Little Paddington Preschool to close Bishan branch with one week’s notice; ECDA investigating

SINGAPORE – A Little Paddington Preschool outlet in Bishan will be closed from June 10, with parents of children enrolled in the centre given only a week’s notice.

Parents were initially informed on May 30 that the lease for its premises would end the next day, on May 31, as it could not reach an agreement with its landlord. Parents were told their children would be relocated to another branch, in Thomson Walk, on June 2.

The school later received a one-week extension for the operations of the Bishan branch, delaying the relocation of the children to June 10.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said it is investigating if Little Paddington Preschool has done its due diligence to meet regulatory requirements, and will take regulatory action if it has not done so.

Under the agency’s regulatory requirements, pre-schools must provide six months’ notice to parents as well as the ECDA before ceasing operations. Operators that breach these requirements may be issued warning letters or barred from apply­ing for future pre-school licences.

Pre-schools must also inform parents and ECDA once they are notified of the possibility of non-renewal of tenancy agreements, said ECDA, adding that it was informed of the school’s cessation on May 30.

The agency is working with the pre-school to support affected parents. “We understand that a sudden cessation like this can impact parents and children significantly,” ECDA said.

In July 2024, the agency had barred pre-school operator Metis Little Campus from applying for new centre licences, after it gave parents a day’s notice before closing its centre in Tampines.

Little Paddington Preschool has 10 branches across Singapore in areas such as Kovan, Tanglin, East Coast and Sixth Avenue.

The pre-school said that there are 16 children in the Bishan branch.

Three children have withdrawn from the pre-school. It is working to help the remaining 13 with the relocation, such as with bus services from Bishan to the Thomson Walk branch, which is an 11-minute drive away.

The pre-school had told parents through its mobile app on May 30 that it had been in ongoing discussions with the landlord over the past two months to renew its lease, but was unable to renew its tenancy beyond­ May 31.

Speaking to ST on condition of anonymity, parents expressed their disbelief and frustration at how the pre-school has handled the issue.

“Not only did Little Paddington’s management not address the motivation behind the school closure in a transparent manner, but they also did it at the very last minute with less than 24 hours’ notice,” one parent said.

Another parent said: “The management said they had ‘hoped’ to be able to secure the lease, yet even two weeks before had not thought to give parents a heads-up when no agreement had been signed.”

She added: “Such an important announcement regarding the lease expiring was made via an app last Friday morning and many parents had not seen it. It wasn’t conveyed to us personally or via a mass WhatsApp message.”

She said the school continued to send important updates via its app until parents raised protests. It then held an online meeting on the matter on May 30, and updated parents individually over WhatsApp instead.

She added that parents are still waiting for more information on the bus transport arrangements for the children.

In response to queries, Little Paddington Preschool’s management said in an e-mail that it needed to relocate operations when its lease ended, and that it has offered an alternative site for the children.

“While we initially assumed there was only a transition to a new site over the weekend, we have managed to prolong the transition to over a week, so that the children are supported,” the pre-school said.

It added: “We have updated ECDA­ on the situation and have been advised on the appropriate next steps to ensure parents and children are supported.”

The school is offering affected children free daily bus services from the Bishan area to its Thomson branch till the end of the 2025 academic year.

It is also holding two half-day visits for the children to Thomson Walk on June 4 and 5 with their current teachers.

“All of our teaching staff are moving to Thomson Walk. The children will be going to a new place, but with the same teachers,” it added.

“We are focused on ensuring that the care and education of the children continue to be smooth, and that parents receive ample support.”

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