What Do Parents Say About Us

Ruby wanted a school that was conducive to learning and focused on what matters. It was then that a friend shared how Heads Up had greatly helped her son improve and excel. So, we decided to check out Heads Up. Although it did not have the facilities her previous school had, it was exactly what she wanted.

Heads Up provided a conducive learning environment where her peers were friendly and found ways to work well with each other. They also had dedicated and experienced teachers to teach and guide them, so they understood the subjects well.

We are very grateful to Ms Tan, the Principal, for taking the time to go through with us regarding her subjects and advising us accordingly. We are also grateful to all the committed teachers who took time to communicate with the students, even after office hours, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was, without a doubt, difficult for both students and teachers to have classes online, but with her teachers’ dedication and understanding, Ruby was able to perform to the best of her potential.

Thank you very much to Class 2020 and Heads Up.

Iris was with Heads Up International for two years, completing her Year 11 in 2020. Coming from a homeschooling background, she had a bit of a culture shock in the beginning. We remember her coming home unhappy and struggling to fit in.

However, with much encouragement from the Principal, Ms Tan, she gradually found her place. We appreciate Ms Tan for keeping the communication line open with us. She always made time to see us and chat over how we could help Iris adjust in class.

Her subject teachers not only taught her well; they were her cheerleaders too. They often encouraged her and were willing to give her time whenever she needed to clarify topics. Iris made really good friends at Heads Up International. They cheered each other on and helped each other out. Students at Heads Up International are often reminded to carry themselves with positive character traits, which was good to know for us.

Heads Up International has played a part in Iris’ growth during her time there. We would like to thank Ms Tan and all her teachers for their guidance throughout the 2 years.

With the abundance of private and international schools to choose from, it was indeed a dilemma for us, initially, to entrust Der Yuan to the right school. After all, other than academic achievements, being able to participate actively in co-curricular activities and to build leadership and managing teamwork were also our considerations in the choice of school we had decided upon.

In all aspects, Heads-Up International has fulfilled our expectations as Der Yuan is able to balance both his academic and non-academic endeavors throughout his four years in the school. A big shout-out to Miss Tan, the principal and all teachers for the guidance and advice they have provided that has given Der Yuan a positive and fruitful secondary experience. With all that he has learnt in Heads Up, we are sure that he will embark on his next chapter in life with much enthusiasm and confidence.

When Sarah joined Heads Up in Year 8, she experienced a wide range of activities besides academics, such as taking part in sports events, school outings and even a visit to a soup kitchen to help out. She was also given the opportunity to be a House Captain and learnt responsibility and leadership skills.

The teachers at Heads Up have really helped Sarah to achieve good results for the IGCSE exams. Sarah was not overloaded with homework, but the class lessons and drilling in past year papers have helped her to do well. A big thank you to all the teachers who have guided Sarah along the way, and especially, Ms Michelle, who has been such an encouragement, motivation and dedicated teacher to Sarah.

A big thank you to Ms Tan, the Principal, and also Sarah’s Economics and Business Studies teacher. Your concern and care for your students are evident in all you do. Sarah’s keenness in doing your assignments is testament of how interesting you make your lessons. Your feedback and engagement with us parents is most appreciated; always keeping us updated on our children’s progress along the way.”

Teachers, your lessons and guidance are deeply appreciated. Sean dedicates his A*s to you all.

We returned to Malaysia in 2016 after many years of living overseas. One of the major adjustments we had to make was Ryan’s education. Fortunately, he had adjusted well to his school in Penang. However, in the following year, we had to move to KL. The unfamiliar system and culture in his new school in KL had adversely affected his motivation for learning – that was until he came to Heads Up International.

Ryan regained his confidence and love for studying thanks to the encouragement given to him by the Principal, as well as the dedicated and very experienced team of teachers. We were also very pleased with the administrative and support staff of the school, especially in the area of communicating with parents.

The school also responded very well to the pandemic crisis. It is commendable that they were able to start the online classes almost immediately after the MCO was announced in March 2020. All of this had led to Ryan’s good IGCSE results.

We are so grateful to God for Heads Up International. This school has made a tremendous impact in Ryan’s life, preparing him well for his next chapter in college.

Everything was pretty routine till MCO was implemented in late March 2020. Initial reaction – yay! More zzz, mask-free, stay in, stay safe. Online lessons started quite soon, albeit with some initial hiccups. Overall, they went well. Was really impressed with how fast the teachers learned the ropes of online teaching. Sean was slightly distracted whenever I went near his ‘study area’, but I could not help listening to how passionate and knowledgeable the teachers were in delivering effective lessons to a bunch of teenagers.

Fast forward, physical classes resumed in early July. SOP guidelines were strictly adhered to. Sean was thrilled to see his teachers and friends again. That term was crucial in completing and preparing students for forthcoming IGCSE exams. Heartfelt gratitude to teachers who adapted and rose to the challenge. Sean did not go for the evidence-based exams last May. Hence, for him to take on everything at one go seemed rather nerve-wracking, well, at least to me! My husband never gave him any pressure to excel.

Months became weeks as IGCSE exams drew nearer; it was crunch time. I asked myself if I should turn into a tiger mom, as Sean was as cool as a cucumber and definitely not feeling the exam heat. Sean, being as laid back as he is, convinced me to chill instead. Fine. I trusted that his teachers got his back and he was in good hands. Indeed he was!

Teachers, your lessons and guidance are deeply appreciated. Sean dedicates his A*s to you all.

We were very concerned about Soon Khang’s academic progress during the pandemic & MCO, as the lessons were mostly online. He finally received very good IGCSE results, I think the effective coaching and the support from his loving teachers were the determining factors.

When we were looking for a school for my daughter who would be sitting for her IGCSE in the same year, we were attracted to Heads Up Academy (HUA)’s founder, Ms. Tan’s resourcefulness and commitment for excellence. We enrolled her and had the peace of mind knowing that she was in good hands.

To my great delight, students at HUA were not only taught by a team of highly qualified teachers, they were constantly being exposed to various educational and motivational workshops that would certainly enrich them on a personal level. My daughter remembered fondly how much these activities had open up her mind.

Though a somewhat shy person, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her time at HUA. Day to day fun, interesting, and enlightening conversation with friends and teachers remain a wonderful memory that she cherishes.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost appreciation to Ms Tan and all teachers who had been such a great help to my daughter during her time with HUA.

Way to go HUA.

Heads Up International has contributed much to my son Zalaan's development, both in terms of education and social skills. When his exams were around the corner, I was a little nervous as I used to watch him spend most of the time in the corner of his room studying, but his kind teachers made the journey easier because they were supportive and ensured the well-being of their students.

The students also had regular sports sessions and other co-curricular activities which ensured that my son had the best of both academic and non-academic education.

Another thing I found a little surprising was the friends my son had made at Heads Up. I was very encouraged when he, along with his two good friends, Teng Jin and Zher Xian, took the initiative to have regular group studies, sometimes meeting in one of their houses or even having discussions on Skype when they faced any difficulties with certain past year papers. Indeed, they had become like a family, helping one another along the way. To this day, they still remain in contact.

Last but not least, I would like to thank Ms. Tan from the bottom of my heart because of the opportunities she gave to my son and all the other students. She has the heart to provide the best education to children and I hope that she will continue to inspire others through her noble work and never give up.

Coming from a reputable international school prior to discovering Heads Up, Zher Xian was having difficulties coping during the first six months of Year 10 as his school teachers were unable to deliver the subjects well. His interest and confidence plummeted to an all-time low. In our desperate attempt to help him, we jumped on the private tutoring bandwagon along with most of his classmates, piling more work on him. Finally, upon recommendation from a friend, my husband and I took a leap of faith and enrolled him at Heads-Up. After just a month, he blossomed and regained his confidence and interest far beyond my expectation. Ms Tan requested that I stop most of his tuition classes as she was confident that along with Zher Xian’s effort, he would be able to ace the IGCSE exams under the guidance of her team.

Heads Up teachers are very experienced, dedicated, inspirational and passionate about their work. Ms Tan and her teachers are involved at every level with the students’ welfare and development. As a founder and owner of an education establishment myself, I truly recognise that such educators are hard to come by and I am immensely grateful to this wonderful team. Year 11 in Heads Up was a turning point for Zher Xian as we witnessed his determination to excel academically soared with the encouragement from his teachers. His excellent IGCSE results (9A* and 1A) are a living proof of what this amazing team can do to its students! My husband and I would not hesitate to recommend Heads-Up to other parents.

For every parent, their children's education is paramount, and only second to their overall health and happiness. In a maze of education options out there, making the right decision can be very difficult, as is evidenced by the number of times students change schools or teaching centres.

My daughter Shalina was home-schooled prior to joining Heads-Up. For us, we wanted her to have more than just an education. A good atmosphere with friends and caring, diligent teachers was crucial. Of course, she had to play her part too.

It is hard to assess that when you just walk into a centre. However, for Shalina, her sister, Shanita, my wife, Anita and I, our first impression was that Heads Up seemed like just the right place for her to thrive. Happy children were everywhere. It was obvious to us that Ms Tan really loves what she does and that she was devoted to the pupils in her care.

We were soon enough more than convinced we had made the right decision by enrolling Shalina at Heads Up. She came back every day raving about her teachers, and that her teachers and new friends were such wonderful people. We could not even ask her to skip a day of classes if we had to go away somewhere!

"Mr Peter makes Accounting so easy to understand!", "Dr Jonathan is so smart and cool!", "I really love Ms Tan!", "Ms Jaya is so encouraging!", "Math is not at all complicated when Mr Edmund teaches it!", "I never realized Chemistry could be so much fun. All because of Ms Chin!", "I love Biology now because of Ms Khor!", "I think I could be really good at Add Maths because Ms Mikki explains it so well!" And of course, there is the ever-reliable Ms Cheryl! The teachers and staff became household names because of these conversations daily over family dinners.

The friendships forged is also something Shalina deeply cherishes. The cheery atmosphere and the numerous activities organised by the centre were central to forming and developing these relationships.

For us as parents, all of the above and more, were deeply gratifying. Shalina had blossomed and matured so much during her time at Heads-Up. She had become a confident young girl. The teachers and staff had entrusted her with responsibilities and nurtured her talents and capabilities. She had shown leadership qualities when required. All of the above have been a solid foundation for her going forward with her education and her life.

We are extremely grateful to everyone at Heads-Up. You continue to guide and care for your students even after they have graduated from your fine school, and Shalina's transition to her current phase has been seamless.

Thank you, once again, from the bottom of our hearts to all of you and all the very best!

Megan was homeschooled and determined to finish her IGCSE at the age of 16. While no other learning centres were willing to take her in at 15 years old, we were recommended to speak to Ms. Tan, the principle of Heads Up. She was full of passion for education as well as inspiring. She saw Megan as an individual and understood her stand to get her high school certification as early as possible. Her positive approach to learning and her absolute love for teaching/education can be felt.

All the teachers who had taught Megan are very experienced, who had always put their skills and passion for teaching to good use for the benefit of the students. Each one of them has their own “priceless teaching strategies” for students to benefit from. They gave their best to the Class of 2018 until the very last day of the exam.

I am very grateful for the wealth of information, ideas and helpful tips that the teachers gave to Megan as well as providing her with a stimulating and challenging platform.

I really appreciate all the help and assistance rendered by your team. It certainly helps to put my mind at ease as I was not able when it came to helping Megan for her high school education.

To everyone at Heads Up, teachers and friends who had reached out or taught Megan, with genuine care and concern – to have her achieve her goals and made a difference in her life, I am forever thankful.

When Christine completed her Form 3 at a government school I struggled with the decision to remove her from the government school system to join the IGCSE programme at Heads Up Academy.

While the government school system has excellent Form 4 and Form 5 curriculum, Christine was torn between the Arts and Science stream. The IGCSE programme would provide her with a more flexible option in terms of subject combination. With some help and advice from Ms.Tan I decided the IGCSE programme was more suited to her educational needs.

Her two-year journey at Heads Up Academy had been eventful. I am extremely grateful to the teachers who taught and guided her. They ensure the syllabus are fully covered and sufficient past year examination papers attempted and discussed prior to the final exam. Her excellent IGCSE performance can be attributed to her teachers' dedication and commitment. She obtained 8A* and 1A which entitles her to a full scholarship at Methodist College, Kuala Lumpur.

HUA also presented her with many leadership opportunities which honed her leadership skills and helped her emerge into a more confident person.

A big thank you to Ms Tan and all the Y10 and Y11 teachers.

Keep up the good work!

HUA is what we as parents would consider as a second-home for our children. The close knit environment allowed my daughter to flourish and grow to be the caring, independent and astute lady she is today. The academic curriculum was tailored to help students to not only excel in their IGCSE exams, but also taught them that results require hard work

During our daughter’s time at HUA, we as parents cannot deny the effort and time, she invested nor can we ignore how attentive and tender her teachers were. Her skills in interpersonal relationships with both peers and teachers, as well as communication, have developed immensely. Moreover, HUA provided her the special academic skill sets required for a smooth transition from High School to the A-Levels Pre-University programme.