Strong educational offerings aside, the Ong family especially appreciates the positive attributes that House on the Hill has instilled in their daughters. Read the family’s full review of this Montessori preschool.
What do families in Singapore look for in a preschool? Proximity to home (or the workplace, for some) is always a top factor, as the daily commute can be tiring for the little ones. But besides that, there are so many more aspects to consider: curriculum, facilities, language programmes, etc.
For parents Lorraine Ho and Anthony Ong, there are four non-negotiable criteria that they want in their daughters’ preschool. It should have a strong Chinese language programme, allow children to learn through guided play, provide access to outdoor activities, as well as focus on encouraging right behaviours and habits.
Their search led them to House on the Hill, a Montessori preschool. Despite transferring from a non-Montessori preschool, the couple’s older daughter felt right at home during her trial session, even asking when she could attend the school again. Lorraine and Anthony knew then this was the right school for their daughters, and were further convinced after seeing their older daughter flourish. Here’s their honest review of House on the Hill.
What was it about House on the Hill that stood out for you?
We find that House on the Hill offers children a good balance between academic rigour and freedom to follow their own interests. It has a fantastic Chinese language immersion programme and primary school preparation programme. At the same time, the child-led Montessori approach allows our daughters to explore activities that they like.
We also appreciated that the school allowed our older daughter to join a trial class before enrolment. As she was transferring from a non-Montessori preschool, this trial helped us decide if House on the Hill was a good fit for her. It was an easy decision to make as she asked “When can we go back?” after the trial, which has never happened when we visited other preschools!
That sounds amazing. What do your daughters like about House on the Hill?
As with all children, they love play time — particularly outdoor play! There’s plenty of outdoor space at House on the Hill for children to run around and explore. The school would close off the road after drop-off timings as well to give the children more space for activities, such as drawing on the road.
Our daughters would ask to bring nuts to school so they can leave them in the squirrels’ home at the preschool playground. Our older daughter’s current favourite activity is digging around for worms; whereas our youngest enjoys collecting sticks and pointing out flowers that she has seen.
What do you value most about this preschool?
We like its focus on allowing children to explore with guidance, and most importantly, fostering the right attitudes in them. There was a period where we faced some issues with our older daughter’s behaviour and interactions with her friends. The school promptly stepped in not just to guide the children on appropriate behaviour, but kept us and other parents informed as well.
We’ve also seen her flourish since joining House on the Hill too. She grew from being prone to giving up easily to being able to handle setbacks better. Today, she perseveres and continues to practice till she masters a concept. It’s really encouraging for us to see this.
Would you say that House on the Hill lived up to your expectations?
Yes, and more! It’s a great preschool that prioritises both its children and teachers. We noticed that the teachers are always cheerful and well taken care of, which makes the school environment a positive one that ultimately benefits the children.
Our daughters are comfortable and confident in Chinese now, thanks to House on the Hill’s language immersion programme. They recently navigated a week-long trip to China without issue, even ordering food by themselves.
How would you rate the preschool’s level of communication and parent engagement?
We’re satisfied with the level of communication. House on the Hill gives us regular updates through an app, but will host a parent-teacher meet should serious issues arise. The teachers also gave us more updates during our daughters’ early days, so we would feel at ease and aware of their transition process.
As for parent engagement, the school runs various activities throughout the year with parent involvement. There are also activities that are done with the wider community, like the local residents’ network.
Any advice to share with parents who are looking for a preschool for their children?
Try to look past preschools with fancy facilities and campuses, and focus on choosing a school that your family is comfortable with. Personally, we find that it’s important to find a school where your children feel comfortable attending, and you feel comfortable interacting with its teachers and community.
Thank you for sharing, Lorraine and Anthony!
This post is in partnership with House on the Hill.
