The Riverdale Partnership

Your Child's Path to Confidence Anywhere

The Riverdale Partnership

Why This Partnership Changes Everything for Your Family

The confidence every parent wants: Your child walks into any classroom in the world feeling ready. Not because they've memorized facts, but because they know how to learn anything, adapt to any teaching style, and succeed in any school system.
RD American School partners exclusively with Riverdale Country School - one of America's top-ranked private schools. This means your child will benefit from an educational environment that leverages the academic excellence of one of America's premier schools.

What "Ready for Anywhere" Really Means

For your child
They make friends easily because they understand different cultures. They handle new schools with confidence because they've developed a growth mindset—seeing challenges as opportunities to learn and thrive, not obstacles to avoid.
For your family
Whether you stay in Singapore for years or move next year, your child's education travels with them. No gaps, no catching up—just the learning skills and self-assurance [or confidence] to succeed in any context.
The Riverdale Advantage
in Your Child's Classroom
First school bus
117 Years of Educational Excellence
Riverdale has spent over a century creating students who thrive around the world. Through our exclusive partnership, your child benefits from:
  • Time-tested curriculum approaches
  • Character development that succeeds in every culture
  • Direct teacher collaboration with Riverdale faculty
  • Assessment methods that have consistently prepared students for elite institutions worldwide
First school bus
Proven Teaching Methods
Our teachers train directly with Riverdale faculty, learning research-backed approaches that help children:
  • Remember what they learn for years, not just until the test
  • Understand how they learn best
  • Adapt quickly to new teaching styles and expectations
First school bus
A Promise from Leadership
"We believe that our commitment to supporting RD American School's educators through shared programs, professional development, and ongoing exchange of expertise will help RDAS quickly establish its own strong and distinctive reputation within Singapore's vibrant educational community."
—Kari Ostrem, Head of School, Riverdale Country School
The Riverdale partnership provides the proven foundation. Our innovations prepare them for tomorrow. Your child gets both timeless educational excellence and cutting-edge preparation for their future.
That's our promise.

That's what "Growing confident learners ready for anywhere" really means.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the RDAS and Riverdale Country School Partnership

The Riverdale Country School Partnership

What exactly is this partnership with Riverdale Country School?
Toggle Accordion
Your child is getting a world-class education that is inspired and informed by one of America's top private schools, right here in Singapore.
RDAS isn't just inspired by Riverdale—we are an official school partner. This means:
  • We are learning from a program that consistently produces results and has a world-class reputation
  • We have access to proven teaching methods that have been refined over a century
  • Our teachers have been trained by the same experts who train Riverdale faculty
  • You have the confidence that comes from a world-renowned institution standing behind your child's education
Why would America's top school want to partner with a new school?
Toggle Accordion
Because Riverdale believes in continual innovation and improvement, not just in being the best.
Riverdale has been a top school for multiple decades precisely because they don't wait for other schools to innovate—they lead. By partnering with us, they can:
  • Pioneer the next generation of learning environments designed for AI and emerging technologies
  • Test and refine new approaches that will benefit students at both schools
  • Create something revolutionary from the ground up, rather than retrofitting old buildings and systems
For your child, this means: They're getting a rich education, informed by over a century of experience but designed specifically for their generation.
What does the partnership with Riverdale actually mean for my child?
Toggle Accordion
It means Riverdale is putting their 100+ year reputation behind your child's education.
A school partnership provides mutual benefit through shared learning and innovation, but this is only possible because when there is a strong foundation of alignment and understanding between the two institutions. Riverdale and RDAS are aligned in their values, vision for education, and in their standards of quality. For Riverdale—a long-standing leader in American private school education—this is not a decision they make lightly.
How do I know this isn't just using Riverdale's name without their real involvement?
Toggle Accordion
Because Dr. Kevin Mattingly, who trains teachers at Riverdale, personally trains our teachers too.
Dr. Mattingly is Riverdale's Director of Co-Curriculum and a professor at Columbia University. He doesn't just engage with us occasionally—he's our Academic Advisor for Professional Training, deeply involved in:
  • Training every teacher before they enter the classroom
  • Advising on our curriculum and teaching approaches
  • Ensuring our standards earn the Riverdale brand
  • Strategic ongoing professional development throughout the year
This means: Your child's teachers receive the same world-class training as teachers at America's top school.
What makes Riverdale's approach so special that we should want it here?
Toggle Accordion
Riverdale doesn't just prepare students for tests—they prepare them for life.
While other elite schools focus primarily on academics, Riverdale develops the whole child through:
Academic Excellence:
  • Project-based learning that develops critical thinking
  • Interdisciplinary courses that show how subjects connect
  • Inquiry-based methods that teach students to ask the right questions
Character Development:
  • Leadership opportunities integrated into daily learning
  • Ethical reasoning woven throughout the curriculum
  • Community service that creates genuine global citizens
Future-Ready Skills:
  • Collaboration and communication abilities employers seek
  • Innovation and creativity for an changing world
  • Emotional intelligence that predicts success better than IQ
The result: Riverdale graduates don't just get into top colleges—they thrive there and become leaders in their fields.
Will there be actual exchange between the schools?
Toggle Accordion
We're exploring exciting possibilities for student exchanges as our partnership deepens, particularly for middle and high school students.
Programs under consideration include:
  • Student exchanges where older students could spend time at the Riverdale campus in New York
  • Collaborative academic projects between students at both schools
  • Joint virtual learning experiences that connect classrooms across continents
What's confirmed: Faculty exchanges that bring Riverdale teachers to Singapore and send our teachers to New York, ensuring continuous collaboration and knowledge sharing between both institutions.
For your child, this means: Access to educational opportunities and global connections that extend far beyond what any single school can offer, with the potential for direct experience at America's #1 private school as our partnership evolves.
How do we know this partnership will actually benefit our children?
Toggle Accordion
Because both schools only gain when there are improvements to student learning.
For Riverdale, the success of the partnership rests on RDAS's ability to maintain their high standards for learning and pedagogy while innovating on their proven methods. They learn most when the RDAS not only meets their standards but finds ways to exceed them.
For RDAS, we have invested incredible time and resources in Riverdale training for our teachers and in facilitating exchange between our schools, so that we can deliver the quality that Riverdale and our parents expect and deserve.
This partnership is being tested in real-time. Some of the approaches we develop together will likely be implemented at both schools, creating a feedback loop that continuously improves your child's education.
How does this partnership help with university admissions?
Toggle Accordion
Elite universities already know and respect Riverdale's approach to education.
Admissions officers at top universities have seen Riverdale graduates succeed for decades. When they see the Riverdale partnership in our college perspectus, they know what to expect:
  • Students who think critically, not just memorize
  • Young people with genuine leadership experience
  • Applicants who can articulate their passions and purpose
  • Candidates prepared for the rigor and collaboration of elite universities
Is this partnership permanent, or could it end?
Toggle Accordion
Both schools are deeply invested in making this work long-term.
This isn't a casual licensing agreement—it's a true partnership where both institutions benefit. Riverdale gains insights into the future of education, and we gain their expertise and reputation.
However, the best guarantee is results: If our students don't achieve at Riverdale's level, the partnership doesn't serve either school's interests.
The bottom line: This partnership gives your child access to an education that has been proven at the highest levels, adapted for your family's context, and continuously improved through collaboration between two institutions committed to excellence.
Your child is learning through the same methods and values that have made Riverdale one of the most respected schools in the United States.
RD American School logo
PEI Registration No: 202334758M
Registration Period: 24 April 2025 to 23 April 2027
Inquire Now
Apply Now
About Us
The Riverdale Difference
Admissions
Careers
Contact Us
FAQ
Contact3 Changi Business Park Vista Singapore 486051, Elementary School- Level 4
Admissions Inquiries :
+65 9781 9688
admissions@rdas.edu.sg
Safeguarding Policy
Our school offers a safe and caring environment where students are free to explore and develop to their fullest potential. The Safeguarding Policy reflects our commitment to child protection and promoting the welfare of children and youth within our school community.  The practices and processes outlined within the Policy are consistent with Singapore laws, international school accreditation standards including the International Task Force on Child Protection, and reflect the overall ideals outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990). As a school committed to the highest standards of safety and integrity, we uphold rigorous recruitment policies and procedures to ensure that every employee and volunteer demonstrates strong moral character and is fully qualified to work with children.
Copyright © RD American School LTD. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
RD American School Inquiry
inquire
RD American School Book a Virtual Tour
visit
RD American School Application
apply