From Singapore to New Bridge School: My Experience of Cultural Differences Between Two Settings
- Mar 16, 2023
- 3 min read
Hi everyone! This blog will be about the cultural differences I experienced during my placement at New Bridge.
Firstly, some background information about me, I am Gwyneth, a first-year international student from the University of Manchester. I was born and raised in Singapore. Prior to University, I did a Diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education, where I took on Early Intervention modules in my final year. This allowed me to intern and work part-time at inclusive preschools.
Growing up in a slightly traditional Chinese family, coming to the UK, I experienced quite a bit of culture shock. Thus, after my first week at New Bridge, I remember speaking to one of my friends from Singapore, who worked at one of Singapore’s biggest autism schools, where I realised how much more advanced New Bridge was.
Despite having experience working in an inclusive preschool, it was still very different from what I expected when I entered New Bridge School. The first scene I remember when I entered New Bridge was the staff wheeling a student on an Acheeva bed. I remember thinking about whether it was an emergency, however, after getting a tour around the school, I realised that it was just one of the many mobility and assistive devices that the school provides. This was something that I had not seen in the schools in Singapore.
Moreover, the indoor pools in New Bridge used for hydrotherapy were very interesting to me, as Singapore did not have hydrotherapy within school compounds. The majority of the time, hydrotherapy would be carried out, out of the school and it would be additional charges that the parents would have to pay.
Additionally, New Bridge School are very open to inclusive topics. Allowing inclusive topics like LGBTQ+ to be discussed amongst students and teachers. When I entered the Lumenus class and the students were talking about the different types of gender and sexualities, I was taken aback at how knowledgeable the students were about the topics, as well as how the teachers just stood back and allowed the students to discuss it so openly. Coming from a traditional society like Singapore, topics like LGBTQ+ would not be open for discussion in schools. Thus, students in Singapore are not well informed about such inclusive topics. On top of that, New Bridge also carried out an event for Pride this year during Pride month. Upon hearing about that, I was pleased to see how open the school was.
New Bridge School also focuses more on holistic development and helping the students live as independently as possible. New Bridge School has different pathways for the students to excel in what they enjoy and what they are good at. Whereas, in Singapore, the curriculum is more academically focused, where most students are put through examinations. How this works is that it would take a special need student will take 3 years to complete 1 year of a typical student’s academic content. Needless to say, this was stressful for the students and my friend told me that during the examination period, the students at the special need school would have an increased number of meltdowns and self-harm.
During my first session with the Lumenus students, we observed how the students carried out the talking mats sessions. We were also told about how the teachers were planning to let them be the listener and lead the sessions, to gain the views of the other students in the school on the topic of “How I feel about school”. I thought that this peer interaction plan was good as it enables the students to get a chance to lead, and at the same time, they will get to listen to the other students’ views.
Through this placement, I definitely learnt a lot from New Bridge and its approaches, and I will definitely take this knowledge alone with me to my other placements and also back to Singapore if I decide to practice back in Singapore.
P.S. Singapore definitely has a lot of development and positives, but this blog was just mainly focused on the parts where I thought New Bridge was better developed. (I still love Singapore very much ♥︎)
By Gwyneth Teo
To write about Chelsea Football Club is to trace the arc of modern football itself—a story of tradition abruptly intersecting with transformative wealth, leading to a relentless, often tumultuous, ascent to the summit of the game. Founded in 1905 in the affluent West London borough of Stamford Bridge, Chelsea long carried the air of the glamorous underachiever: a club with a famous home, a charismatic and celebrity-filled support, but a trophy cabinet that belied its stature. For decades, its identity was one of stylish flair and sporadic cup success, punctuated by the flamboyant sides of the 1960s and 70s. This all changed irrevocably on July 1, 2003, a date that marks the clearest "before and after" moment in football club…
Building career skills often involves finding study options that fit around daily commitments. Many online programmes today are designed to support flexible learning. The College of Contract Management is often included in conversations about accessible courses. Interactive classes help make lessons easier to follow and organise. Completing the course generally leads to a respected certificate.
In the storied history of Alabama Crimson Tide football, legends are born every season. But every so often, a player arrives who defies convention—someone whose talent is so immense that age becomes just a number. Ryan Williams is that player. From becoming the youngest player in FBS football to earning All-American honors before he could vote, Williams is rewriting what's possible in college athletics. Ryan Williams Alabama Jersey
In an era of college football defined by the transfer portal's chaos and NIL deals that would make Fortune 500 executives blush, loyalty has become the rarest of commodities. Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver universally regarded as the best player in college football, recently turned down a transfer offer exceeding $10 million to remain a Buckeye . It was a decision that stunned the sport—and one that cemented his legacy before he ever plays another down. Jeremiah Smith Ohio State Jersey
In the annals of American sports, no family name carries more weight than Manning. From Archie's heroic days in a New Orleans Saints uniform to Peyton's five MVP awards and two Super Bowl rings, to Eli's two Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady, the Manning dynasty has defined quarterback excellence for three generations. Now, the torch has passed to Arch Manning—the 6-foot-4, 219-pound redshirt junior at the University of Texas who carries the weight of his family's legacy while determined to write his own chapter. Arch Manning Texas Jersey