School MattersBowen Secondary School vs New Town Secondary 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 | New Town Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | North | West |
| Address | 2 Lorong Napiri | 1020 Dover Road |
| Nearest MRT | Hougang, Serangoon, Sengkang | Dover, Clementi |
| Listed CCAs | 19 | 15 |
| DSA listings | 5 | 6 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 8 CCA listings. Bowen Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), English Drama (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. New Town Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Fencing (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.
- 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. New Town Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Fencing (Girls and Boys), Guzheng Ensemble (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 New Town Secondary School: Dover, Clementi. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Bowen Secondary School | New Town Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 12–16 | 2026 · 14–20 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 26–30 |
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.
New Town Secondary School
New Town Secondary began on 2 January 1965 to serve Queenstown families, initially drawing pupils from several existing schools and language streams. It officially opened in September 1966. Technical education followed in 1969, when Baharuddin Vocational School merged with it. The school became single-session in 1992 and made its symbolic move to Dover Road in November 1998, with the new campus officially opened in 2000. Its current digital-communication and leadership programmes should be read as present provision, rather than assuming all earlier niches or pre-university classes still operate.
The current ALP, Digital Communicators, Change Makers, gives Sec 1 smartphone-photography workshops during curriculum time, including composition and camera basics. Sec 2 adds stop-motion animation, storytelling and storyboarding. Interest-based work through Infocomm and Art and Crafts CCAs includes photography, video and advertising, with media-literacy workshops or learning journeys for selected pupils. Digital work is linked to art and humanities and can involve community partners. This gives a specific sequence of learning without treating every pupil as enrolled in the same advanced media programme.
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)
New Town Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Fencing (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- 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)
- Softball (Girls)
- Table Tennis (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 New Town Secondary School
- Basketball (Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Fencing (Girls and Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Visual Arts (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Bowen Secondary School and New Town 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: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 12–16; New Town Secondary School 2026 · 14–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; New Town Secondary School 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; New Town Secondary School 2026 · 26–30.
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.