The Alternative Story
The Alternative Story is a Singapore-based English tuition centre founded in 2008 that delivers MOE-aligned English tuition for Primary and Secondary school students across four physical branches and online Zoom classes, using proprietary curriculum and an in-house teaching bench of 30+ experienced teachers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Alternative Story does
The Alternative Story (T.A.S.), incorporated as The Alternative Story Learning Centre Pte Ltd, is a Singapore-based English-language tuition centre founded in 2008. It specialises exclusively in English tuition for Primary (P1-P6) and Secondary (S1-S4) school students preparing for PSLE and GCE O-Level examinations, covering Paper 1 (Creative Writing/Composition), Paper 2 (Grammar, Synthesis, Comprehension), and Oral Communication. The centre operates four physical branches across Singapore — Tampines, Ang Mo Kio (Djitsun Mall), Marine Parade (Parkway Centre), and Bukit Timah (Beauty World) — supplemented by online Zoom-based and hybrid class delivery.
The company's product portfolio comprises (i) recurring weekly Regular English Classes and Creative Writing Programmes priced at S$74.50-S$94.00 per lesson (S$745-S$940 per 10-lesson term), (ii) one-time English Holiday Programmes (Paper 2 Intensive, Oral, Creative Writing camps at S$245-S$280 per 2-day programme), and (iii) a published line of in-house educational books. Its underlying teaching technology consists of proprietary in-house curriculum, a 4-stage composition writing framework, TikTok-styled instructional videos, and an online delivery stack built on Zoom, WhatsApp (for parent-teacher communication), and Paperform (for enrolment). The teaching bench consists of over 30 teachers, of whom 87% have 5+ years and one in three have 10+ years of teaching experience.
The business model is direct-to-consumer, subscription-style recurring tuition billed per term, with one-time fees for holiday programmes and book purchases. Customer acquisition relies on content marketing (blog, Telegram channel, email), a $20 referral discount programme, free trial classes, and earned media coverage. The company has scaled organically without external funding to 15,000+ cumulative students served, claims outcome metrics of 1 in 2 P6 students scoring AL1-AL2 and 70% scoring AL1-AL3 in PSLE 2025, and remains a privately-held Singapore-incorporated entity with no identified institutional investors or parent company.
The Alternative Story firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Alternative Story
- Legal name
- The Alternative Story Learning Centre Pte Ltd
- Website
- https://thealternativestory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Alternative Story is a Singapore-based English tuition centre founded in 2008 that delivers MOE-aligned English tuition for Primary and Secondary school students across four physical branches and online Zoom classes, using proprietary curriculum and an in-house teaching bench of 30+ experienced teachers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Alternative Story industry classification
Industry- Product category
- English Language Tuition Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private/Independent Online K–12 Schools (EDAJADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons (EDAGAEAA)
Keywords
Where The Alternative Story is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Alternative Story business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Regular Tuition Classes: Weekly tuition classes for Primary and Secondary students. Billed per lesson with 10-13 lessons per term. Includes Regular English Classes, Creative Writing Classes. Recurring subscription model with term-based billing.
- Holiday Programmes: English holiday camps during June and Year-End holidays. Includes Creative Writing, Paper 2 Intensive, and Oral programmes. One-time programme fees.
- Educational Books: Published books for Primary School students including Creative Writing volumes, Synthesis & Grammar Guide, Vocabulary books, and Spelling books. One-time purchase model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Primary 1-2 Regular Class |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Primary 3-4 Regular Class |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Primary 5-6 Regular Class |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Primary 5-6 Creative Writing Class |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Secondary 1-4 Regular Class |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Primary 3-4 Creative Writing Class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paper 2 Intensive Class (P5-P6) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oral Programme (P5-P6) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Creative Writing Holiday Class (P3-P5) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Alternative Story product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Alternative Story is a Singapore-based English tuition centre providing weekly language classes for Primary and Secondary school students covering Paper 1 (Writing), Paper 2 (Language Use and Comprehension), and Oral components aligned with the MOE syllabus. It supplements its core tuition with intensive holiday programmes (Creative Writing, Paper 2, Oral) and a line of in-house published educational books for primary students. Delivery occurs via four physical branches across Singapore as well as online Zoom classes and a hybrid model.
Product overview
The Alternative Story is an English tuition centre offering a portfolio of educational products and services for Primary and Secondary School students in Singapore. The core offering consists of Regular English Classes and Creative Writing Programmes, both available as on-site or online (via Zoom) delivery. Supplementary offerings include English Holiday Programmes (Paper 2 Intensive, Oral, Creative Writing camps) and a line of in-house published books (Creative Writing series, Grammar/Synthesis guides, Vocabulary books) for Primary School students. All programmes are aligned with Singapore's MOE syllabus and PSLE/ GCE O-Level examination requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Regular English Classes Weekly English tuition classes covering Paper 1 (Writing), Paper 2 (Language Use and Comprehension), and Paper 4 (Oral) components for Primary 1 to Secondary 4 students, with curriculum aligned to Singapore's MOE syllabus.
- Creative Writing Programme Specialised creative writing curriculum for Primary 3-6 students focusing on composition techniques, vocabulary development, story planning, and examination preparation using the centre's proprietary 4-stage writing framework.
- Online English Tuition Virtual English tuition classes conducted via Zoom for Primary and Secondary School students, offering the same curriculum as on-site classes with materials delivered to doorstep.
- English Holiday Programmes Intensive holiday camps during June and year-end breaks offering Paper 2 Intensive, Oral Programme, and Creative Writing classes for Primary 3-6 students to build skills and confidence ahead of examinations.
- T.A.S. Published Books In-house published educational books for Primary School students including the Creative Writing series (Volumes 1-5, Junior), Synthesis & Grammar Guide/Practice Books, Vocabulary Guide Book, Vocabulary Mindmaps, Spelling Book, and My Adventures with Pang Pang.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 in 2 students achieved AL1-AL2 and 70% achieved AL1-AL3 in PSLE 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Alternative Story
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Alternative Story technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
The Alternative Story partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Alternative Story competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Berries World of Learning School: Singapore English specialist school focused on primary-level reading, writing, and phonics. Highly comparable on English-only curriculum, primary-school targeting, and Singapore-centric delivery.
- i-Learner Education Centre: Hong Kong- and Singapore-based English language learning centre with similar structured curriculum approach and physical/online delivery. Direct competitor for English-specialist K-12 tuition in the same geography.
- Henry Park Tutorial Centre: Independent Singapore tuition centre providing English, Math, and Science classes for primary and secondary students. Comparable on tuition centre format, term-based subscriptions, and PSLE/O-Level preparation focus.
- LCentral: Singapore-based English language specialist tuition centre for preschool and primary students. Direct comparable on English-only focus, structured curriculum, and physical-centre-plus-online delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- EduFirst Learning Centre: Multi-branch Singapore tuition centre covering English, Math, and Science from primary through secondary. Comparable on multi-branch tuition centre operations and term-based recurring class model.
- MindChamps: SGX-listed education group offering tuition and enrichment across multiple subjects and preschool. Comparable as a large Singapore private education operator with premium positioning, though substantially larger and more diversified.
- British Council Singapore: International English language teaching organisation offering courses for young learners and adults in Singapore. Comparable on English-only instruction, though focused on international curricula rather than MOE syllabus.
- Aspire Hub Education: Singapore tuition and education consultancy offering group and 1-to-1 tuition across multiple subjects and levels. Comparable on Singapore K-12 tuition model with broader subject coverage.
- The Learning Lab: Established Singapore tuition chain offering multi-subject programmes (English, Math, Sciences) for K-12 students. Comparable on tuition centre model, omnichannel delivery, and Singapore parent demographic, but broader in subject and level coverage.
Emerging players
- Tutors Inc: Smaller Singapore home-tuition and group tuition agency. Comparable on Singapore K-12 English tuition market, though operates via tutor matching rather than proprietary centres.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Alternative Story social profiles
Digital presenceThe Alternative Story compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Alternative Story financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Alternative Story leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Alternative Story funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Alternative Story M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Alternative Story
What does The Alternative Story do?
The Alternative Story is a Singapore-based English tuition centre providing weekly language classes for Primary and Secondary school students covering Paper 1 (Writing), Paper 2 (Language Use and Comprehension), and Oral components aligned with the MOE syllabus. It supplements its core tuition with intensive holiday programmes (Creative Writing, Paper 2, Oral) and a line of in-house published educational books for primary students. Delivery occurs via four physical branches across Singapore as well as online Zoom classes and a hybrid model.
Is The Alternative Story a public or private company?
The Alternative Story is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Alternative Story founded?
The Alternative Story was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Alternative Story based?
The Alternative Story is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does The Alternative Story make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Regular Tuition Classes are the primary driver. The others are holiday Programmes and educational Books.
Who are The Alternative Story's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Berries World of Learning School, i-Learner Education Centre, Henry Park Tutorial Centre and LCentral. Broad incumbents are EduFirst Learning Centre, MindChamps, British Council Singapore, Aspire Hub Education and The Learning Lab. Tutors Inc is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Alternative Story have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Alternative Story.
What industry is The Alternative Story in?
The Alternative Story's product category is English Language Tuition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJADAC, Private/Independent Online K–12 Schools, with a secondary code of EDAGAEAA, K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.