School MattersBeatty Secondary School vs Bowen Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Beatty Secondary School | Bowen Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | South | North |
| Address | 1 Toa Payoh North | 2 Lorong Napiri |
| Nearest MRT | Braddell, Toa Payoh | Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang |
| Listed CCAs | 17 | 19 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 5 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 8 CCA listings. Beatty Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Bowen Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Football (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. Beatty Secondary School also lists Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Bowen Secondary School also lists Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys), Entrepreneurship (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls and Boys), Marching Band (Girls and Boys), 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 Beatty Secondary School: Braddell, Toa Payoh; for Bowen Secondary School: Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Beatty Secondary School | Bowen Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 12–18 | 2026 · 12–16 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–25 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–28 |
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
Beatty Secondary School
Beatty began in 1953 with 323 pupils in eight classes. It was initially co-educational, became a boys’ school in 1956, and enrolled girls again in 1983 after moving to Toa Payoh in 1982. Its 2017 merger with Balestier Hill Secondary brought another school community into its history. After that merger, Beatty was designated as a mainstream secondary school supporting students with hearing loss who learn through signing. That specialised provision is an important part of its present identity.
The hearing-loss programme describes specialised teachers and educational interpreters from the Singapore Association of the Deaf who use Singapore Sign Language. They work with subject teachers, the student-development team and parents, with supplementary sessions to revisit classroom concepts. The page also lists literacy support, mentoring and deaf-awareness activities, alongside frequency-modulation systems and speech-to-text applications. This explains the published support model; a family would still need to discuss the individual child’s communication and examination arrangements.
Bowen Secondary School
Bowen Secondary started in Ang Mo Kio in 1982 and moved to 2 Lorong Napiri in December 1999. The following January it began single-session operation with 1,374 pupils. The school marked its 40th anniversary in 2022. These dates distinguish the founding school from its present campus. The history page also shows changes to the school emblem, including a temporary anniversary version, providing a useful introduction to the school’s identity before looking at today’s programmes.
Secondary 1 students spend two terms using design thinking to investigate school issues, such as classroom cleanliness or canteen queues, and pitch prototypes. Secondary 2 has a five-week service-learning programme with weekly visits to partners such as MINDS, AWWA or Bright Vision Hospital, alongside design workshops and reflection. Upper-secondary pupils choose a social cause and share their work at Bowen Congress. A smaller ALP Interest Group offers deeper design work. The distinction between cohort experiences and the additional group matters when comparing opportunities.
CCAs and programmes
Beatty Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Canoeing (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Bowen Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls and Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Media Resource Library (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Taekwondo (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Beatty Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Canoeing (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Stem (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Bowen Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Entrepreneurship (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls and Boys)
- Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Beatty Secondary School and Bowen 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: Beatty Secondary School 2026 · 12–18; Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 12–16. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Beatty Secondary School 2026 · 21–25; Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Beatty Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28.
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.