School MattersCHIJ St. Joseph's Convent vs Commonwealth Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent | Commonwealth Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Girls' School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Autonomous |
| Zone | North | West |
| Address | 62 Sengkang East Way | 698 West Coast Road |
| Nearest MRT | Sengkang | Jurong East, Clementi |
| Listed CCAs | 19 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 7 | 13 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 2 CCA listings. CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent also lists Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls), Badminton (Girls), Choir (Girls), Community Service (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Choir (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. CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent also lists Choir (Girls), Concert Band (Girls), Debate and Theatre (Girls), Leadership (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Coding (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 CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent: Sengkang; for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent | Commonwealth Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–14 | 2026 · 8–13 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | 2026 · 11–20 | Not listed |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | 2026 · 21–25 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–28 |
| PG1 · Affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | Not 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
CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
The school began at Flower Road in 1938 with 21 pupils, one nun and two teachers. Its primary section was later phased out, and it moved to Sengkang in 2000; the new school was officially opened in 2003. MOE’s history and the school’s own chronology disagree on the precise year of the earlier Hillside move and completion of the primary phase-out. Those disputed years are omitted here, rather than combined into a misleadingly precise timeline.
The four-year Applied Learning Programme, The Art of Communication Through Theatre and Debates, runs across the school. It connects speech and drama with English, Literature and Mother Tongue work: published examples include analysing stories, storyboarding, vlogs, speeches and discussions. Students also encounter performances, workshops and competitions. These are different kinds of participation; a class task does not imply a place in an external competition. Families interested in public speaking can ask how the classroom sequence leads to those additional opportunities.
Commonwealth Secondary School
Commonwealth Secondary began in 1964 as Tanglin Integrated Vocational Secondary School. It became Tanglin Secondary in 1969 and Commonwealth Secondary in 1972, commemorating the previous year's Commonwealth heads-of-government meeting in Singapore. It moved through two Jurong East campuses before reaching West Coast Road in 2006. Autonomous status dates to 1995, followed by recognised environmental-education and design-and-innovation centres in 2008 and 2016. This history helps explain its current mix of practical making, environmental learning and performing arts.
The eco-stewardship curriculum describes Geography water-quality investigations in the stream and wetland, Science farm-to-table work, and hydroponic design in Craft and Technology. Campus spaces include a rainforest, marine aquarium, plant nursery and indoor and outdoor farms. These are concrete learning settings; the pages do not give a fixed fieldwork allocation for every cohort. CCA projects also link sustainability with community partners and causes such as responsible consumption or animal welfare. Parents can ask how often students use these spaces within ordinary lessons.
CCAs and programmes
CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
- Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Community Service (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Food and Consumer Education (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls)
- Handbell Ensemble (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- Modular CCA (Sports) (Girls)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Shooting (Girls)
- Speech and Drama (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Broadcasting (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Dragon Boat (Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Indian Dance (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)
- Percussion Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Debate and Theatre (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Coding (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent and Commonwealth 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: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 8–14; Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13. PG3 · Affiliated: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 11–20; Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 21–23; Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 21–25; Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 25–28; Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28. PG1 · Affiliated: CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent 2026 · 25–28; Commonwealth 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.