School Matters

Getting things ready

Bowen Secondary School vs Tanjong Katong Secondary School

Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.

At a glance

CompareBowen Secondary SchoolTanjong Katong Secondary School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedAutonomous
ZoneNorthEast
Address2 Lorong Napiri130 Haig Road
Nearest MRTHougang, Serangoon, SengkangPaya Lebar, Dakota
Listed CCAs1917
DSA listings55

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 7 CCA listings. Bowen Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Football (Girls and Boys), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Tanjong Katong Secondary School also lists Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys), Floorball (Girls), Football (Boys), Marching 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.
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. Tanjong Katong Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Floorball (Girls), Football (Boys), Malay Language (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 Tanjong Katong Secondary School: Paya Lebar, Dakota. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareBowen Secondary SchoolTanjong Katong Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 12–162026 · 7–13
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–242026 · 21–23
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–28Not listed

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.

Tanjong Katong Secondary School

TK began as Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical School in 1956, initially serving boys. It admitted girls and introduced pre-university classes in the 1960s, dropped Technical from its name in 1993 and moved to Haig Road in 1998. It gained autonomous status in 2004. The band traces one branch to a 26-member brass band in 1965, later combined with TKGS before separating in 1989. The band page’s display awards and overseas competition examples are dated historical achievements, not a current ranking or a promise of opportunities for each new member.

The EMAS page describes a four-year programme linked to Higher Malay, with language and cultural workshops by level. TK pupils taking Higher Malay are included in EMAS; outside pupils attend the school’s Higher Malay lessons under a separate arrangement. MLEP-Sec is a different two-year upper-secondary pathway involving Malay literature. The school describes a choice for EMAS pupils to continue or switch, and entry criteria for other applicants. Its MLEP page still refers to O-Level subjects and JC incentives, so confirm current cohort requirements directly. Camps, immersion, scholarships and progression should not be assumed merely from enrolment at TK.

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)

Tanjong Katong Secondary School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Scouts (Boys)
  • Shooting (Girls and Boys)
  • Track and Field (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 Tanjong Katong Secondary School

  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Malay Language (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Bowen Secondary School and Tanjong Katong 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; Tanjong Katong Secondary School 2026 · 7–13. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Tanjong Katong Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Bowen Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Tanjong Katong Secondary School Not listed.

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.