Displaying items by tag: admissions

Nationality

Singapore Citizens (SC) with special educational needs will be given absolute priority for admission to Pathlight School.

Singapore Permanent Residents (PR) and Foreigners may apply for admission to Pathlight School subject to Ministry of Education's terms and conditions. In accordance to these terms and conditions:

• PR applicants can only be admitted after all SC applications have been processed.
• Admission can only be granted to an International Student (IS) if SPED schools do not have any Singapore Citizen and/or Permanent Resident (SPR) waiting to be enrolled

Parents are reminded to ensure the child’s timely placement in an appropriate school that can meet their needs.

Age

At the time of admission to Pathlight, the student must be between 7 and 18 years old. They must meet the following criteria:

Primary Diagnosis of Autism

1. The child needs to be diagnosed with autism.
2. Diagnosis must be supported by a diagnostic report or written statement from a qualified medical professional or psychologist.

Cognitive Ability

1. Applicants need to be assessed to have adequate non-verbal cognitive abilities, verbal and literacy skills to access the language demands of the Singapore national curriculum.
2. In the event that the student's verbal ability cannot be ascertained during the psychological assessment, evidence must be provided to support the student's ability to meet the language demands of the national curriculum. Examples of relevant support can include:
   1. Speech & Language Assessment of the student's receptive language and comprehension skills.
   2. Literacy & Numeracy Assessment indicating that student has the necessary pre-academic/academic skills for the grade of entry.
   3. Important points to note for assessments/reports:
      1. The assessment must be conducted within two (2) years of the application.
      2. Applicant must be at least 4 years 6 months old at the time of assessment.
      3. The cognitive assessment must be conducted using one of the following tests:
         1. Wechsler Scales
         2. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales
         3. British Ability Scales
         4. Singapore Ability Scales

Other Considerations

Applicants must be assessed to show readiness to access Singapore national curriculum in a structured group learning environment (average class size of 10 - 14 students).

This includes:

1. Adequate joint attention for group learning and following group instructions
2. Adequate self-help skills so that child's ability to access the pace of learning within a group setting is maximised.

At the time of admission, the student should not present with behavioural challenges or co-morbid conditions that will disrupt group learning or pose significant safety concerns for the individual and others.

Apply for 2026 Admission

Application for 2026 Admission

Looking to enrol your child in Pathlight School? Let us support you in the admission process.

Please note that: 

Pathlight School (Ang Mo Kio) will be accepting applications for all levels (Primary & Secondary). 

Pathlight School (Tampines) will only be accepting applications for Primary 1 AY2026 only. 

Get Started

Read our admission criteria here and click on the relevant tab below for more details.

Questions?

For enquiries on applying to Special Education Schools, please refer to the Ministry of Education’s website here.

For all other admissions enquiries, please email our Admissions team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Education in Singapore is typically classified as either "General Education" or "Special Education". Pathlight provides a holistic curriculum offering national curriculum and life readiness skills for students on the autism spectrum and related conditions.

Our Holistic Curriculum

Our curriculum is based on a holistic approach to education. Our base curriculum is the Singapore national curriculum (currently leading to a PSLE and GCE 'O'/’N’ Level qualification (until 2026) and Secondary Education Certification qualification (from 2027)). However, we know that this is only part of the curriculum that our students require. They also need various skills and work practices to access the national curriculum. In addition to the usual academic subjects, we offer non-academic subjects such as daily living skills, leisure skills, IT and IT Design training, PE/gymnastics, Behaviour Support Planning & Training, etc. These form the foundation blocks of our non-academic core curriculum.

Our unique features include the following:

• A holistic curriculum offering both academic subjects and life skills (eg social, self-management and communication skills)
• All lessons are taught using autism-friendly pedagogy.
• Small classroom size with structured group setting.
• Strong on-site autism therapy support.
• Professional consultation for accommodation for access to national examinations.
• School Partnerships for all Secondary level students to promote integration and prepare them for a smoother transition to Institutes of Higher Learning.
• Value-added signature programmes such as IT & Design lessons to equip students with 21st-century skills, Dance Talent Development Programme and Artist Development Programme to develop unique talents.

Pathlight School is the first autism-focused school in Singapore to offer the national curriculum together with life readiness skills. It caters to students on the autism spectrum with related conditions, aged 7 to 18 years, who are cognitively able to access national curriculum but require additional support such as smaller class sizes, special accommodations and teaching staff trained in autism.