Secondary 1 English Tuition Singapore
From PSLE English to secondary writing, reading and oral, at G1, G2 or G3
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No contract and no minimum number of lessons. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's rate. Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead, or that lesson is charged.
- Typical rate
- S$30 to S$85/hr
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- 2 to 4 tutors in 16h
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Secondary 1 English Tuition rates in Singapore
Hourly rates for Secondary 1 to 2, by type of tutor.
The same rates as a table
| Level | Part-time / undergrad | Full-time | Ex-MOE or NIE-trained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Secondary (Sec 1-2) | S$30-45/hr | S$45-60/hr | S$60-85/hr |
The final rate is set when you choose a tutor. See all tuition rates for 2027.
Where Sec 1 English starts to slip
The first secondary year changes what a good answer looks like. These are the signs parents most often see on returned Sec 1 scripts.
Essays are written as stories by habit, even when the question asks your child to give a view and argue for it.
Comprehension answers copy a whole sentence from the passage, so the marker cannot see whether the question was understood.
A question about how a character feels gets a retelling of what happened, with no inference about the feeling.
Visual texts such as posters and adverts are described, but the purpose and the intended audience are never named.
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Tense and subject-verb agreement drift in longer sentences, and the same error appears in every piece of writing.
None of these means your child is weak at English. They are new expectations, and they are easiest to settle in the first year.
What a Sec 1 English tutor works on
The MOE 2020 secondary English syllabus sets out areas of language learning rather than a topic list for each year. Your child's school decides the order of units, so the tutor follows it and keeps these four areas moving together.
Reading and viewing
Close and critical reading of longer texts, at the literal, inferential and evaluative levels.
Topics covered
- Finding the main idea and supporting details
- Inferring feelings, attitudes and motives from evidence
- Answering in your own words
- Visual texts: purpose, audience and the effect of images
- Vocabulary in context
- Wide reading of fiction and non-fiction
Writing and representing
Planning and writing texts for a purpose, an audience and a context, with more texts that argue or explain.
Topics covered
- Generating and choosing ideas before writing
- Paragraphs with a clear point and developed support
- Expository and argument writing alongside narrative
- Tone and register for formal and informal readers
- Reviewing and editing your own draft
Grammar and vocabulary
Revisiting primary grammar to gain control in longer writing, and building vocabulary for precise expression.
Topics covered
- Tense consistency across a whole piece
- Subject-verb agreement in long sentences
- Cohesive devices that link sentences and paragraphs
- Spotting and fixing your own recurring errors
- Choosing words for purpose and audience
Listening, viewing and speaking
Listening for meaning and speaking with organised, extended responses.
Topics covered
- Listening for main ideas, details and implied meaning
- Taking simple notes while listening
- Giving a personal response with reasons
- Extending an answer with an example
- Speaking clearly and at a steady pace
How your child's Sec 1 English level is set
Under Full Subject-Based Banding, English is taken at G1, G2 or G3. These are the points where the level is decided, in MOE's own terms.
G2 and G3 English follow the same MOE 2020 syllabus, and G1 English has a separate one. Tell us your child's level so the tutor matches the school.
| When | What MOE says |
|---|---|
| Admission to Sec 1 | The Posting Group, from the PSLE Score, is used to admit students and to guide the subject levels they start Sec 1 with. |
| Start of Sec 1, moving up | A student may take a PSLE subject such as English at a more demanding level, based on the Achievement Level in that subject. |
| Start of Sec 1, moving down | A student who took Foundation English at PSLE but takes most subjects at G3 may take English at a less demanding level, in consultation with the school. |
| During secondary school | A student may move to a more demanding level based on performance in the subject and the school's view of the overall workload. |
| End of Sec 4 | From the 2024 Sec 1 cohort, students sit the Singapore-Cambridge SEC, and the certificate shows the level at which each subject was taken. |
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MOE Full Subject-Based Banding FAQ. Read the MOE FAQ.
MOE syllabuses for Full SBB schools, including G1 and G2/G3 English. See the MOE syllabus page.
A term-by-term Sec 1 English plan for 2027
A sample plan for a student starting Sec 1 in 2027. The tutor keeps to the school's own order of units, so the content of each term will move.
- Term 1: 4 Jan to 12 Mar 2027Settle the basicsA diagnostic piece of writing, then paragraphs with a clear point and support, and answering comprehension questions in your own words.
- Term 2: 22 Mar to 28 May 2027Inference and visual textsReading for feelings, attitudes and motives, and naming the purpose and audience of posters and adverts.
- June holidays: 29 May to 27 Jun 2027Read widely, write weeklyOne marked piece a week, mixing argument and narrative, plus a personal error list built from the marking.
- Term 3: 28 Jun to 3 Sep 2027Writing for a purposeFormal and informal texts such as emails and reports, with tone and register matched to the reader.
- Term 4: 13 Sep to 19 Nov 2027End-of-year examRevision on the school's past papers and a final check of recurring grammar errors. There is no mid-year exam to prepare for.
MOE school terms and holidays for 2027. See the 2027 calendar.
MOE on removing mid-year exams. Read the MOE reply.
The next year is set out on our Secondary 2 English tuition page.
Before you book a Sec 1 English tutor
What parents ask in the first weeks of secondary school.
| Question | For Secondary 1 |
|---|---|
| Which tutor suits Sec 1? | Look for a tutor who has taught lower secondary English and marks writing with written comments, not just a score. If your child takes G1 or G2 English, check that the profile lists that level, along with the tutor's qualifications and experience. |
| What does it cost? | Sec 1 English is priced in the Lower Secondary band: S$30 to S$45 an hour with an undergraduate tutor, S$45 to S$60 with a full-time tutor and S$60 to S$85 with an ex-MOE teacher. Four 1.5-hour lessons with a full-time tutor come to S$270 to S$360. |
| How does it start? | Send us your child's school, English level and a recent piece of marked writing if you have one. We send 2 to 4 tutor profiles within 16 hours. The first lesson is a paid trial at the tutor's hourly rate. |
| What are the terms? | No contract and no minimum, so lessons can fit around a new CCA timetable. Cancel or move a lesson at least 24 hours ahead, or it is charged. If the fit is wrong, we re-match you free. |
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Secondary 1 English Tuition: a guide for parents
Secondary 1 is where English stops looking like PSLE English. Your child still reads, writes, listens and speaks, but the MOE 2020 secondary syllabus asks for longer and more complex texts, a personal and critical response, and more writing that argues, evaluates or persuades. Many children who did well in P6 compositions find that a lively story is no longer what the task wants. A Sec 1 English tutor helps your child see what each new task is asking for and builds the habits early, before marks in Sec 2 start to depend on them.
Read the full guide
Under Full Subject-Based Banding, your child takes English at G1, G2 or G3. The Posting Group guides the starting level, and MOE allows a more demanding level at the start of Sec 1 based on the PSLE English result. Later moves depend on performance in school. Sec 1 English is assessed by the school, with no mid-year exam. Our tutors teach to the level your child actually takes, work from the school's own worksheets and returned scripts, and mark writing so your child knows exactly why a paragraph earned its mark.
A typical Sec 1 inference question gives a line such as: Mei Ling congratulated the winner, but her smile did not reach her eyes. The question asks what this suggests about Mei Ling's feelings. A common answer is that she was happy for the winner, which repeats the surface action. The expected answer is that she was pretending to be pleased while feeling disappointed or envious, because a smile that does not reach the eyes is not a real one.
A tutor teaches a three-part habit for these questions: state the feeling, quote or point to the words that show it, then explain the link. Your child practises it on short extracts each week, so the same reasoning carries into longer passages and visual texts.
Official syllabus: MOE Singapore · SEAB Singapore
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Secondary 1 English Tuition: frequently asked questions
What are G1, G2 and G3 English in Sec 1?
They are the three subject levels under Full Subject-Based Banding, with G3 the most demanding. The Posting Group guides the level at the start of Sec 1, and MOE allows a student to take English at a more demanding level based on the PSLE English result. G2 and G3 share one MOE syllabus, and G1 English has its own. Your child's school can confirm the level.
How much does Secondary 1 English tuition cost?
Sec 1 is in our Lower Secondary rate band: S$30 to S$45 an hour for an undergraduate tutor, S$45 to S$60 for a full-time tutor and S$60 to S$85 for an ex-MOE teacher. Most families start with one 1.5-hour lesson a week, at home or online, and you only pay the rate shown on the profile you pick.
Is there a mid-year exam in Sec 1 English?
No. MOE removed mid-year exams at all remaining primary and secondary levels by 2023. Sec 1 English is assessed by the school during the year and in an end-of-year exam, in a format the school sets. Ask your child's teacher for the assessment plan, and share it with the tutor so practice matches what will be marked.
Can my child move from G2 to G3 English after Sec 1 starts?
Yes, it is possible. MOE says that once Sec 1 has begun, a student may take a subject at a more demanding level based on their performance in that subject and the school's assessment of whether they can cope with it and their overall workload. Timing and criteria are set by each school, so ask the form or English teacher.
Is Literature in English the same as English tuition?
No. Literature in English is a separate subject, studied through novels, plays and poems. English Language covers reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar. The two help each other, since close reading and essay skills overlap. If your child also takes Literature, tell us and we can look for a tutor who teaches both.
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