School MattersCHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School vs River Valley High School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School | River Valley High School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Girls' School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | IP · SAP · Autonomous | IP · SAP · Autonomous |
| Zone | North | West |
| Address | 501 Ang Mo Kio Street 13 | 6 Boon Lay Avenue |
| Nearest MRT | Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Mayflower | Boon Lay, Lakeside |
| Listed CCAs | 26 | 22 |
| DSA listings | 18 | 16 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 2 CCA listings. CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls), Artistic Gymnastics (Girls), Badminton (Girls), Chinese Culture and Language (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. River Valley High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (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. Nicholas Girls' School also lists Artistic Gymnastics (Girls), Artistic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP, Badminton (Girls), Badminton (Girls) - IP and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. River Valley High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys) - IP, Basketball (Boys) - IP, Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) - IP, Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys) - IP 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. Nicholas Girls' School: Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Mayflower; for River Valley High School: Boon Lay, Lakeside. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School | River Valley High School |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 4D–7M | 2026 · 4M–9M |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 6M–8M | Not listed |
| PG3 · Affiliated | 2026 · 7M–14 | 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. Nicholas Girls' School
St Nicholas began on 16 January 1933 as Victoria Girls’ School, a Chinese-medium primary school started by the Infant Jesus sisters with 40 pupils. Secondary classes followed in 1938–1939. The school became a SAP school in 1979, moved to Ang Mo Kio Street 13 in 1985 and introduced its Joint Integrated Programme in 2013. These milestones help explain the combination families encounter today: a Catholic school identity alongside a substantial Chinese-language and cultural programme.
The 2026 DSA notice distinguishes the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate Programme (SP) from the Joint Integrated Programme (JIP) for the 2027 intake. JIP students spend four years at St Nicholas before two at Eunoia Junior College and the A Levels. The school shares the JIP partnership with Catholic High and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School. The notice also requires applicants to offer Chinese or Higher Chinese in primary school, excluding those exempted from these subjects at PSLE.
River Valley High School
River Valley High was established in 1956 and adopted the River Valley name after moving to Jalan Kuala in 1958. MOE records SAP status from 1979, autonomous status from 1994 and the Integrated Programme from 2006. It moved to its current Boon Lay Avenue premises in 2010. Today’s six-year programme runs through A Levels in the school’s own JC section. Secondary and JC activities share one school name, so a Year 1 family needs to check which opportunities apply at the secondary stage.
The school’s FAQ says primary-school Higher Chinese is not a prerequisite for admission, but all secondary pupils take Higher Chinese in S1–4. It lists after-school Chinese support for pupils who struggle and enrichment for developing interest in the language. The FAQ also says promotion criteria apply between levels. Its description of a seamless programme should therefore not be interpreted as automatic progression regardless of attainment. Families can ask for the current criteria and the support offered when a child finds the pace or language demands difficult.
CCAs and programmes
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School
- Art and Crafts (Girls)
- Artistic Gymnastics (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Chinese Culture and Language (Girls)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Chinese Drama (Girls)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Community Service (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Girls)
- English Drama (Girls)
- Environmental Science (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Hockey (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls)
- Media Resource Library (Girls)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Publication (Girls)
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls)
- String Ensemble (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Track and Field (Girls)
- Trampoline (Girls)
River Valley High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Softball (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School
- Artistic Gymnastics (Girls)
- Artistic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP
- Badminton (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls) - IP
- Bilingualism (Girls)
- Bilingualism (Girls) - IP
- Hockey (Girls)
- Hockey (Girls) - IP
- Leadership (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls) - IP
- Netball (Girls)
- Netball (Girls) - IP
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Girls)
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls) - IP
- Track and Field (Girls)
- Track and Field (Girls) - IP
Listed DSA programmes at River Valley High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Basketball (Boys) - IP
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Chinese Painting (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Choir (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Floorball (Girls) - IP
- Leadership (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Netball (Girls) - IP
- Robotics (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Scientific Investigation (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Softball (Girls) - IP
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Volleyball (Girls) - IP
- Wushu (Girls and Boys) - IP
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School and River Valley High 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?
IP · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 4D–7M; River Valley High School 2026 · 4M–9M. PG3 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 6M–8M; River Valley High School Not listed. PG3 · Affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 7M–14; River Valley High 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.