School MattersBowen Secondary School vs Holy Innocents' High School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | Holy Innocents' High School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | North | South |
| Address | 2 Lorong Napiri | 1191 Upper Serangoon Road |
| Nearest MRT | Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang | Hougang |
| Listed CCAs | 19 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 5 | 9 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 9 CCA listings. Bowen Secondary School also lists Boys' Brigade (Boys), Football (Girls and Boys), Girl Guides (Girls), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Bowling (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Chinese Weiqi (Girls and Boys), Community Service (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. 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. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Basketball (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. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Bowen Secondary School: Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang; for Holy Innocents' High School: Hougang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | Holy Innocents' High School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 12–16 | 2026 · 11–14 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 13–22 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 23–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–27 |
| PG1 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 26–28 |
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.
Holy Innocents' High School
Holy Innocents’ High traces its origins to a Chinese mission school founded in 1892 under the name Tao Nan. Its history records the change to Holy Innocents’ Chinese Boys School in 1920 and the introduction of secondary classes and the High School name in 1958. The primary section moved to its separate premises in 1985. This is why the primary school and the present secondary school should not share reviews indiscriminately. Later milestones include journalism and broadcasting in 2012, the establishment of ALP and LLP in 2014, and the indoor sports hall in 2017.
The school makes Applied Learning Modules available from Secondary 2 onwards, with up to three enrolments across a student’s secondary years. The page connects Secondary 2 module choices with the subject-selection exercise. Examples range from electronics and architecture at ITE to chemistry, analytics and consumer research at polytechnics, alongside school-based vendor modules. These are examples of provision, not a promise that every module runs for every cohort. Families can ask which choices are available now, how places are allocated and whether there are additional costs or timetable commitments.
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)
Holy Innocents' High School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Bowling (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Weiqi (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Football (Boys)
- Journalism (Girls and Boys)
- Media Resource Library (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Scouts (Boys)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- 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)
Listed DSA programmes at Holy Innocents' High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Media/Journalism (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Bowen Secondary School and Holy Innocents' High 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: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 12–16; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 11–14. PG3 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 13–22. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 21–24. PG2 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 23–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 25–27. PG1 · Affiliated: Bowen Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 26–28.
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.