Shaws Preschool

Preschool in Singapore, East Coast, Singapore

Google rating 4.8 (30) (source: Google Maps)

Shaws Preschool is located at 855 Mountbatten Rd in Singapore’s East Coast, and describes itself as Singapore’s first play-based preschool. It serves children from 18 months to six years old. The school’s atmosphere is shaped by the idea that childhood is an adventure, with learning happening through play, sport, and everyday curiosity, both indoors and out. Shaws has been teaching children for 37 years, and its approach is framed around the belief that children learn best when they are active, engaged, and exploring for themselves.

The curriculum is built around learning through play, life skills, and executive function. The school says play is the method, not the reward, and that children explore, build, argue, and try again so the learning stays with them. Practical independence is taught deliberately, with age-by-age life skills such as pouring a drink or packing a bag. Executive function is also a focus, including focus, self-control, holding a plan in mind, and switching when something does not work. English and Mandarin are both used throughout the day, and Mandarin is woven through the timetable rather than added as a separate lesson.

Daily life at Shaws includes outdoor play before morning circle, Letterland and literacy activities, sport, Mandarin after music, lunch, a nap or Play Club, and time outside again before home time. The school notes that doors open at 7am, and that children are outside every day. Learning areas include literacy, maths, science, arts, and sport. Shaws Little League coaches are on site twice a week at no extra cost, and meals are cooked in the school’s own kitchen, with no processed food and no sugary drinks. The school also mentions excursions to places such as waterfalls, beaches, farms, and museums. Family events are part of the year too, including Sports Day, the Shaws Carnival, family days, and term excursions.

What makes Shaws distinctive is the combination of long experience and a strong commitment to play-based learning that has been refined for nearly four decades. Its emphasis on practical independence and executive function sits alongside a daily rhythm that keeps children moving, exploring, and using both English and Mandarin. It may suit families looking for a preschool where children are active outdoors, where play is taken seriously, and where day-to-day routines, meals, sport, and language learning are closely woven together.

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