Other Useful Information
| Health and Well-Being | School Transport Services | Uniform Retail Locations |
| Food Services | Counselling | Settling Tips |
| Complaints Procedure |
1. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
One of our core aims at Tanglin Trust School is to provide a caring environment for our students. We also know that people learn most effectively when they are happy and healthy. It is because of our dedication to these values that the School features three Health Centres, each staffed by fully qualified nurses.There is a separate Health Centre in each of our Infant, Junior and Senior Schools. These Centres are located on Level 1 of their respective School buildings. A Lead Nurse, who reports to the Head of School, coordinates our team of nursing professionals.
The mission of our Health Centres is to:
• provide prompt and effective first aid in a supportive and nurturing environment;
• care for the students in a holistic manner;
• inform a student’s teacher if he or she is judged to be unfit to continue in class and the teacher and a parent if the student needs to be taken home or to see a medical practitioner;
• maintain student health records and details of all accidents;
• keep the Chief Executive Officer well informed about the general health of students and about any significant accidents that occur on site; and
• raise awareness of the importance of hygiene and health management.
All accidents are taken seriously and are recorded separately. A staff member who witnesses an accident or the person supervising the area at the time of an accident must complete an accident form. A nurse will decide whether the Head of School’s presence is required at a Health Centre or at the scene of an accident.
Health Centres are all open from 07:30 to 14:50. In addition, the Junior School Health Centre remains open until 19.30 to provide first aid, if needed, for students participating in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs).
In the event of a serious emergency, a nurse can be summoned from a Health Centre to attend to a sick or injured child in any indoor or outdoor School facility. The Secretaries of the Infant, Junior and Senior School offices can call our nurses directly. Members of our nursing team are well known to our students and they are easily identifiable as they wear the Tanglin nurses’ uniform.
Except in the case of an emergency or an accident in a break time, students should visit a Health Centre when sent by a member of staff or with the permission of a staff member
The impressive capability of our team of nurses was demonstrated when Influenza A (H1N1) broke out in 2009. At that time, students and staff took their individual temperatures at home and had to display their stickers prominently before they were allowed to enter the campus.
The School strongly requests that students with temperatures above 37.8 or who are unwell should not be sent to school. Those found to be ill will be sent to a Heath Centre and a nurse will contact a parent asking them to collect their child from the Health Centre as soon as possible.
We are grateful to the parents of students at the School for their kind cooperation with this policy, which is in the best interest of the entire School community. Adherence to this policy is especially important at this time as concern exists about a possible outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) among humans.
The nurses in our Health Centres, through their interactions with our students, also play an important role in reinforcing the importance of good hygiene, safety and sound health management. Parents with a child on medication prescribed by a doctor to be taken during the day can pre-arrange for a nurse to administer a prescribed dose to their child at a specified time. Students may not self-administer prescription medication at School.
The contact details for our Health Centres are outlined below.
Infant School Health Centre – telephone extension 120,
e-mail : healthcentre.infant@tts.edu.sg
Junior School Health Centre – telephone extension 141,
e-mail: healthcentre.junior@tts.edu.sg
Senior School Health Centre – telephone extension 160,
e-mail: healthcentre.senior@tts.edu.sg
Our Lead Nurse, Sarah Le Grice, can be contacted at Sarah.LeGrice@tts.edu.sg
Tanglin Trust School is a place where every student can achieve his or her best. Our Health Centres support our students if they are ill or injured and foster rapid recovery so that interruption to effective learning is minimised.
2. SCHOOL TRANSPORT SERVICES
Tanglin Trust School is located on Portsdown Road, approximately 15 minutes drive from the west of Singapore's city center. Tucked away from the main commercial district, the School offers a conducive environment for student development, yet is easily accessible from the main residential areas of the island.To assist students getting efficiently to and from the School, where possible Tanglin organises a door-to-door bus transport service through its contracted transport service provider. This service covers most areas in Singapore. A "Bus Auntie" or female supervisor travels on each bus to ensure that seat belts are worn and children travel safely.
Pick up times are from 8.00am for Nursery students and from, generally, 7.00am for all other students. Buses leave the School at 12.05 / 12.10 for Nursery students, 2.00 / 2.05pm for Infant students and 3pm for Junior and Senior students. Buses also depart at 4pm for Junior and Senior students participating in activities. To assist Senior students the transport company also provides a complimentary service for Seniors at 5pm. This service stops at pre-determined points, along designated routes. These are convenient for main bus stops, MRT stations or car parks. The 5pm service is not a door-to-door service.
The School publishes a Bus Information Handbook outlining bus routes for houses and condominiums, rules and regulations pick up times, payment details and other information. Please click on the link below to view this handbook. For other enquiries, please phone the School’s Transport Service Executive, Ethel Tan, on 6778 9000 or contact her via e-mail (ethel.tan@tts.edu.sg). Alternatively, you can also contact our Transport Office on 6776 7371 or via e-mail (transport@tts.edu.sg).
New parents wishing for their children to travel to school by bus should ensure they send in a Transport Request Form, a copy of which can be downloaded here, to The Transport Office approximately three weeks before the start of a new term.
Other information from the Bus Information Handbook can be downloaded by clicking the below links:
Commonly Asked Questions
Bus Handbook
Transport Request Form
Change of Address and Contact Details Form
Transport Fares (2010-2011)
Change of Transport Home - Note to teacher (Infants)
Change of Transport Home – Note to teacher (Juniors)
3. UNIFORM RETAIL LOCATIONS
Our School shop, located on Level 1 of the Junior School building, stocks the full range of school clothing and stationery items for our students. The only compulsory uniform items not sold at "The Shop" are shoes. The clothing range includes swimwear, bags, hats, and sportswear and house shirts. The stationery items include pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and folders.Lists of uniform and stationery requirements for each year of schooling are available at "The Shop", which is open on all school days from 7.30am to 4.00pm with a 30 minute lunch break from 12 noon. "The Shop" features private changing rooms, where students can try on the range of clothing on sale to ensure items purchased are a good fit.
"The Shop" is also open prior to the start of each new academic year and on orientation days for families new to Tanglin. It is also possible to make appointments to come to "The Shop" during other holiday periods or to place orders by contacting the shop via e-mail (theshop@tts.edu.sg).
As well as uniform and stationery supplies, "The Shop" sells a range of school-related merchandise, some items of which have been produced by our Parent-Teacher Association. This range includes a cookbook, an autograph book, teddy bears in Tanglin uniforms and umbrellas. Payment at "The Shop" can be made by cash, cheque or credit card (only AMEX, VISA and MasterCard).
4. FOOD SERVICES
Sodexo Singapore was appointed as the school’s caterer in 2008. Sodexo is an International Company with a strong local presence having operated in Singapore since 1982. Sodexo currently caters to a number of International Schools in Singapore including Singapore American School, United World College, Lycée Français de Singapour (French School), German European School & INSEAD.
Sodexo brings with them a vast range of knowledge on nutritional requirements for an International School Community such as that of Tanglin Trust School. A fully equipped commercial kitchen was commissioned in June 2008 to prepare a range of quality and nutritious food of the Tanglin Community.
To order meals for children of Junior School, please click here. For queries please click here to view the FAQ - Campus Online document or write to foodservice@tts.edu.sg. Alternatively, you can contact Joylyn Koh at Joylyn.Koh@tts.edu.sg.
Sodexo also manages the operations of the Senior School cafeterias and café. There is a wide variety of food on offer including both Continental & Asian cuisines. Senior School students are given a SMART card which allows them to buy food using a pre-paid stored-valued card. Students can also pay cash for meals at the point of purchase. Please click here to view our Senior School Menu.
Pre-packed cold snacks like sandwiches and salads, cakes and fruits are available throughout the school day. Pastries and pies are baked fresh daily. Pasta and Pizza are served daily with a variety of sauces and toppings to choose from. Hot Paninis are also available during morning break and lunch.
Students can choose from the daily specials or signature favourites from the various counters. Freshly made naan breads from the tandoor oven are also available during break and time lunch times. There is large variety of beverages to choose from over the counter. However, carbonated and caffeinated drinks are not allowed to be sold at the cafeterias. There is also a pre-ordering system in place for Senior School students.
From September 2009, students can also choose to dine in the café located at the new senior school building. The café menu will include healthy wraps, salads, hot and cold sandwiches. A selection of coffees and teas will also be made available to students.
Staff throughout the School is aware that some students have acute food allergies and they work with parents to ensure the safety and well-being of every child.
Teachers also promote healthy eating and encourage the drinking of water throughout the day. Dotted throughout the site are water coolers, so refreshing drinking water is always close by. Such practices demonstrate Tanglin’s commitment to the physical well being of our students.
For our staff and volunteers working at the school, refreshments are available in our modern staff bistro, called Café @ Level 3, located in the Junior School building.
5. SETTLING TIPS
To new members of the Tanglin community, who have enrolled children at the School and are about to move to Singapore, we extend a warm welcome.Moving your family from one country to another and settling your children into a new school are huge challenges. The task of building a child’s sense of belonging in his or her new environment is important to the well being of the family. It is also critically important because a settled and happy child is in the best state of readiness to learn and develop.
Expatriates potentially face the task of settling their children into a new school every three or so years, so it is important to get it right. However, parents should not feel that they must manage the transition alone. At Tanglin Trust School, the responsibility for a successful settling-in period is shared by both the parents and the School.
All children are different, but when starting a new school most children are concerned about making new friends and finding their way around. In relation to these and other worries, we have found that these practices help students settle quickly into Tanglin Trust School.
Give children plenty of notice of the relocation.
Students settle in better if they are informed of relocation well in advance and if they have said goodbyes and are prepared with people’s contact details so they feel that they can stay in touch with their friends.
Make arrangements for pets.
Children need to be reassured that their pets are well cared for. If possible, place pets in the care of a relative or friend so a child can possibly visit the animal on a holiday.
Help children visualise themselves in the new environment.
If possible, bring your child to the School well before he or she is due to start. Make arrangements with us for your child to tour the School when it is in full operation, or show them photos from the prospectus or the website.
Provide information about the School and listen to your child’s concerns.
Answer any questions he or she has and talk about the School and the new host country in a positive way. Talk to your child about the Code of Conduct for students at Tanglin so they know what to expect.
Arrive in Singapore well in advance of school starting and get used to new wake-up and bed times and the tropical weather.
Ensure that your child or children are well over jetlag before starting school and are used to drinking water throughout the day.
Have familiar things around.
Many children start at Tanglin while living in serviced apartments, before a new home has been located. Children feel more comfortable when they have items that are special to them close by. Make sure special photos or toys are bought with you on the plane.
Get uniforms, shoes and all materials needed for school well in advance.
Reduce anxieties by buying everything that a child needs to start school early. Appointments can be made to visit our School Shop even in holiday periods (theshop@tts.edu.sg). The Shop is also open on your Orientation Day.
Attend Orientation Day with your child.
Each term, one day before students start back at school, we hold a special Orientation Day for new families. On this day you meet your child’s teacher and see the classroom and other facilities. Take your time on this day and familiarise your child with the layout of the School, especially where the toilets and drink fountains are in relation to their classroom. Go over the route to and from the classroom
Ask about our buddy system.
At Tanglin, we have a buddy system to welcome new students into existing classes. We also have special friendship benches to signal that a child is lost or needs a friend.
Help your child make new friends.
Provide your child with opportunities to be with other students from the School. Invite children to your home and consider enrolling your child in an after-school activity. Through our transport office, we can tell you if other families in the School community live where you plan to live. Contact such families to make new friends and build a sense of belonging
Focus on routines.
Focus on your child’s daily and weekly routine. Help your child to become very familiar with his or her new schedule.
Settle the family into the School community.
Volunteering to help in the classroom and becoming active in the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is the best way for parents to develop a sense of belonging in the School community. Attend our PTA’s coffee morning for newcomers to help make new friends.
Communicate with the class teacher.
Provide and seek early feedback on how your child is going.
Stress the constant.
In times of great change stress the constant, such as family traditions and upcoming holidays to familiar places.
The tips above are especially relevant for students entering our Infant and Junior Schools. However, students entering the Senior School often have additional concerns. Teenagers prefer less parental involvement in their settling-in period and look to their peers for guidance. Our advice to Senior School students to help them settle quickly into school follows.
Set up an e-mail address.
Check it is working from the first day of school. Seniors frequently communicate about class work and special activities via e-mail. Be "in the loop" from the start through e-mail.
Before starting, spend time at the School when other students are on site.
Meeting others informally before starting can help make the first day much easier.
Communicate with your Tutor.
Senior School students should communicate effectively with their assigned Tutor and inform the Tutor of any academic, logistical or social difficulty before it develops into a problem.
Establish open communication with your buddy.
Senior students are also assigned a buddy. Ask your buddy questions, and establish open and honest communication. Ask about norms within the School and seek peer counselling on any issue needing clarification and group feedback.
Take advantage of opportunities to meet people.
Participate in a co-curricular activity, travel on the school bus and introduce yourself positively to others within the School.
Give everyone and all activities a chance and avoid superficial or quick judgements.
We are pleased to say that by far the vast majority of students settle into Tanglin Trust School very quickly. However, there are always some children who are more averse to any change and need more time to adjust. When starting a new school every child needs support and understanding and this is best provided by the School and parent partnership. We look forward to seeing you at Tanglin Trust School.
6. COUNSELLING
Tanglin Trust School provides a range of support options for students and parents who wish to explore emotional issues related to school life with someone trained to listen.Usually, the first person a student would turn to would be his or her Class Teacher (in the Junior School) or Pastoral Tutor (in the Senior School).
Forms of peer support have also been introduced in the Junior and Senior Schools. Trained "Junior Listeners" wear white hats in outdoor play and lunch areas and can assist with minor playground disputes. Select senior students are also trained, through our mentoring programme, to listen empathetically to their peers.
Throughout the school, social skills are taught and relevant issues, such as peer-group pressure and bullying are discussed through the Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) aspect of the curriculum. Special "Friendship" days focus on the importance of social relationships.
In addition to this, a student may gain guidance with an emotional issue from one of our school counselors. Appointments can be made with our counselors -- Kendra Frazier (kendra.frazier@tts.edu.sg) or Claire Holmes (claire.holmes@tts.edu.sg) -- either by email, telephone or in person. Senior students can make appointments directly with a counsellor while Junior and Infant students are generally referred by a parent, either through the class teacher or directly by e-mail or telephoning the school.Our counsellors work with students on a variety of issues including: friendship and transition issues, issues surrounding stress, fear and anxiety, building social skills, resisting peer pressure, fostering healthy relationships, sleeping better, managing anger and frustration, maintaining a positive body image, dealing with grief and loss, coping with crisis and trauma, improving personal organization, goal setting as well as developing self-esteem and self-confidence.
On Friday mornings in the PTA office, our counsellors run an informal gathering open to all parents. The Friday Group provides a forum for discussing a variety of topics related to raising children in a global setting. Parents have the opportunity to meet each other in a supportive environment, allowing them to share ideas and experiences.
School counsellors are ethically required to keep confidential any information discussed during a counselling session. The same professional code requires counsellors to make an exception to this rule should information be disclosed regarding intent to harm self or others.
Our counsellors can also help families to locate professional services outside the school which may be of further support. Tanglin Trust School offers counselling services free of charge but does not cover the cost of services sought from external agencies.
Pastoral support and counselling are highly valued at Tanglin Trust School. As educators we know that emotional well-being is imperative for effective learning.
7. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Summary
If you have comments or concerns please tell us
An important aspect of school life at Tanglin is the close partnership we have with parents and other members of the local community. Parents, students and members of the public may legitimately express dissatisfaction about aspects of our work. If you think that things are not going right for you or your child/children please let us know. Our aim is to resolve complaints fairly and rapidly. If it is important to you, it is important to us. Complaints usually fall into one of two categories. First, concerns relating to teaching and learning, either inside or outside the classroom and second, complaints that are about specific school issues not related to teaching and learning.
Complaints or concerns not related to teaching and learning would normally be dealt with through the Chief Operating Officer (COO). Complaints dealt with through this process would include for example concerns regarding payment of fees, campus logistics and catering.
Where there is uncertainty about who to address a complaint to advice can be sought from the Director of Education’s office. Complaints and concerns about teaching and learning will normally be dealt with through the individual schools and ultimately through the Director of Education.
What to do first
Most concerns and complaints can be sorted out quickly by speaking with your child’s Class Teacher/ Tutor/Head of Department. This can be done either by telephone, email or meeting with the staff member directly involved. Staff will make every effort to resolve your problems informally.
What to do next
If you are dissatisfied with the initial response you can make a complaint in the first instance to the Head of the relevant school. This should be made in writing. (You may find it helpful at this stage to have a copy of the full statement of the School Complaints Procedure as this explains in detail what procedures should be followed. This is available from The School Office or by clicking the link below). The Head of School may ask to meet with you. After a full investigation you will receive a written response to your complaint.
If you are still unhappy
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may submit a request for the complaint and the manner in which it was dealt with to be reviewed. This request should be submitted in writing through the office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The CEO may delegate investigation of the complaint to another member of the management team, but not the decision on the action to be taken.
You will receive a written response on the results of the review of your complaint.
Further Action
If you are still not satisfied, you may wish to contact the Chair of the Board of Governors through the Board Secretary to ask for a referral of your complaint to the Governors Complaints Committee. It will then be heard by a group of three Governors who have no previous knowledge of the problem. You may be invited to attend and speak to the Committee. Their decision will be final.
