School Matters

Getting things ready

Anderson Secondary School vs Riverside Secondary School

Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.

At a glance

CompareAnderson Secondary SchoolRiverside Secondary School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsAutonomousNot listed
ZoneNorthNorth
Address10 Ang Mo Kio Street 533 Woodlands Street 81
Nearest MRTAng Mo Kio, Yio Chu KangWoodlands
Listed CCAs2022
DSA listings87

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 12 CCA listings. Anderson Secondary School also lists Biological Science (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Girl Guides (Girls), National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
DSA programme
The records share 1 DSA programme listing. Anderson Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Malay Language (Girls and Boys), Netball (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Choir (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys), Media (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
The daily journey
Nearby MRT stations listed for Anderson Secondary School: Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang; for Riverside Secondary School: Woodlands. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareAnderson Secondary SchoolRiverside Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 7–112026 · 8–14
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–232026 · 21–23
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–282026 · 25–27

Each range belongs to the intake year and programme shown. Affiliated and non-affiliated ranges are separate. D, M and P are Higher Mother Tongue requirements. Past ranges do not guarantee admission.

Get to know each school

Anderson Secondary School

MOE’s heritage account traces Anderson to a primary school founded in 1960, a secondary girls’ school in 1964 and a co-educational school in 1965. It moved to Ang Mo Kio Street 53 in 1993 and became one of the first six autonomous schools in 1994. Its science-research niche was established in 2000, followed by recognition as a Cluster Centre of Excellence for Science in 2005. This is Anderson Secondary’s institutional history, separate from the present Anderson Primary formed by a later merger.

The Science department distinguishes its Science Research Programme from a Science Talent Programme. The latter lists Olympiad preparation and external competitions such as the C.B. Paul Science Quiz and National STEM Challenge. The department’s emphasis is on investigation and communicating ideas, but an activity or historical award does not establish how many pupils participate. A child keen on laboratory work should ask how research groups are formed, what mentoring they receive and whether enrichment involves additional time beyond ordinary Science lessons.

Riverside Secondary School

Riverside Secondary’s own history says it began in 1987 at Fuchun Secondary’s premises before moving to 3 Woodlands Street 81 that December. It became single-session in 1999 and returned to its upgraded campus in 2004 after a holding-site period. Its history records a 2020 Full Subject-Based Banding pilot and Tamil Language Elective Programme provision. Older heritage material describes an Arts for Life LLP; the present programme page instead identifies Digital Citizenship. Historical programme names should therefore be kept separate from current provision.

The ALP, Global Citizenship Education through Critical Social Inquiry, uses UN Sustainable Development Goals to explore global issues and affected communities. Its page gives a dated 2025 Riverside Model United Nations example focused on technology, sustainability and inclusion, with stakeholder perspectives and proposed resolutions. VIA separately asks pupils to understand community needs, plan, act and reflect. These descriptions show an inquiry-and-service approach; they do not establish that every pupil attends the same forum or takes the same community role.

CCAs and programmes

Anderson Secondary School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Biological Science (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Student Leadership (Council) (Girls and Boys)
  • Table Tennis (Girls)
  • Volleyball (Girls)
  • Wushu (Girls and Boys)

Riverside Secondary School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
  • Badminton (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
  • National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Softball (Girls)

Listed DSA programmes at Anderson Secondary School

  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Malay Language (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Table Tennis (Girls)
  • Volleyball (Girls)
  • Wushu (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at Riverside Secondary School

  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
  • Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys)
  • Media (Girls and Boys)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Anderson Secondary School and Riverside Secondary School?

Start with programmes, the CCAs your child wants and the actual journey from home. Visit both schools to assess the daily environment. Counts and past results alone do not establish which school fits your child.

How do their recorded PSLE entry ranges compare?

PG3 · Non-affiliated: Anderson Secondary School 2026 · 7–11; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 8–14. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Anderson Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Anderson Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 25–27.

Do past admission records guarantee a place?

No. Ranges belong to the intake year and programme shown and can change. Keep affiliated and non-affiliated ranges separate and retain any D, M or P Higher Mother Tongue suffix.