Department Based
Find out how TK's talent development programmes in English, Science, Maths, Mother Tongue, and Humanities support high-progress students through enrichment, competitions, and mentoring.
TD@TK Application: Department-Based
All departments in TK have their respective talent development programme for their high-progress students. These programmes are aligned to the TD@TK framework.
TD@TK English
TD@TK English Language is a top-stretch programme which helps students acquire a high level of proficiency in English and develops their appreciation of the language. Consisting of specially curated enrichment programmes to hone students’ writing craft and oracy skills, as well as national and international platforms for them to showcase their talents, the programme seeks to inspire a love and passion for learning English.
One of the highlights of the programme offers our students the opportunity to interact meaningfully with renowned local authors through creative writing workshops, learning from the masters of prose on how they can develop a flair in writing. In addition, TKsians get to demonstrate their creativity in writing when they take part in the prestigious Queens’ Commonwealth Essay Competition.
To nurture confident and eloquent speakers, selected students are trained to think critically and be open to multiple perspectives by our in-house Debates Club. After receiving tutelage from a debates coach, they get the chance to pit their debating skills against students from other schools. Multiple platforms are built into the English Language curriculum for students to polish their public speaking skills, giving them the springboard to present their opinions confidently both in school and at external events and competitions.
TD@TK Science
TD@TK Science is a structured programme that aims to develop students’ interest and proficiency in Science. It follows a spiral model, allowing selected students to deepen their learning in Science and engage in the practice of Science.
At the Lower Secondary levels, students are equipped with skills to carry out scientific research and engage in the ways of thinking and doing Science through Investigative Research (IR). Selected Sec 2 students will embark on different programmes, such as Forensic Science workshop and collaboration project with Urban Insect Farm. Students will have the opportunity to develop research questions and design experiments to test their hypotheses. Research will cut across all three Science disciplines and beyond. Students will also have opportunities to hone their communication and oracy skills through presentations with the school community.
Selection criteria for Lower Secondary students will be based on their WA results, recommendations from teachers on students’ Science learning dispositions as well as volunteers from highly-interested students.
Upper Secondary students talented in Science will be selected to participate in the Applied Elective Module (AEM) at Polytechnics and Science Olympiad trainings. They will then participate in the Olympiad competitions as well as other Science-related competitions such as the C.B. Paul Science Quiz and International Biomedical Quiz. Selected students will also have the opportunity to participate in the National Science Challenge.
TD@TK Mathematics
TD@TK Mathematics is a two-tiered programme. In the first tier, at Lower Secondary, selected students will attend Mathematics Workshops on strategies to manage challenging questions. These students are selected based on their performance at PSLE as well as their progress in TK. These students will then participate in the Singapore Mathematics Olympiad. At Secondary 2, selected students will participate in workshops on coding, such as control of drones. At Secondary 3 level, selected students attend sessions on use of coding for mathematics modelling. These students will also collaborate with students from other schools on their learnings.
TD@TK Mother Tongue
TD@TK Mother Tongue is a structured programme that develops Higher Mother Tongue (HMT) students. At each level, HMT students deepen their proficiency in their respective languages through the enrichment programmes.
The Elective Malay Language Programme for Secondary School (EMAS)@TK is the Malay Language Talent Management Programme. Since 2006, TK is the second EMAS centre in Singapore under MOE. The programme aims to nurture the language talents of students so that they can attain a high level of proficiency in the Malay language and a deeper appreciation of Malay culture and literature. This programme aims to produce more language experts and leaders to continue the effort of enriching and enhancing Malay language in Singapore. In line with our vision of producing Malay language experts and leaders, students who take Higher Malay Language as a subject will participate in a comprehensive EMAS programme from Secondary 1 to Secondary 4. Core and elective enrichment programmes for EMAS students include the annual EMAS trip, EMAS camp, EMAS symposium, drama workshop, creative writing workshop, “Bacalah Adikku” Programme (children stories writing and storytelling programme).
For Higher Chinese students pursuing interests in the language, we put in programmes to enhance students’ abilities in writing and speech. Lower Secondary HCL students participate in writers’ workshop where local Chinese writers conduct workshops on literary writing and produce own works under the guidance of the writers. Upper Secondary students participate in speech and writing workshops to further develop their language skills.
The department also identifies high progress learners to participate in writing competitions at the national level, such as the Writing Competition “Pena Emasku” (Peraduan Mengarang “Pena Emasku”), National Chinese Creative Writing Competition “Xin Lei Jiang”, Teater Pelajar Skit National Competition, National Malay Writing Competition (Saya Boleh Mengarang).
TD@TK Humanities
TD@TK Humanities is a mentoring-competition programme that enriches Sec 2 to Sec 4 students. These students are selected based on their excellent performances in Humanities in their respective End-of-Year examinations. They are mentored by the department teachers to plan and implement student-initiated activities for the annual Humanities Enrichment Week scheduled in Term 3 as well as take part in competitions.
Sec 3 and 4 students who are highly-proficient in Humanities are also mentored to participate in the competitions organised by higher institutions.