School MattersBowen Secondary School vs CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Girls' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | North | North |
| Address | 2 Lorong Napiri | 62 Sengkang East Way |
| Nearest MRT | Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang | Sengkang |
| Listed CCAs | 19 | 19 |
| DSA listings | 5 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 2 CCA listings. Bowen Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent also lists Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls), Badminton (Girls), Choir (Girls), Community Service (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. Bowen Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys), Entrepreneurship (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent also lists Choir (Girls), Concert Band (Girls), Debate and Theatre (Girls), Leadership (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 Bowen Secondary School: Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang; for CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent: Sengkang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 12–16 | 2026 · 8–14 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 11–20 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 21–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–28 |
| PG1 · Affiliated | Not listed | 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
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.
CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
The school began at Flower Road in 1938 with 21 pupils, one nun and two teachers. Its primary section was later phased out, and it moved to Sengkang in 2000; the new school was officially opened in 2003. MOE’s history and the school’s own chronology disagree on the precise year of the earlier Hillside move and completion of the primary phase-out. Those disputed years are omitted here, rather than combined into a misleadingly precise timeline.
The four-year Applied Learning Programme, The Art of Communication Through Theatre and Debates, runs across the school. It connects speech and drama with English, Literature and Mother Tongue work: published examples include analysing stories, storyboarding, vlogs, speeches and discussions. Students also encounter performances, workshops and competitions. These are different kinds of participation; a class task does not imply a place in an external competition. Families interested in public speaking can ask how the classroom sequence leads to those additional opportunities.
CCAs and programmes
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)
CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
- Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Community Service (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Food and Consumer Education (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls)
- Handbell Ensemble (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- Modular CCA (Sports) (Girls)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Shooting (Girls)
- Speech and Drama (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
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)
Listed DSA programmes at CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Debate and Theatre (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Bowen Secondary School and CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent?
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: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 12–16; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 8–14. PG3 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 11–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 25–28. PG1 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 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.