FAQs
Questions parents ask us
Straight answers on ages, hours, fees, pickup and visits. Can’t see your question? Ask us on WhatsApp.
Which programme is right for my child?
Start with your child's age. Babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years come to Playschool on weekdays or to Weekend Wonders on weekend mornings. In Playschool you stay with your child, or move to drop-off in Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition. Preschool is a drop-off programme from 18 months to 6 years, with a core day from 7.30am to 2pm. Student Care runs after school for all six primary years. Most tuition and enrichment classes are for ages 3 to 12. Child between 18 months and 3? Choose Playschool for mornings, Preschool for a full day.
What is the difference between Playschool and Playgroup?
Playschool is our weekday programme for babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years. You can stay in the room for the whole session. In Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition you can move to drop-off once your child trusts the teachers. Playgroup is the first class inside Preschool: a drop-off class from 18 months. A child can start in Playschool and move into Playgroup without changing centres.
Is Agora Preschool licensed by ECDA?
Yes. Agora Preschool is licensed by ECDA as a kindergarten, centre code PT9869. The licence covers Preschool only. Preschool takes children from 18 months to 6 years, from the Playgroup class to K2.
Where is Agora Colearning?
Fragrance Empire Building, 456 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119962, beside ARC and near HarbourFront. The nearest MRT is Labrador Park (CC27) on the Circle Line. The building has its own multi-storey car park. Directions are on our Find us page.
Did Agora move from HarbourFront?
Yes. At the end of July 2026 we moved from HarbourFront Centre to the Fragrance Empire Building, beside ARC. Same programmes, same Head of Early Years, same way of working.
What are your opening hours?
Preschool runs on weekdays from 7.30am to 2pm, with a two- or four-hour afternoon extension if you need one. Student Care is open after school until 8pm every weekday and through the school holidays. Playschool runs weekday sessions. We send this term's times with the fees. Weekend Wonders runs on weekend mornings, 9 to 10am or 10.30 to 11.30am. Enrichment classes run on weekdays and weekends, at times set by each class.
Is there parking?
Yes. The Fragrance Empire Building has its own multi-storey car park. Tell us you're driving when you arrange your visit and we'll tell you which entrance to use.
How do I reach you?
For general enquiries, WhatsApp or call +65 8093 3044 on weekdays, or email info@agora-colearning.space. For Playschool, Preschool and Weekend Wonders, WhatsApp or call +65 9012 7704. For Student Care, WhatsApp or call +65 9819 6643. For tuition and enrichment classes, WhatsApp +65 9819 6602.
Who can collect my child?
Only the people you've named can collect your child. A Child First Aider is on site whenever we're open. In Student Care, we mark each child onto the bus by name and mark them in again when they arrive.
Are meals halal and can you handle allergies?
Student Care meals come from a central kitchen and are halal-certified. Preschool children have a healthy morning snack and an optional lunch, from the same halal-certified kitchen. Playschool has a healthy snack, eaten together, but no cooked meals. Tell us about any allergy or intolerance before your child starts and we'll adjust your child's food.
Can my child move from one programme to the next?
Yes. A child can move from a morning in Playschool, to Preschool, to being collected from school for Student Care, without changing centres or starting again with adults who don't know them.
What happens at a discovery visit?
You come while the programme is running: an ordinary morning for the early years, or an afternoon for Student Care. You see the rooms, watch a class in progress, meet the teachers and ask anything you like. We go through the fees with you and put them in writing. Fill in the form and we'll WhatsApp you within 24 hours to find a time.
Does the visit cost anything?
No. A discovery visit is free, with no obligation. Nothing is due at your visit and you decide in your own time.
When is a good time to visit?
For Preschool, come on a weekday morning while classes are running. For Playschool, come to a weekday session. For Student Care, come at around half past four, during the curriculum block. Weekend Wonders runs on weekend mornings. Tell us what suits you and we'll find a time.
How do I find out the fees?
We don't print fees on the website. We go through them at your visit, or WhatsApp us from the Playschool, Preschool or Student Care page and we'll send them in writing within 24 hours. For classes and camps, our education consultants send the current price with your shortlist.
Are there registration fees or a deposit?
Preschool has a registration fee and a deposit. Preschool fees include GST. Student Care has no registration fee. Any Student Care deposit is set out in writing with the fees. Playschool has no joining fee. Nothing is due at your visit.
When can my child start and how do we enrol?
We're enrolling now and for January. Start with a discovery visit. Afterwards we put the fees and terms in writing for you to read at home. You decide in your own time. You have every fee in writing before anything is payable.
What age can my child start Playschool?
Playschool is for babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years. Within that range, what matters more than age is whether your child will settle near other children with you close by. You know that better than we do. Bring your child to the visit and we'll work it out together.
Do I stay with my child the whole time?
In Play & Bloom and Mandarin School, yes: you stay for the whole session. In Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition, you start in the room. Once your child trusts the teachers, you can move to drop-off a little at a time.
When can my child move to drop-off?
In Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition, once your child trusts the teachers. Coming back to the same teachers and routine, session after session, is what builds that trust. Then you step out for a few minutes, then longer, until you drop off. You hear how it went at pickup or by message. Staying every time is fine too.
Can a grandparent or helper come instead of me?
Yes. The grown-up who stays does not have to be a parent. A grandparent or a helper your child already knows works just as well.
How many mornings a week do we have to come?
One to five mornings a week, monthly or ad hoc, with no lock-in. Start with one and add more when you're both ready. We send this term's session times with the fees.
What do babies and toddlers do in a session?
Every session has music and movement, fine motor work and sensory play. Most of it is play, side by side. Everyone sits down together for a healthy snack, an early go at sharing and taking turns. Feeding and nappies follow your child's own routine.
How is Playschool different from Preschool?
Playschool is weekday morning classes where you stay with your child. In Mini Explorers and Preschool Transition, you can drop off once your child is settled. Preschool is a full drop-off day from 18 months to 6 years, 7.30am to 2pm. Its first class is called Playgroup. If your child is between 18 months and 3, choose Playschool for mornings and Preschool for a full day.
My child has additional needs. Can you take my child?
We can take children with mild to moderate additional needs. Tell us what to expect and we'll give you a yes or a no before you travel. Claire Michael, our Head of Early Years, is the person you'll speak to.
Do you have weekend classes for babies and toddlers?
Yes. Weekend Wonders runs on weekend mornings at 456 Alexandra Road, beside ARC, for babies and toddlers up to 3. There are two sittings, 9 to 10am and 10.30 to 11.30am. Every session includes free exploration time.
Is the first class free?
Yes. Your first class is free: one full hour, the real class, with you beside your child. After that, sessions come in a ten-session pack that you use within six months.
Does a parent have to stay? How many children are in a class?
Grown-ups stay for the whole hour, whoever they are: dads, grandparents and helpers come every week. Each class has up to ten children, led by our facilitators and teachers.
My child is shy and might just watch. Is that OK?
Yes, that's normal. Some children join in from the first minute. Some watch for a few weeks first. We never ask a child to perform.
What if my baby needs a feed or a change halfway?
Then feed or change them. Step out, come back, nobody minds. Bring comfy clothes that can get messy, socks and a water bottle. We have the rest, including taste-safe playdough.
What if we miss some weekends?
Packs stay valid for six months. You don't have to come every week. Away for three weeks? Pick it up when you're back.
What age can my child start Preschool and what are the classes?
From 18 months. Agora Preschool runs from 18 months to 6 years, through Playgroup, Nursery 1, Nursery 2, Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2, up to the primary years. Playgroup is the first class. Tell us your child's age and we'll tell you which class they would join.
Is Agora Preschool licensed by ECDA?
Yes. Agora Preschool is licensed by ECDA as a kindergarten, centre code PT9869. The licence covers Preschool only.
What are the Preschool hours?
The core day runs from 7.30am drop-off to 2pm pick-up, on weekdays all year round. An afternoon extension adds either two or four hours. Exact start and finish times differ by programme, so we'll confirm yours at the visit.
What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
Up to one educator to five children in Playgroup and up to fifteen in Kindergarten.
Which phonics programme do you use and how do you teach maths?
Read Write Inc phonics: pure sounds first, then blending, then real books, with a phonics recap every day. Maths is Singapore Maths, taught concrete first, then pictorial, then abstract, so children hold the quantity before they write the numeral.
We don't speak Mandarin at home. Will my child cope?
Mandarin is part of every day here. Our Mandarin-speaking teachers use it with the children in play and in activity, so your child hears it and uses it at school.
Is there a nap or rest time and are meals included?
Children who want a rest after lunch have one. The others do quiet work. A healthy morning snack and optional lunch are in the fee. Everyone eats together at the table, which is daily practice at taking turns, sharing and talking with friends. Tell us about any allergy before your child starts and we'll adjust your child's meals.
What happens in the first two weeks?
Your child settles at their own pace. Some children settle in a morning and some take a term. Both are normal. In the first four to six weeks, your child's teacher watches and writes down what your child does. Those notes become the learning plan. Tell us about your child at the visit and we'll explain how we'd handle the start.
Will my child be ready for the primary years?
That is what the programme works towards. Readiness here means a child who can decode text, handle numbers with confidence, sit with a hard problem and ask for help when they need it. The last two decide how the primary years go.
Which schools do you pick up from?
We run transport from nine primary schools: Radin Mas Primary, CHIJ (Kellock), River Valley Primary, Cantonment Primary, Blangah Rise Primary, Alexandra Primary, Zhangde Primary, Queenstown Primary and Qifa Primary. Tell us your child's school and we'll confirm the route and the cost in writing. We add routes as families join.
Is transport included in the fee?
No. Transport is a separate, paid service, priced by school. Buses run from the schools further out, with walk-ups from the ones nearby. Our drivers are vetted and experienced. We mark each child onto the bus by name and mark them in again when they arrive.
What does the monthly fee cover?
The monthly fee covers homework support every school day, a hot meal, outdoor play every day, project-based learning, Future Skills, holiday programmes during standard hours and care until 8pm. Transport, tuition, enrichment classes and the full-day holiday top-up are outside the fee. Ask us and we'll send the current fee and your school's transport cost in writing within 24 hours.
Is there a registration fee or a deposit?
There's no registration fee. Any deposit is set out in writing with the fees, before you commit.
Will the homework be finished before I collect my child?
That's what the afternoon is built for. Homework comes first, with the hardest subject at the top of the list. Your child works down the list from there. On the days something isn't finished, the handover note tells you what's left and why.
Will a teacher check the homework and fix the mistakes?
We check it's done and nothing is skipped. We help your child work through anything they're stuck on. We don't give the answers.
What happens with Chinese and tīngxiě?
Chinese is one of the daily practice subjects, on self-correcting worksheets aligned to the MOE curriculum. Qualified teachers also practise tīngxiě, Chinese spelling dictation, with each child twice a week.
How late can I collect my child?
We're open until 8pm, every weekday. If you expect to be late, WhatsApp or call us as soon as you can.
What happens in the school holidays?
We stay open through the school holidays and run holiday programmes: projects, enrichment and excursions. Standard hours are in the monthly fee. A full holiday day starts earlier and carries a separate daily top-up, which we'll give you in writing before the holiday starts.
What does my child eat and can you handle allergies?
Children eat a hot meal together after school and have a snack later in the afternoon. Meals come from a central kitchen and are halal-certified. Tell us about any allergy or intolerance and we'll adjust your child's meals.
Who teaches the classes?
Each class has its own specialist teachers. Agora's own teachers run Playschool, Preschool and Student Care. We check what and how each class is taught before it runs here.
Does my child need to be at Agora to join a class?
No. Anyone can book, whether or not your child is at Agora.
What ages are the classes for?
Most classes are for ages 3 to 12, with some for older children. Each class has its own age range. Tell us your child's age and we'll suggest the ones that fit.
How much do classes cost?
Prices differ by class and change from term to term, so we don't print them here. Our education consultants send the current price with your shortlist, within 24 hours. Term classes are booked by the term and camps by the camp.
Can we try a class first?
Many term classes start with a free trial. Most holiday camps don't offer one. Each course page shows whether a trial is available. Our education consultants can set one up for you.
Can my child go to a class during Student Care?
Yes. A booked class becomes one block of the afternoon. Our Student Care team hands your child over before the class and collects them after. Your child stays in the centre throughout. We charge classes separately from the Student Care fee.
Discovery visit
Ask the rest in person.
Come on an ordinary morning, or after four to see Student Care. Watch a class, meet the teachers and go through the fees. We’ll WhatsApp you within 24 hours to find a time.
Enrolling now and for January.
Arrange your discovery visit
Tell us a little about your child. We'll WhatsApp you within 24 hours to find a time.
No cost, no obligationNothing is due at your visit