• Agora Playschool is a parent-accompanied or partial drop-off programme for children aged 6 months to 3 years old. It offers a complete sensory and educational experience for infants and toddlers, and prepares them for preschool. We offer a highly flexible programme between 8:15am and 12:30pm daily. You can choose to attend one to five times a week for 2 or 4 hours and accompany or drop off your child.

• Agora Preschool is licensed for children aged between 18 months and 7 years old. A 5-day-a-week programme from 7:30am to 2:00pm with extension options available from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It is a personalised programme combining hands-on experimentation, imaginative play, physical activities to spark curiosity and foster early learning in a dynamic and engaging environment. It serves as an exciting and safe stepping stone to prepare children for the next stage in their educational journey. We prepare children for that transition by developing their competencies, their social skills and by nurturing their curiosity to comprehend the world around them.

Every child has an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and specific targets set may determine their start, and finish times.

 
Afternoon research and creativity activities link back to learning corner stations, tying the whole day together.
 

• For children aged 6 to 12 months, our ratio is three children to one teacher
• For 12 to 18 months-olds, our ratio is five children to one teacher
• Over 18 months-old, our ratio is six children to one teacher

Drop-off from 7:30 am until 2:00 pm, with extension options available until 4:00 pm or 6:00 pm.
Playschool is between 8:15 am and 12:30 pm.

Character education is woven into the fabric of our daily activities. During free play, teachers observe and guide children in resolving conflicts peacefully, fostering empathy and conflict resolution skills. Through structured activities like group projects, children learn the importance of cooperation, responsibility, and respecting diverse perspectives. Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) further reinforce character development by setting goals related to social and emotional skills, such as taking turns or showing kindness to others.

At Agora, we foster cognitive development through a multi-faceted approach. For example, during a lesson on the solar system, children engage in a hands-on activity building a model of the planets, fostering their understanding of spatial relationships and relative sizes. Later, they might use drawings or diagrams to represent their understanding, strengthening their ability to connect concrete experiences with abstract representations. Additionally, group discussions encourage children to express their ideas, ask questions, and challenge each other’s thinking, promoting communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

Our Playschool facilitators have all undergone training leading to diplomas or degrees in Childhood Development, and have professional experience in their fields. Our Preschool teachers have ECDA-recognised certifications at the EY1, L1 or L2 levels respectively.

We keep all staff up to date with current practices, curriculum development and child safety management through a combination of in-house, third-party training programmes and the Agora Training Programme (ATP).

• Playgroup: 18 months 2 years old
• Nursery 1: 2-3 years old
• Nursery 2: 3-4 years old
• Kindergarten 1: 4-5 years old
• Kindergarten 2: 5-6 years old

Preschool parents should expect:

• a weekly highlight
• a fortnightly e-newsletter with comments, pictures and captions
• a monthly review of one specific ILP target
• a quarterly review of the full ILP
• a biannual parent-teacher meeting, coinciding with Open Days

ILP stands for Individual Learning Plan, a programme for learning that takes into consideration each child’s likes and dislikes, areas of strength, and areas for development, outlines their learning goals and milestones, and incorporates the Early Years Development Framework (EYDF) benchmarks. Each child’s ILP is implemented after a 4-6 week period during which we engage in focused observation as we learn as much as possible about them.

We do not currently offer a bilingual programme. Preschool children have up to 4 Mandarin lessons per week.

Our focus is primarily on building foundational skills, and fostering a positive and engaging learning environment that supports holistic growth and early language development. Starting in K2 we do spelling tests to monitor children’s understanding of sight words, as they are difficult to learn and retain.

Yes. You may accompany you newly-enrolled child to help them adjust to the new environment. We will discuss with you how best to ease them in.

Yes, every child enrolling to Agora receives two T-shirts, a sun cap, a painting apron, grip socks and a water bottle. Any practical clothing for the bottom half is allowed. Additional items can be purchased from our friendly hosts at the front of house.

Yes, we provide children a portion of fruit and milk daily.

Yes we can provide lunch or you can choose to bring a packed lunch from home.

The youngest children attending are 6 months old, and the oldest are 3 years old.

Preschool parents should expect:

• a weekly highlight
• a fortnightly e-newsletter with comments, pictures and captions
• a monthly review of one specific ILP target
• a quarterly review of the full ILP
• a biannual parent-teacher meeting, coinciding with Open Days

Mandarin-speaking teachers will engage with Playschool children in Chinese if you let us know your preferences.

Yes. You may accompany your child to any of the sessions for as long as the session duration. Do note that for the half-day programme, parents are required to attend at least one hour.

Yes you are welcome to stay in the Playschool space, or make yourself comfortable in our reception area. We offer free WiFi, tea and coffee facilities.

Yes, we provide a morning snack after our Core Music and Movement time. It offers a natural break time for the children and gives them energy for the next round of activities. We seek to ensure that all snacks are healthy. Please remember to provide us with information regarding allergies during registration.

Yes, the Agora Preschool is registered with ECDA as a License C Early Childhood Development Centre.

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is the regulatory and developmental authority under the Ministry of Social and Family Development responsible for the early childhood sector in Singapore, and overseeing all aspects of children’s development below the age of 7, across both kindergartens and child care centres.

We have Child First Aiders on site at all times as required by regulations.

All of our equipment is cleaned after usage in accordance with ECDA standards. At the end of each session, it is cleaned and wiped down with disinfectant. We put any resources that have been in children’s mouths during the session aside, so that they won’t be played with until they have been sanitised.

We ask that parents be mindful of how easily viruses pass between children. They should not attend if they are unwell, or have a fever of 37.7°C or above. Children who are unwell (e.g. have symptoms of fever, cough or runny nose) should see a doctor and return only when fully recovered or upon expiry of their medical certificate (if applicable). This is to minimise the risk of transmission of infectious diseases and protect the health of all other children and staff.

They can attend if they seem a little unwell - as long as they do not have a fever, are not coughing, have a runny nose (green mucus), a sore throat, or other symptoms of illness. In situations where their health is not clear, it may be preferable for them to wear a mask, if they will accept to do so.

Daily checks are carried out at arrival, and during activities if required. To avoid infecting other children and staff, we bring children who become unwell while at Agora to a designated sick bay to rest. Meanwhile we will connect with you to discuss the situation and assist in making arrangements for you to pick them up and seek medical attention as needed. If a child displays any symptoms of highly contagious illnesses such as diarrhea or vomiting they will be isolated (with a member of staff) until a parent can come and collect them.

If they have recovered from an illness and are well, meaning their Medical Certificate (MC) has expired and they show no more symptoms of illness, you are not required to produce a doctor’s letter/certificate to return to Head of Agora. Early Years.
If however they are still displaying symptoms of the illness, we may ask you to bring them to a medical practitioner for further assessment before they can return, to ensure the health and wellbeing of the other children. It is also for the benefit of your child, as children who are unwell may be more susceptible to contracting a secondary infection.

Preschools in Singapore are not required to shower children as part of the daily routine. Instead we provide necessary care to ensure that children are clean throughout the day (e.g. through wipe downs and change of clothes). We offer needs-based showering in the instance of soiling or skin conditions. If so, children are showered individually, and we rinse the contact areas carefully after each use.

Yes, all programmes offer a complimentary trial.

You can reach out to Claire, our Head of Early Years, at +65 9012 7704 for a personal consultation. Alternatively, our education consultants are available at +65 6252 5585.

Minimum age required by 1st January:

• Playschool: 6 months old
• Preschool:
  • Playgroup: 18 months old
  • Nursery 1: 2 years old
  • Nursery 2: 3 years old
  • Kindergarten 1: 4 years old
  • Kindergarten 2: 5 years old
• For children 3 and above, independent toileting is preferred.

You will need to prepare the following:

• Child’s birth certificate
• Immunisation Records/ Health booklet (Preschool only)
• Digital photograph of the child
• Digital copy of NRICs/passports (front and back) of both parents
• Digital copy of NRICs/passports (front and back), particulars and recent photo of authorised persons (if authorising someone else to pick up your child, e.g. grandparent or helper/nanny)
  Additionally, for foreigners:
• Child’s entry/re-entry permit / Child’s dependant pass
• Work permits of both parents or work permit of one parent and dependant pass of the other parent, as the case might be

If your child is a Singapore Citizen, he/she may qualify for the Baby Bonus scheme, which comprises the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and a Child Development Account (CDA) – a special co-savings scheme for your child. Agora is a Baby Bonus Approved Institution. You may find more information here: https://www.madeforfamilies.gov.sg/support-measures/raising-your-child/financial-support/baby-bonus-scheme

Withdrawals require written notification (email is sufficient) and will be accepted with at least one calendar month’s notice. In other words, the withdrawal date will be the end of the following month. For example, a withdrawal request made in writing by 31st January will have an effective withdrawal date of 28th February. There will be no partial month refunds. Re-enrolment is subject to availability, and carries a $125 administrative fee.

Subscribers enjoy our lowest session rates and fees are deducted from their account on a monthly recurring basis one month in advance. They are entitled to two make-up sessions per month and are subject to withdrawal terms and conditions.
Parents using class packages enjoy the flexibility to use sessions over a 3-months (10 pack) or 6-months (20 pack) validity period. You may choose specific days and slots and can join alternative sessions on a best efforts basis.

Yes, if your child has a Dependent’s Pass or Immigration Exemption Order. If they do not have one they will need a Student’s Pass. For more information, please refer to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) website at https://www.ica.gov.sg/pass/studentpass/msf.

A number of Education Providers offer activities for our Preschool age children - please check out at our website to find out more. We are also looking to build out our own in-house enrichment opportunities, based on demand.

Yes, we can accommodate certain mild or moderate disabilities. Claire Michael, the Head of Early Years, is an ECDA-certified Inclusion Officer (ICO), and our programme is flexible to individual needs. To ensure that we are able to offer a suitable support, we recommend a trial period to evaluate and discuss options.

Transport is available from Sentosa, with pick-up starting from 8:15 am. The return journey departs from Agora at 3:30 pm.

Parents will be added into our organisation to use the KISI application or will be given a parent access card.

Your child will remain safe under the supervision of Early Years staff. Agora Colearning opens every weekday until 8pm.