4 Most Expensive Preschools – What Are You Paying For?

As a dad with a young daughter, I was shocked when my wife showed me the prices for some preschools in Singapore. The range for fees was huge, going from monthly fees of $700 up to $3000! Now I know basic Childcare Services with a curriculum that fulfills ECDA’s requirement is worth only $700-800/mth (cause that’s what basic childcares charge). So what’s all the extra fees for!?

The data scientist in me decided to CSI and break down the costs that add to expensive preschool fees. Share this article with your husband if he wants to know why preschools are expensive!

I’d be doing an itemized breakdown on how each service affects our fees, with SALARIES and RENT being the 2 biggest costs for preschools in Singapore. Let’s start by comparing the EtonHouse Bt Timah bungalow branch VS the east coast bungalow branch.

This is when I learned there are TWO types of Etonhouse preschools: https://www.etonhouse.edu.sg/school/broadrick with https://www.etonhouse.edu.sg/school/vanda . The key difference is Broadrick has the word “INTERNATIONAL” in it, while the Bt Timah one doesn’t. The following image is from EtonHouse’s website.

Full international preschools end school at 3pm, and YOU CANNOT CLAIM ECDA CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES. These apply to all real international schools, which make them an unrealistic option for most Singaporeans.

Costs $600/mth extra to hire highly qualified teachers

EtonHouse International’s teachers are mostly degree holders and expats, while almost all preschool teachers (even EtonHouse Preschool) are diploma and N/O level holders. International School teachers are also trained in the subject they teach, while preschool teachers are generalists that teach all subjects. So seeing EtonHouse International charging $600 more compared to their Preschool, so I’m going to assume $600/mth as the premium required to pay for highly qualified teachers (we’d put this into our breakdown later).

Costs $1000/mth extra for a bungalow with big outdoor

I’ve done a check on prices many preschools situated in giant bungalows. And even though they offer nothing more than basic childcare services and a better teacher ratio, fees usually start close to $2000. This leads me to believe that’s the cost they incur for the big bungalow land and renovations.

And now that we know both Salaries and Rent…. Let’s dive into the individual schools to see if their fees are justified!

EtonHouse – $2200/mth

EtonHouse’s increased fees over a basic childcare mostly come from the fact they have a better teacher ratio compared to a local preschool, and occupy a large campus with various facilities.

EtonHouse’s Fees are $2200 per month. Is it justified?

VERDICT: PRICE IS JUSTIFIED.

I expected around $2200 for a setup like this, which is exactly what they’re charging.

Lorna Whiston – $2200/mth

While EtonHouse’s high fees are mostly due to rent and renovation, Lorna Whiston’s fees are spent on teacher salaries and their curriculum programme. They are the preschool with by far the highest qualified and most highly paid teachers in Singapore. English is taught by native speakers and even their Music coach was a former professor at a European conservatoire. In fact, many students from EtonHouse and Odyssey also attend Lorna Whiston enrichment on weekends!

Lorna Whiston’s Fees are $2200 per month. Is it justified?

VERDICT: PRICE IS JUSTIFIED.

As there is simply no other ECDA preschool in Singapore with an international school standard of education with expat teachers, the fees are extremely reasonable.

Odyssey, the Global Preschool – $2800/mth

Beautiful, isn’t it? Guess who pays the rent?

Odyssey is a famous, premium preschool brand and just a tier below the top international schools in Singapore. The preschool has many similarities with EtonHouse Preschools (not to be confused with their EtonHouse International which is a higher tier), but how do they compare?

Odyssey’s Fees are $2800 per month. Is it justified?

VERDICT: IT’S SUBJECTIVE. In terms of facilities, campus size and renovation, we find Odyssey and Etonhouse to be very comparable. In fact, EtonHouse likely has a more time-tested curriculum due to synergies with their international schools. Nonetheless, Odyssey is a prestigious brand and parents who enroll here won’t mind paying a premium to be associated with the great brand.

MindChamps – $2300/mth

Nothing fancy because the fees go towards paying better teachers and more lessons!

MindChamps has become synonymous with academic education in Singapore. The school focuses strongly on the educational aspect, with extra lessons bundled into every preschool’s core curriculum. While their subject teachers are not yet at International School standards, they do have a large pool of experienced specialists. MindChamps typically focus on teaching in classrooms, so you rarely see MindChamps in big campuses with large outdoor spaces.

MindChamp’s Fees are $2300 per month. Is it justified?

VERDICT: PRICE IS JUSTIFIED.

At MindChamps, you’re paying for more lessons, free enrichment and better teachers.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for

To sum it up, there’s a reason behind the fees you’re paying! The 3 biggest cost factors in Singapore are always salaries, rent and startup costs (renovation, fixtures etc) and it’s no different for preschools.

A basic childcare service run by standard ECDA certified teachers shouldn’t cost more than $1000/mth. And just for fun, I’m going to do a table for what I expect to pay at a top end international school like SAIS, Tanglin Trust or American School!

So if you want a gigantic campus, luxurious facilities and the best qualified teachers, be prepared to pay around $4,000/mth!