Canadian International School vs Tanglin Trust School
🇸🇬 Singapore · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Tanglin Trust School holds a public inspection verdict (BSO "Outstanding"), while Canadian International School operates in a market with no public inspectorate — the former has a verifiable official quality anchor, the latter is judged on accreditation depth. Both are day schools with fees in the same market band — see the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Canadian International School | Tanglin Trust School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB | British / IB |
| Ages | 2–18 | 3–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, Chinese, French | English |
| Annual fees | SGD 30,280–53,500 | SGD 34,770–55,734 |
| Enrollment | 3,100 | 2,824 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Inspection rating | — | BSO: Outstanding |
| Accreditations | IB, Cognia, WASC, EduTrust | CIS, COBIS, HMC, IAPS, FOBISIA, Cambridge International, Edexcel, BSO |
Strengths
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP + MYP + DP) under one roof
- ✓Genuinely distinctive bilingual IB immersion: Chinese-English and French-English with ~50% target-language immersion
- ✓Strong accreditation stack: IB authorization plus Cognia and WASC, plus EduTrust/CPE registration
- ✓Large, well-resourced single campus (~43,000 sq m) with a 500-seat theatre, Olympic-sized pool and a 2,600 sqm Outdoor Discovery Centre
- ✓Highly international community — 80+ nationalities reported
- ✓'Outstanding' rating in the 2025 BSO inspection — the only BSO-inspected school in Singapore, a verifiable third-party quality signal
- ✓Strong published 2025 results: provisional IB Diploma average 39.3, 100% IB pass rate, 63% A*/A at A-Level
- ✓Rare dual-pathway Sixth Form letting students choose A-Levels or the IB Diploma at 16
- ✓Century-long track record (founded 1925) and a large, diverse community (~2,824 students)
- ✓Broad accreditation and membership footprint (CIS, COBIS, HMC, IAPS, FOBISIA, Cambridge, Edexcel)
Trade-offs
- !Premium fees — SGD ~30,280–53,500 per year (2026/27), upper tier of the Singapore market
- !For-profit ownership — owned by China Maple Leaf Educational Systems since 2020
- !Very large enrollment (~3,100) may feel less personal than smaller boutique schools
- !No published IB results — the school markets 'exceptional' outcomes but publishes no numeric average or pass rate
- !No boarding — day-school only
- !High fees: SGD 34,770–55,734 for 2025/26, plus a non-refundable SGD 1,000 application fee, SGD 4,500 enrolment fee, and SGD 4,500 capital levy
- !No EAL support — children not already fluent in English cannot be accommodated
- !Day school only; no boarding option
- !Exam fees (GCSE/IGCSE/A-Level/IB), personal-device costs, transport, meals and trips are extra
- !Established and oversubscribed — competitive admissions and waitlists are commonly reported (not quantified in public sources)
Best Fit For
- • Families seeking a complete IB pathway (PYP→MYP→DP) under one school
- • Families specifically wanting structured Chinese-English or French-English bilingual immersion from early years
- • Globally mobile expatriate families valuing a large, multinational community (80+ nationalities)
- • Families who prioritise extensive campus facilities (aquatics, performing arts, outdoor learning)
- • Fluent-English-speaking families wanting a British curriculum with an IB option at Sixth Form
- • Academically ambitious students aiming for strong A-Level or IB Diploma outcomes
- • Families seeking a long-established, large, multi-national community
- • Families who can comfortably absorb premium Singapore international-school fees
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: CIS states graduates 'did exceptionally well in May 2025' but publishes no numeric IB average, pass rate, or named university-acceptance list.
School-reported, unverified: Tanglin publishes 2025 examination outcomes (provisional IB Diploma average 39.3, 100% IB pass rate, 63% A*/A at A-Level) but no specific university-destination list was found in public sources.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Canadian International School or Tanglin Trust School?
Canadian International School is best for: Families seeking a complete IB pathway (PYP→MYP→DP) under one school. Tanglin Trust School is best for: Fluent-English-speaking families wanting a British curriculum with an IB option at Sixth Form. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Canadian International School and Tanglin Trust School?
Canadian International School: SGD 30,280–53,500. Tanglin Trust School: SGD 34,770–55,734. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Canadian International School and Tanglin Trust School offer?
Canadian International School: IB. Tanglin Trust School: British, IB. Tanglin Trust School inspection: BSO "Outstanding".
Do Canadian International School or Tanglin Trust School offer boarding?
Canadian International School: day school only. Tanglin Trust School: day school only.
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →