School MattersCanberra Secondary School vs Gan Eng Seng School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Canberra Secondary School | Gan Eng Seng 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 | 51 Sembawang Drive | 1 Henderson Road |
| Nearest MRT | Sembawang | Redhill, Tiong Bahru |
| Listed CCAs | 16 | 1 |
| DSA listings | 4 | 9 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 0 CCA listings. Canberra Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Gan Eng Seng School also lists National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys), 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. Canberra Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Media Arts / Film / Photography (Girls and Boys), Robotics (Girls and Boys), Volleyball (Girls and Boys), which do not appear in the other school's records. Gan Eng Seng School also lists Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), English Drama (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 Canberra Secondary School: Sembawang; for Gan Eng Seng School: Redhill, Tiong Bahru. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Canberra Secondary School | Gan Eng Seng School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 17–22 | 2026 · 9–15 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–25 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–29 | 2026 · 25–27 |
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
Canberra Secondary School
Canberra Secondary was established in 2000, first operating at what is now Sembawang Secondary before moving to 51 Sembawang Drive. MOE’s history records digital-media niche status in 2012 and the introduction of its digital-media ALP and community-leadership LLP in 2015. Teachers were designated Character Coaches in 2018. These milestones provide context for the current programmes; they are not a comparison of the school’s results or pastoral effectiveness with other schools.
The current Visual Arts, Design and Media ALP moves from finding a community need to planning, making and communicating through photos and video. Cohort 1 focuses on photography, editing and photo journals; Cohort 2 covers storyboarding, videography and video editing. Projects explore themes such as sustainability, food and health, and a diverse society. The school distinguishes Tier 1 knowledge-building from Tier 2 personal projects through the Digital Media in Visual Arts CCA, so the CCA extension should not be assumed for everyone.
Gan Eng Seng School
Gan Eng Seng founded the Anglo-Chinese Free School in Tanjong Pagar shophouses in 1885 for children from poor families. It became a government school in 1938, reopened after the war in 1946, and eventually moved to its present Henderson Road campus in 2001. Its history also records participation in the Full Subject-Based Banding pilot in 2020. The present secondary school is distinct from Gan Eng Seng Primary: the shared founder's name does not make their programmes or parent experiences interchangeable.
Probes, the STEM Applied Learning Programme, combines sustainability with digitalisation and coding. Published examples include designing water-purification processes and tending edible gardens. Secondary 1 pupils undertake Code for Fun with Micro:bits and exposure to artificial intelligence, then design a solution to a given problem. Design thinking is also used in projects and alternative assessments. Pupils showing particular interest and potential may be selected for Tier 2 competitions. Those additional opportunities are separate from the general programme; participation alone does not establish independent proficiency in coding.
CCAs and programmes
Canberra Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Digital Media (Girls and Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Girls and Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Taekwondo (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Gan Eng Seng School
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Canberra Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Media Arts / Film / Photography (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Gan Eng Seng School
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Stem (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Canberra Secondary School and Gan Eng Seng 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: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 17–22; Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 9–15. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 21–25; Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 25–29; Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 25–27.
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.