School Matters

Getting things ready

Beatty Secondary School vs St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

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

At a glance

CompareBeatty Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
School typeCo-Ed SchoolGirls' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedAutonomous
ZoneSouthSouth
Address1 Toa Payoh North111 Farrer Road
Nearest MRTBraddell, Toa PayohFarrer Road
Listed CCAs1721
DSA listings1316

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 1 CCA listing. Beatty Secondary School also lists Boys' Brigade (Boys), Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Art and Crafts (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls) 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 0 DSA programme listings. Beatty Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls) 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 Beatty Secondary School: Braddell, Toa Payoh; for St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareBeatty Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 12–182026 · 8–11
PG3 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 10–20
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–252026 · 21–23
PG2 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–282026 · 25–26
PG1 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 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.

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

St Margaret’s traces its roots to Maria Dyer’s 1842 home and school for homeless girls in North Bridge Road. The school moved to Sophia Road in 1861 and adopted the St Margaret’s name after the Second World War. A separate secondary campus was completed at Farrer Road in 1960 and officially opened in 1963. Redevelopment began in 1998, with a temporary move to Commonwealth Avenue before returning in December 2000; the rebuilt campus was officially opened in 2002. From January 2023, the primary and secondary schools adopted the St Margaret’s School names to reflect their shared heritage. The primary school’s recent Sophia Road return is a separate campus story.

The Arts Education Programme targets all students through assembly performances and post-examination workshops, with examples including gamelan, creative movement, manga art and storytelling. Enhanced Music is a separate two-year upper-secondary course for students with musical potential and interest. Sec 2 applicants are directed to their Music teacher in Term 3; selection includes aural tests and recordings of two contrasting pieces. The page also describes a written test and audition, so confirm the current procedure. It still names the O-Level examination: incoming cohorts should check their applicable examination and subject requirements. Choir, String Ensemble and Concert Band support Music opportunities but do not guarantee EMP admission.

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)

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Art and Crafts (Girls)
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)

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 St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)
  • Visual Arts (Girls)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Beatty Secondary School and St. Margaret's School (Secondary)?

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; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Beatty Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Beatty Secondary School 2026 · 21–25; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Beatty Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Beatty Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Beatty Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 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.