Family
International school open-house / tour ops for dual-career families in Singapore
Slot booking clocks, question scripts, sibling coverage, deposit realism, and dual EP logistics for international-school open houses and campus tours — without wrecking client week.
Open house is not a casual Saturday stroll. Dual-career EP/DP households on r/askSingapore keep discovering that slot booking clocks, tour scripts, and sibling coverage collide with client decks — then paying deposits on vibe instead of waitlist maths.
Waitlist realism: school waitlists. Bus logistics: IS bus & pickup. Mid-year moves: midyear transfer. This guide is open-house / campus-tour ops.
Ops products
| Product | Why |
|---|---|
| Slot booking calendar | Portals close while you are in a board meeting |
| Two-adult question script | LS, bus, fees, and pastoral answers need owners |
| Sibling coverage plan | Tours are not free childcare |
| Deposit / fee realism note | Brochure tuition ≠ five-year stack |
| Post-tour debrief block | Dual muted Slack is not a decision |
Dual-career playbook
- Book the slot the day registration opens; put a hard calendar block for both adults or one adult + named coverage for siblings (dual-career spouse).
- Split the question script: one owns academics/LS; one owns bus/fees/pastoral.
- Pre-write deposit and fee-stack limits before the sales corridor.
- If the tour lands on a helper rest day, rewrite coverage early (rest-day coverage).
- If a child is sick on tour day, switch to the sick matrix (sick-child coverage) — do not drag a fever into a showroom.
- Debrief within 24 hours; update the waitlist tracker (school waitlists).
Traps
| Trap | Fix |
|---|---|
| “We will just drop by” without a slot | Book; walk-ins fail at peak season |
| Both parents on phones during the LS talk | Named question owners |
| Deposit on vibes before bus/fee maths | Written fee-stack note |
| Bringing three siblings with no coverage plan | Named sibling adult |
| Skipping debrief until “next week” | 24-hour decision block |
Questions to close this week
- When does the portal slot close?
- Who owns the question script halves?
- What is the hard deposit / fee-stack cap?
- Who covers siblings during the tour?
Sources & citations
Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.
Related places & services
Related guides
Family
School waitlist realism in Singapore
How international-school waitlists actually behave, corporate nomination schemes, sibling priority myths, and why housing must stay flexible until a seat exists.
Read
Family
International school bus and pickup ops for dual-career families
School-bus contracts, after-school care bridges, Grab backup maths, and how dual EP/DP households survive pickup cliffs without one parent becoming the unpaid logistics officer.
Read
Family
Mid-year international-school transfer ops for dual-career families
When a mid-year IS move is on the table — dual EP calendars, deposit forfeiture realism, LS/IEP handoffs, bus/uniform resets, and how transfers differ from orientation week.
Read
Family
Dual-career households and spouse job search in Singapore
Household planning when one partner lands on a Dependant’s Pass — post-2021 work-pass reality, DP-WP vs EP/S Pass, job-search timelines, and belonging networks that keep the posting intact.
Read