Singapore (Cambodia) International Academy (SCIA)

In Brief

SCIA opened in 2018 inside the One Park development in Phnom Penh City Center. It's part of Singapore's SIM Group, runs a Singapore-Cambridge blended curriculum, and uses Singapore Maths from Grade 1 through 8. Roughly 350-500 students, ages 2 to 18.

What parents who chose it tend to like: specialist subject teachers from Grade 1 (unusual in Phnom Penh primaries), responsive admin, and a serious academic tone. According to one parent, "SCIA offers real, intrinsic value, not just perceived value." Another mentioned "caring teachers" and "character education with good discipline." Singapore Maths is the genuine differentiator if your friend's kids are mathy.

Where to keep eyes open. Staff reviews are middling - only about a third would recommend it as a workplace. One staff member said leaders were "not visible, only responding to complaints." Another flagged that around five weekends a year are taken up by school events. None of this is a deal-breaker, but it suggests a school still finding its rhythm and one where the parent community is asked to show up a lot.

Practical things to flag. The school sits inside a high-rise mixed-use development - convenient if your friend lives near BKK1 or Tonle Bassac, less so from Chroy Changvar or further out. The building "has been described as odd for a school" by one reviewer - vertical, not the sprawling-campus feel of ISPP or Northbridge. Fees aren't published; ask directly. Reddit and the wider expat forums are quiet on SCIA - most Phnom Penh chatter still centres on ISPP, Northbridge, and CIA. That's not damning, just means smaller word-of-mouth pool to draw on.

Bottom line. A serious, academically-minded option with a genuine Singapore-system spine. Best fit for families who want academic rigour and don't mind a vertical campus or active parent calendar. Worth a tour, worth asking about staff retention since 2023, and worth comparing head-to-head with ISPP (IB) and Northbridge (IGCSE/A-Level) before deciding.