School MattersBoon Lay Secondary School vs Commonwealth Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Boon Lay Secondary School | Commonwealth Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Autonomous |
| Zone | West | West |
| Address | 11 Jurong West Street 65 | 698 West Coast Road |
| Nearest MRT | Boon Lay | Jurong East, Clementi |
| Listed CCAs | 16 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 13 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 9 CCA listings. Boon Lay Secondary School also lists Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Dragon Boat (Boys), Environmental Science (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 7 DSA programme listings. Boon Lay Secondary School also lists Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Digital Media (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls), Leadership (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Coding (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Football (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 Boon Lay Secondary School: Boon Lay; for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Boon Lay Secondary School | Commonwealth Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 7–22 | 2026 · 8–13 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 22–25 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 26–30 | 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
Boon Lay Secondary School
Boon Lay Secondary merged with Pioneer Secondary in 2017. Its heritage garden and gallery retain both histories rather than suggesting that the combined school was newly founded that year. The school describes a replica of the Wisdom Bridge, originally built with students’ involvement in 1978, and Ng Eng Teng’s Unity sculpture, unveiled in 1995. The latter also inspired the school logo. These are tangible connections to the two schools’ past that a visitor can look for near the entrance and General Office.
The handbook effective from 29 June 2026 says pupils’ school experiences are organised around CCA groups, with CCA mentors acting as form teachers and guiding the same group through secondary school. NIE’s September 2023 SingTeach feature explains the CCA-Family and CCE-Level structures: juniors and seniors interact, and different CCAs can be paired, such as Boys’ Brigade and Contemporary Dance. The current directory lists 16 CCAs, some with gender restrictions. A family should therefore understand allocation and mentoring arrangements as well as the activity itself.
- History
- Boon Lay Secondary Student Handbook2026 (effective29June)
- NIE SingTeach: school explanation of CCA-centric model
- CCA Families
Commonwealth Secondary School
Commonwealth Secondary began in 1964 as Tanglin Integrated Vocational Secondary School. It became Tanglin Secondary in 1969 and Commonwealth Secondary in 1972, commemorating the previous year's Commonwealth heads-of-government meeting in Singapore. It moved through two Jurong East campuses before reaching West Coast Road in 2006. Autonomous status dates to 1995, followed by recognised environmental-education and design-and-innovation centres in 2008 and 2016. This history helps explain its current mix of practical making, environmental learning and performing arts.
The eco-stewardship curriculum describes Geography water-quality investigations in the stream and wetland, Science farm-to-table work, and hydroponic design in Craft and Technology. Campus spaces include a rainforest, marine aquarium, plant nursery and indoor and outdoor farms. These are concrete learning settings; the pages do not give a fixed fieldwork allocation for every cohort. CCA projects also link sustainability with community partners and causes such as responsible consumption or animal welfare. Parents can ask how often students use these spaces within ordinary lessons.
CCAs and programmes
Boon Lay Secondary School
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (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)
- Netball (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Broadcasting (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Dragon Boat (Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Indian Dance (Girls)
- 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)
- Percussion Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Boon Lay Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Digital Media (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Theatre (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Coding (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Boon Lay Secondary School and Commonwealth 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: Boon Lay Secondary School 2026 · 7–22; Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Boon Lay Secondary School 2026 · 22–25; Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Boon Lay Secondary School 2026 · 26–30; Commonwealth 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.