Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB): Impact of Roster

Over the past decade, Singapore has been moving steadily toward a more inclusive, student-centric education system. A pivotal step in this journey has been the implementation of Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB) by the Ministry of Education (MOE) — a move that challenges long-standing norms in secondary education and embraces the diversity of learners’ strengths, pace, and interests.

By 2024, all secondary schools in Singapore have fully implemented Full SBB. This transformation is not just a structural change — it’s a philosophical one. It moves the system away from rigid academic streams and toward greater flexibility, customisation, and holistic development of students.

While the benefits of Full SBB are widely acknowledged, the reform also introduces significant logistical and operational challenges, especially in areas of teacher deployment and relief planning. That’s where Dive Analytics’ solution, Roster, comes in to support schools as they adapt to this new normal.

What Is Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB)?

In the past, Singapore’s secondary schools sorted students into three academic streams: Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical). While this system was designed to cater to different learning needs, it also created rigid academic pathways and social divisions.

With Full SBB, these streams have been removed. Instead, students now belong to mixed-form classes and take subjects at different levels — G1 (General 1), G2, or G3 — depending on their individual strengths and capabilities. 

The Key Objectives of Full SBB:

• Promote social mixing among students of different academic abilities.
• Allow students to learn at their own pace across different subjects.
• Reduce labelling and stigma associated with academic streams.
• Encourage a strengths-based approach to learning and assessment.
  

What Changes for Schools and Teachers?

While Full SBB is a positive step for students, it introduces a new level of complexity in how schools operate daily:

1. More Dynamic Student Groupings

Students are no longer in fixed classes for all subjects. A single student might move across multiple class groups throughout the day based on the subject and level they are taking. This leads to an increase in inter-class movement and custom individualised timetables.

2. Increased Complexity in Teacher Assignments

Teachers are required to teach across more diverse groupings and may now handle lessons at different levels (e.g., G1 and G3) within the same subject. This means their schedules and workloads are more dynamic, and relief planning becomes much more challenging when teachers are absent.

3. Greater Operational Strain on School Admins

The new structure demands a more responsive and efficient system for managing absences, ensuring lesson coverage, and avoiding class disruptions.

How Full SBB Impacts MOE Schools:

Enter Roster: Smarter Relief Planning for the Full SBB Era

At Dive Analytics, we built Roster to help schools manage operational challenges like teacher relief planning — especially in environments that are increasingly dynamic and unpredictable. Traditional relief planning tools or manual Excel sheets simply can’t keep up. With Roster, school administrators gain a powerful, intuitive platform that adapts to the operational challenges teachers face.

What Roster Does:

• Automated daily relief teacher assignments within seconds that are based on our proprietary algorithm taking into account the compatibility and workload of the teachers to suggest the best relief matches.
• Customisable system configurations to fit your school’s requirements.
• Receive daily relief notifications conveniently via email, Telegram or WhatsApp. 
• Helps school operations teams plan efficiently and equitably, reducing admin workload and stress – estimated to be 45 minutes saved every morning from manual relief planning.
• Seamless integration with Existing Timetable Systems such as ASC timetables and STA timetables.
• Interactive and intuitive dashboard that provides real-time visibility into key statistics, offering invaluable insights for relief committees.

Looking Ahead: Supporting Schools Beyond the Classroom

The implementation of Full SBB is just the beginning. As schools continue to experiment with differentiated instruction, blended learning, and personalised student pathways, the need for flexible, intelligent operational tools will only grow.

At Dive Analytics, we’re committed to building solutions like Roster that empower educators and support schools in staying agile. By reducing the operational strain, we give teachers and school leaders more time to focus on what truly matters — nurturing the potential of every student.