School MattersCanberra Secondary School vs Naval Base Secondary 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 | Naval Base 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 | North |
| Address | 51 Sembawang Drive | 901 Yishun Ring Road |
| Nearest MRT | Sembawang | Khatib |
| Listed CCAs | 16 | 14 |
| DSA listings | 4 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 5 CCA listings. Canberra Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Digital Media (Girls and Boys), Girls' Brigade (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Naval Base Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls), English Drama (Girls and Boys), Football (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. 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. Naval Base Secondary School also lists Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys), Leadership (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 Naval Base Secondary School: Khatib. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Canberra Secondary School | Naval Base Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 17–22 | 2026 · 13–19 |
| 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.
Naval Base Secondary School
Naval Base Secondary traces its beginnings to 1957, when the British Navy provided land at Bah Tan Road for children of naval-base employees. It was initially a full school; the primary section moved to Canberra School in 1968 and it adopted its secondary-school name. It moved to Yishun Ring Road in July 1988. After a temporary holding site during upgrading, it returned in December 2009 to a campus designed as a garden and giant art gallery. The current art curriculum gives that historical emphasis a practical teaching context.
Lower-secondary pupils have the General Art Programme. Upper-secondary pupils taking art receive the two-year Enhanced Art Programme during curriculum time, with art offered at G1, G2 or G3. The school describes artist mentorship, talks, two art studios, ceramics space and an in-house gallery. Its wider learning framework separates broad experiences from interest-based development and selected advanced opportunities, while also identifying pupils who need structured intervention. EAP access should be read as provision for upper-secondary art students, rather than an extra specialist subject automatically taken by the entire cohort.
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)
Naval Base Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls and Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- 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)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and 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 Naval Base Secondary School
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Visual Arts (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Canberra Secondary School and Naval Base 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: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 17–22; Naval Base Secondary School 2026 · 13–19. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 21–25; Naval Base Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Canberra Secondary School 2026 · 25–29; Naval Base Secondary 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.