School MattersBowen Secondary School vs Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Autonomous |
| Zone | North | South |
| Address | 2 Lorong Napiri | 102 Dover Road |
| Nearest MRT | Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang | Buona Vista, One-North |
| Listed CCAs | 19 | 18 |
| DSA listings | 5 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 7 CCA listings. Bowen Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls and Boys), Girl Guides (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Football (Boys), Girls' Brigade (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 1 DSA programme listing. 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. Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) also lists Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (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 Bowen Secondary School: Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang; for Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary): Buona Vista, One-North. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 12–16 | 2026 · 6–11 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 6–20 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 21–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–27 |
| 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.
Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
Fairfield's origins lie in Sophia Blackmore's 1888 class for eight Peranakan girls. In 1983 it moved to Dover Road and became two co-educational schools. The secondary school went single-session in 1995 and gained autonomous status in 1996. Its current history explains the shared name, badge and Methodist mission, including the One Fairfield alignment in 2011. These links do not make the primary and secondary programmes interchangeable. The secondary school's rules explicitly describe daily devotions after the national anthem and pledge; families should understand how religious activities fit into school life.
The Full SBB page records mixed form classes for the 2023 Secondary 1 intake, sharing Art, CCE, Design and Technology, Food and Consumer Education, Music and PE. It also describes opportunities to take History at a more demanding level. However, the detailed thresholds refer to 2022 marks and older Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) arrangements. A 2026 webpage update does not make those thresholds current for a new intake. Parents should request the incoming cohort's subject-level criteria and review arrangements instead of planning from the historical examples.
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)
Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Journalism (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Student Leadership (Council) (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (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)
Listed DSA programmes at Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Bowen Secondary School and Fairfield Methodist 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: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 12–16; Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 6–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 6–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 21. PG2 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–27. PG1 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Fairfield Methodist 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.