At NLCS (Singapore), academic excellence is an important foundation of the educational experience, but it is not the whole story. The School’s approach brings together academic challenge, exceptional enrichment opportunities and individualised pastoral care, with the aim of helping students develop not only as learners, but as confident, resilient and purposeful young people.

For students with passions beyond the classroom, this means having the encouragement and support to pursue their interests seriously while continuing to thrive academically.

Zijin, a student at NLCS (Singapore), provides a good example of this approach.

Zijin discovered artistic swimming as a young child, initially drawn to the combination of music, movement and synchronisation. What began as something she simply wanted to try has developed into a significant sporting commitment. She has competed internationally in Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok and, in 2026, was selected to represent Singapore at the 12th Asian Age Group Championships in Bangkok and the 48th Southeast Asian Age Group Aquatics Championships in Malaysia.

At the Singapore Open Artistic Swimming Championships in September 2026, she won Gold in the U12/Youth Free Combination event and Silver in the Youth Team event.

Yet for Zijin, the value of artistic swimming goes well beyond medals.
“I have also learned that doing well is not only about results. It is about being willing to challenge yourself, manage your time and keep working even when things become difficult.”
Making space for individual passions

NLCS (Singapore) believes that students benefit from opportunities to discover what they enjoy, develop their talents and challenge themselves in different ways. Its enrichment programme spans sport, the arts, academic clubs and societies, leadership, service and trips, allowing students to pursue interests that may take them well beyond the traditional classroom.

For Zijin, the School’s supportive environment has given her the space to pursue a demanding sporting discipline alongside her academic studies.
“The way time is structured at NLCS, together with the atmosphere created by the teachers and students, has given me a relaxed and supportive environment where I feel free to explore activities that are a little different, without feeling that I have to do the same things as everyone else.”
This sense of individuality is central to the School’s approach. NLCS (Singapore) aims to ensure that every student is known, valued and supported as an individual, while helping them develop confidence, resilience and self-awareness.

Supporting ambition while maintaining balance

Pursuing a high-level sporting commitment alongside school requires organisation, responsibility and flexibility. Zijin trains regularly and travels for competitions, sometimes without her parents, while continuing with her academic responsibilities.

She describes balancing the two as challenging, particularly before competitions, but says she has learned to plan ahead and manage her time carefully.
“Becoming more organised and responsible with my time is an ongoing challenge for me, and I am still constantly adjusting and learning.”
Support from teachers is an important part of making this possible. When Zijin has had to miss lessons because of competitions, her teachers have helped her catch up with the work she missed.
“Knowing that my teachers understand and support what I am trying to achieve makes it much easier for me to manage both school and sport.”
This reflects NLCS (Singapore)’s wider approach to individualised pastoral care. Supporting students is not simply about helping them when they encounter difficulties. It is about understanding each young person and creating the conditions in which they can flourish.

Learning through challenge

Zijin’s experience also illustrates how enrichment can develop qualities that extend beyond the activity itself.

Artistic swimming requires flexibility, strength, coordination, breath control, musicality, artistic expression and teamwork. For Zijin, it has also taught her patience and resilience.
“Sometimes you practise something many, many times and still feel that you just cannot do it. But then one day, when you have almost forgotten how desperately you wanted to master it, you suddenly get it right.”
Her experience of team competition has taught her another important lesson: individual achievement is only one part of success.
“Everyone has a different role, but every role matters.”
These are qualities that the School seeks to develop through enrichment more broadly. Experiences beyond the classroom give students opportunities to build confidence, resilience, creativity and collaboration, while learning to respond to both success and challenge.

Progress rather than comparison

Perhaps most significantly, Zijin has learned to think differently about success.

In a competitive environment, there will always be someone more experienced or technically accomplished. Rather than allowing this to define her experience, she is learning to focus on her own development.
“I am learning to accept this as part of competing and to focus more on my own progress.”
Her parents have seen the same development. They believe one of the most valuable lessons from Zijin’s artistic swimming journey has been learning that finishing something can sometimes be more important than making it perfect, and that there will always be someone better.

For them, the deeper lesson is that sustained commitment to something genuinely difficult ultimately has to come from within.
“What really keeps someone going is enjoying the activity itself.”
This idea reflects an important aspect of the NLCS (Singapore) philosophy: education should help students discover what they love, understand what they value and develop the confidence to pursue their interests with purpose.

An education with many dimensions

Zijin’s story is one example of what an education beyond the classroom can look like. Academic achievement remains an important foundation at NLCS (Singapore), but students are also encouraged to develop their passions, take on challenges, build relationships and grow in confidence.

The School’s aim is ultimately to develop young people who are confident, curious, compassionate, resilient and purposeful, with the independence to understand themselves, engage with others and contribute to the world around them.

For Zijin, that journey currently involves a swimming pool, music, choreography, teamwork and competition. For another student, it may be music, drama, leadership, innovation, service or academic scholarship.

The important thing is that students have the opportunity to discover what matters to them, and the support to pursue it.

Read the full interview with Zijin, including her reflections on artistic swimming, resilience, teamwork and balancing sport with school, on the NLCS (Singapore) blog.