The United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) is an independent

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, and is a member of the

United World College United World Colleges (UWC) is an international network of schools and educational programmes with the shared aim of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future." The organization was founde ...

(UWC) movement. The school provides a

K–12 K–12, from kindergarten to 12th grade, is an American English expression that indicates the range of years of publicly supported primary and secondary education found in the United States, which is similar to publicly supported school grade ...

education consisting of five interlinking elements: academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education and service. The UWCSEA learning programme leads to the

IGCSE The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based examination similar to GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainm ...

in Grades 9 and 10 and the

IB Diploma The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

in Grades 11 and 12. The school has two campuses, with around 3,000 students at the

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

Campus and 2,500 at the East Campus in

Tampines Tampines () is the regional centre of the East Region of Singapore. With a population of 265,340 living across its five subzones, it is the second-most populous planning area in Singapore, according to the DOS Population Trends 2022. It is h ...

. Most students participate in the service programme, which can involve service to the school community, the Singaporean community, as well as overseas communities. UWCSEA is different from many of its sister colleges in the UWC movement, most of which are wholly boarding institutions that offer only a two-year

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

for mainly scholarship students of around 16–19 years of age. UWCSEA admits students from the age of four, and the majority of students are children with parents who are

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

s or

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

in Singapore. There are more than 300 boarders from 76 countries across both of the campuses, and there are over 100 students from 47 countries in the grades 8-12 who are supported by scholarships. Singapore government policy prevents most citizens from attending international schools within the country, and therefore UWCSEA has the smallest percentage of local students of any UWC. There are 30 nationalities represented in the teaching staff.

History

The site on which the Dover Campus now stands was previously occupied by St John's School, run by the

British Families Education Service The British Families Education Service (BFES) was an organisation set up by the British Government in 1946 to run schools for the children of British military and government personnel serving in West Germany. History Prior to 1946, Army Educati ...

for the families of British military personnel. After the British military withdrawal in 1971, the land was repurposed towards the creation of a private school. The Singapore International School was officially opened in 1971 by Singapore's Prime Minister

Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...

. It was affiliated with the United World College movement, and formally became a member of the movement in 1975, changing its name to the United World College of South East Asia. Originally a secondary-only school, UWCSEA Dover today has a primary section that takes students as young as four. The total number of students on the Dover Campus (Kindergarten 1 – Grade 12) is now 3000+. UWCSEA's East Campus opened its doors on 1 September 2008 in a transitional campus in

Ang Mo Kio Ang Mo Kio is a planning area and residential town situated in the North-East of Singapore. Located approximately north of the Downtown Core district, Ang Mo Kio is the 3rd most populated planning area in the North-East Region and ranks 8th ...

. The East Infant School moved to its permanent home at the

campus in 2010. As of 2021, both campuses have a combined student population of 5,609 students from 100 different countries. The Dover campus is one of a few remaining structures in Singapore that was constructed with bricks from the old Alexandra Brick Works, located at the current PSA building. This was confirmed by a student in 2013 during the demolition of the old “English” block, where hundreds of bricks stamped with “Alexandra” were found.

Campuses

The UWCSEA Dover Campus is located at 1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654 (). It is located near Dover MRT station, next to

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS(I)) is an independent Methodist secondary school in Dover, Singapore. Founded in 1886 by Reverend William Fitzjames Oldham, it was recognised as an International Baccalaureate World School in 2005, and ha ...

, and is a next door neighbour to the British-based

Dover Court International School Dover Court International School is an international school in Singapore. Founded in 1972, the school delivers the English National Curriculum and International Baccalaureate Diploma Program to 1850 students between the ages of 3 and 18. Over 60 ...

. The UWCSEA East Campus is located at 1 Tampines Street 73, Singapore 528704 (). The nearest MRT station is

Tampines MRT station Tampines MRT station is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the East West (EWL) and Downtown (DTL) lines in Tampines, Singapore. Situated at the heart of the Tampines town centre next to Tampines Avenue 4, Tampines Central 4 an ...

. Both campuses have a campus-wide wireless network and a central IT help desk for students. Interactive whiteboards are present in all classrooms. In Primary School, iPad and MacBook sets are provisioned in classrooms, and in grades 6–12 laptops are individually owned.

Academics

Students from K1 to Grade 8 follow a UWCSEA-designed curriculum. Students in Grades 9 and 10 can choose to follow UWCSEA-designed courses, or the

programme, with students entering in Grade 10 follow a Foundation IB (FIB) programme. Grade 11 and 12 students take the

IB Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

. They also include P.E (Physical Education)

Activities

An after school activities programme is offered from Grade 2 onwards, though there some fee-paying activities are available for K1-G1 students. The after school activities programme includes activities covering sports, arts (music, drama, visual art), leadership, clubs and special interests. Sports available include athletics, badminton, basketball, climbing, cricket, cross country, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rugby, sailing, softball, swimming, tennis, touch and ultimate frisbee. There are also other activities like the radical math club.

Outdoor education

The outdoor education programme provides students from Grade 1 to Grade 12 with opportunities to develop their independence, teamwork and resilience. There is an annual compulsory trip from G1 going all the way to Project Week in Grade 11 where small groups of students head to a destination of their choice.

Personal and social education

The personal and social education programme aims to encourage learning, growth and social development. Students explore how they are connecting to their learning, friends, family, technology and the outside world. The concepts covered are: * individual well-being * relationships and community (interpersonal) well-being * student ability to engage with global issues (global well-being)

Service

Students in all grades participate in service projects. There are three categories of service: * College, within the school community. Examples include peer support, ambassadors, student mentors, sports coaching, student and sports councils and green campus initiatives. * Local, within the Singapore community. Students work with groups such as the elderly, the sick, people with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities, disadvantaged children and domestic workers. * Global, which covers: ** Global Concerns, a student-run and led programme which partners with grassroots organisations outside Singapore. Students, parents and staff to contribute to, visit and see first-hand how the projects operate. ** Initiative for Peace, an action-based programme which was founded by a group of students and teachers at UWCSEA in 2001. It offers UWCSEA students the opportunity to promote international understanding and reconciliation in areas of conflict, such as

Timor Leste East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-wester ...

. ** Gap Year programmes.

Foundation

The UWCSEA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the college. The foundation was established in 2008 and by 2015 had raised $12.4 million. The funds have supported initiatives including scholarships, teacher professional development and curriculum innovation, and environmental and sustainability programmes.

Notable alumni

An alumni relations programme was established in 2006 to connect former students to one another and the school. There are 14,196 alumni in 135 countries.

Alumni

* Wan Hisham Wan Salleh (1956– ) – Malaysian politician *

Kenneth Jeyaretnam Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam (born 1959) is a Singaporean politician and hedge fund manager who has been serving as the secretary-general of the opposition Reform Party since 2009. He is the elder son of J. B. Jeyaretnam, a prominent opposition ...

(1959– ) – Singaporean politician and son of

J. B. Jeyaretnam Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam ( ta, ஜோசுவா பெஞ்சமின் ஜெயரத்தினம்; 5 January 1926 – 30 September 2008), better known as J. B. Jeyaretnam or by his initials JBJ, was a Singaporean politician, law ...

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(1960 – ) – former chairman of

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, chairman of the board of directors of

United Airlines Holdings United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as United Continental Holdings, Inc., UAL Corporation, Allegis Corporation and founded originally as UAL, Inc.) is a publicly traded airline holding company headquartered in the Willis Tower in Chica ...

* Philip Jeyaretnam (1964– ) – Singaporean writer, lawyer and son of J. B. Jeyaretnam *

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(1965– ) – Singapore film director and son of

Khoo Teck Puat Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat (; 13 January 1917 – 21 February 2004) was a banker and hotel owner, who, with an estimated fortune of S$4.3 billion (US$3,195,953,500), was the wealthiest man in Singapore at one point. He owned the Goodwood Gro ...

Tim Jarvis Tim Jarvis AM (born May 1966) is a British-Australian environmental explorer, adventurer, climber, author and documentary filmmaker, with Masters qualifications in environmental science and environmental law. Due to his 2013 expedition recreatin ...

(1966– ) – environmental scientist, adventurer and author *

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(1966– ) – model and actress, best known for throwing a sledgehammer in

Apple Computer Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...

's famous "1984" commercial * Akihiko Hoshide (1968– ) – Japanese astronaut *

Wong Chen Wong Chen (; born 18 December 1968) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Subang since May 2018 and for Kelana Jaya from May 2013 to May 2018. He is a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR ...

(1968– ) – Malaysian politician *

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(1969– ) – Dutch princess by marriage * Kevin Stea (1969– ) – Hollywood dancer and choreographer * Sean Ghazi (1969– ) – Malaysian actor and music artist *

Paula Malai Ali Paula Malai Ali Othman (born 3 March 1974, in Brunei) is a television personality from Brunei. Formerly a veejay for Channel V and presenter for Fox Sports Asia, she is now a Brunei reporter for TVS. A well-known media figure in Asia, Paula has w ...

(1974– ) – Bruneian television presenter *

Abhinav Abhinava ( Deva, अभिनव) is an Indian name. The Sanskrit word ' has the meaning "new". Notable people with the name include: * Abhinav Bali (born 1985), Indian cricketer * Abhinav Bindra (born 1982), Indian shooter and Olympic champion ...

(1974– ) – Bruneian television presenter *

Jason Lo Jason Lo (born 27 April 1975) is a Malaysian music artist, music producer, DJ, entrepreneur and former chief executive officer of Tune Talk. He is sometimes known by the nicknames "LO" and "J Lo". Early life Lo was born in Kuching, Sarawak, t ...

(1975– ) – Malaysian music artist and media personality *

Patrick Grove Dato Patrick Y-Kin Grove (born 30 April 1975 in Singapore) is a Singaporean and Australian tech entrepreneur of mixed heritage. He is the co-founder and Group CEO of Catcha Group, and a prolific founder of numerous tech companies in the reg ...

(1975– ) – Australian entrepreneur and television personality *

Khairy Jamaluddin Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 t ...

(1976– ) – Malaysian politician, former Minister for Youth & Sports *

Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail Petra (born 7 April 1978) is a member of the Kelantan Royal Family, who is the ''Tengku Bendahara of Kelantan'' and second in line of succession to the Kelantan throne. He is the younger ...

(1978– ) – Malaysian Kelantanese prince * Daniel Bennett (1978– ) – professional soccer player for the

Singapore national football team The Singapore national football team (, zh, 新加坡國家足球隊, ta, சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய கால்பந்து அணி ) represents the Republic of Singapore in the senior men's international footb ...

and in Singapore's

S.League The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which re ...

Sarah Tan Sarah Tan (born 1 August 1980 in the United Kingdom) is a British Channel V VJ and a 987FM DJ and a Singapore resident. Her father is Chinese and her mother is English. She has two younger sisters, Kathryn and Laura. She attended an all-girls boa ...

(1980– ) – veejay on

Channel V Channel '' ("V" standing for the letter, not the Roman numeral "5") is a Chinese and former Asian pay television musical network originally launched by Star TV Hong Kong (now Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific). It was part of the unit of Disney ...

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(1981– ) – Australian actor * James Wong (1981– ) – botanist and BBC television presenter *

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(1984– ) – professional soccer player for the US national team *

Nadiem Makarim Nadiem Anwar Makarim (born 4 July 1984) is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the current minister of education, culture, research, and technology of Indonesia. Prior to entering politics, in 2010, he founded Gojek, Indonesia's f ...

(1984– ) – founder and former CEO of Go-jek

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, Minister of Education *

Sonam Kapoor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (; born 9 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award, and from 2012 to 2016, she appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list based on her income and ...

(1985– ) – Bollywood actress *

Jawar Mohammed Jawar Mohammed ( om, Jawaar Mahammad; born 12 May 1986) is an Ethiopian political analyst and activist. One of the founders of the Oromia Media Network (OMN), Jawar was a leading organizer of the 2014–2016 Oromo protests. He has been credited ...

(1986– ) - Ethiopian politician, founder of

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* Eric Po-Ju Huang (1990– ) – Taiwanese actor * Mayumi Raheem (1991– ) – Sri Lankan national swimmer *

Fiona Fussi Fiona Fussi (born 25 January 1996) is an Austrian- Hongkonger fashion model. She is a celebrity model in Singapore and is best known for being the winner of Elite Model Look Singapore 2011. Modelling career In 2011, at the age of 15, Fiona won ...

(1996– ) – model

Mascot

The mascots for the United World College of South East Asia are the

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

and the

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. They represent the Yin and the Yang in Asian mythology. The East (Tampines Campus) is represented by the Dragon, while Dover bears the mascot of the Phoenix.

References

External links

UWCSEA website

Profile of Dover campus
at the

Good Schools Guide International ''The Good Schools Guide'' is a guide to British schools, both state and independent. Overview The guide is compiled by a team of editors which, according to the official website, "''comprises some 50 editors, writers, researchers and contri ...

Profile of East campus
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:United World College Of South East Asia International schools in Singapore International Baccalaureate schools in Singapore Cambridge schools in Singapore Queenstown, Singapore Dover, Singapore Tampines East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools Round Square schools 1971 establishments in Singapore Educational institutions established in 1971