School Matters

Getting things ready

Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) vs North Vista Secondary School

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

At a glance

CompareAnglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)North Vista Secondary School
School typeBoys' SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedNot listed
ZoneSouthNorth
Address60 Barker Road11 Rivervale Link
Nearest MRTNewton, StevensSengkang, Buangkok, Ranggung
Listed CCAs2318
DSA listings1710

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 1 CCA listing. Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Boys), Bowling (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. North Vista Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Choir (Girls), Community Service (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. Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Boys), Bowling (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. North Vista Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Choir (Girls), Concert Band (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 Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road): Newton, Stevens; for North Vista Secondary School: Sengkang, Buangkok, Ranggung. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareAnglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)North Vista Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 6–92026 · 11–18
PG3 · Affiliated2026 · 8–21Not listed
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 212026 · 21–24
PG2 · Affiliated2026 · 21–25Not listed
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–262026 · 25–28
PG1 · Affiliated2026 · 25–28Not listed

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

Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)

The ACS family began with a shophouse school on Amoy Street in 1886, but the Barker Road school itself was established in January 1994 with primary and secondary pupils. MOE’s Heritage Centre records the split into ACS (Primary) and ACS (Barker Road) in 1997, followed by a return to the rebuilt Barker Road campus in January 2003. A shared indoor sports hall was consecrated in 2022 after construction delays. This history helps distinguish the secondary school from the primary school on the same campus.

The Applied Learning Programme uses drama, debate and public speaking. Its published sequence starts with Secondary 1 storytelling workshops, moves to Secondary 2 drama and theatre exposure linked to the literature text, and adds debates, drama workshops and theatre exposure in Secondary 3. A separate talent-development tier offers training for speaking competitions, Model United Nations and emceeing school events. The distinction matters: the basic sequence describes broader provision, while competition preparation involves additional participation.

North Vista Secondary School

The school began in 1956 as Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School, was renamed Thomson Government Chinese Middle School in 1958, and later merged with Thomson Vocational School to become Thomson Secondary. It moved to Sengkang on 15 December 2000 and adopted North Vista Secondary as its English name, retaining 德新中学 in Chinese. The current campus officially opened on 8 July 2003. Old Thomson accounts therefore belong to the school’s history, but may describe a different campus and structure from today’s secondary provision.

The ALP names Cities and Urban Landscapes as its 2026 context. All Secondary 1 pupils take high-tech-farming workshops and hands-on hydroponics to grow edibles. Further experiences with outside organisations depend on interest. BioBloom is a separate tier for selected Infocomm Club members: they work on food-waste conditions for worms and harvest compost for the school’s edible gardens. The page’s Secondary 3 examples include moisture sensors and probes. That club project is more specialised than the common Secondary 1 experience, and should not be assigned to the entire cohort.

CCAs and programmes

Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)

  • Badminton (Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
  • Choir (Boys)
  • Concert Band (Boys)
  • Debating and Public Speaking (Boys)
  • English Drama (Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Hockey (Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
  • Robotics (Boys)
  • Rugby (Boys)
  • Scouts (Boys)
  • Swimming (Boys)
  • Table Tennis (Boys)
  • Tennis (Boys)
  • Water Polo (Boys)

North Vista Secondary School

  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Community Service (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Golf (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Outdoor Adventure (Girls and Boys)
  • St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
  • String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Track and Field (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)

  • Badminton (Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
  • Choir (Boys)
  • Concert Band (Boys)
  • Debating (Boys)
  • Digital Media (Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Hockey (Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Boys)
  • Robotics (Boys)
  • Rugby (Boys)
  • Swimming (Boys)
  • Tennis (Boys)
  • Water Polo (Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at North Vista Secondary School

  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Golf (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Track and Field (Girls and Boys)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) and North Vista 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: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 6–9; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 11–18. PG3 · Affiliated: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 8–21; North Vista Secondary School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 21; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG2 · Affiliated: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 21–25; North Vista Secondary School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 25–26; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 25–28. PG1 · Affiliated: Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) 2026 · 25–28; North Vista Secondary School Not listed.

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.