the creativity, activity and service strand.
Running both programmes on one site means a student's pathway is not fixed by the school they joined years earlier, and teachers are used to advising on which route fits a given set of strengths and university targets. The breadth of subjects, music, sport and the wider activities programme reflects the scale of a school this size. Ask the admissions team for the most recent A Level and Diploma outcomes rather than long run averages, and read the latest inspection report in full.
Budgeting for a Singapore school place?
Use our fee calculator to estimate the full cost of a place, tuition plus the registration, deposit and transport extras, before you commit.
Tanglin Trust fees
Tanglin sits in the premium band for Singapore, with tuition rising at each stage and reaching the top of the city range in the Sixth Form. Our 2026 Singapore school fees guide and our wider Singapore international school fees breakdown place premium senior tuition at roughly SGD 45,000 to 55,000 a year, and Tanglin falls within that bracket. Choosing A Level or the Diploma does not change the headline fee, though examination entries are charged separately.
Plan beyond tuition. Budget for a registration fee, a refundable deposit and optional bus and meal costs, and assume fee rises ahead of general inflation across a multi year stay. Families moving mid year should ask how fees are prorated for a partial term.
Admissions
The academic year runs from August, and the main intake follows that calendar with rolling entry where places exist. Demand is high, particularly at the popular entry points of Nursery, the start of the Junior School and Year 7, so early application matters. The process combines an application with school reports, and an age appropriate assessment that grows more formal higher up the school.
Sixth Form entry is the most considered point, since the school needs to confirm a student's IGCSE profile supports either A Level or the Diploma, and to discuss subject combinations. Siblings of current students are usually given priority.
Location and who goes there
Tanglin occupies a single leafy campus at 95 Portsdown Road in the south of Singapore, close to Queenstown, one north and the Holland Village area. The location suits the many British and international families who settle in the central and southern districts, from Holland Road and Bukit Timah to the west coast. The school runs an extensive bus network, which widens its practical catchment well beyond the immediate neighbourhood.
To see how Tanglin sits among the city's British and IB providers and where comparable families live, use the Singapore city hub as your starting point.
Tanglin Trust reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for Tanglin Trust. 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 to both the school and to families reading them. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
If your family has attended the school we would value your account of admissions, teaching, pastoral care and value for money. Share it through our school reviews hub and we will add verified contributions to this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tanglin Trust?
Tanglin Trust is the oldest British international school in South East Asia, founded in 1925 and based on Portsdown Road in Singapore. It teaches the English National Curriculum from ages three to eighteen across an Infant, Junior and Senior School.
How much are Tanglin Trust fees?
Tanglin sits in the premium band for Singapore. Fees rise with each stage and reach the top of the city range in the Sixth Form, with registration, a refundable deposit and optional bus costs on top. Confirm the current schedule with the school.
Does Tanglin Trust offer the IB Diploma?
Yes. Tanglin is the only school in Singapore to offer both A Level and the IB Diploma in the Sixth Form, so students can choose the senior pathway that best suits their strengths and university plans.
Is Tanglin Trust a good school?
Tanglin is inspected under the British Schools Overseas framework and has been rated at the top grade by UK inspectors. We publish ratings only from verified reviews, so weigh the latest inspection report and exam outcomes alongside a visit.
Where is Tanglin Trust?
The campus is at 95 Portsdown Road in the south of Singapore, near the Queenstown and one north districts, on a single green site shared by the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools.
