School MattersCHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School vs Riverside 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. Nicholas Girls' School | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Girls' School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | IP · SAP · Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | North | North |
| Address | 501 Ang Mo Kio Street 13 | 3 Woodlands Street 81 |
| Nearest MRT | Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Mayflower | Woodlands |
| Listed CCAs | 26 | 22 |
| DSA listings | 18 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 1 CCA listing. 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. Riverside Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (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. 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. Riverside Secondary School also lists Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School: IP / SAP; Riverside Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School: Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Mayflower; for Riverside Secondary School: Woodlands. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 4D–7M | Not listed |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 6M–8M | 2026 · 8–14 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | 2026 · 7M–14 | Not listed |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 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
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.
Riverside Secondary School
Riverside Secondary’s own history says it began in 1987 at Fuchun Secondary’s premises before moving to 3 Woodlands Street 81 that December. It became single-session in 1999 and returned to its upgraded campus in 2004 after a holding-site period. Its history records a 2020 Full Subject-Based Banding pilot and Tamil Language Elective Programme provision. Older heritage material describes an Arts for Life LLP; the present programme page instead identifies Digital Citizenship. Historical programme names should therefore be kept separate from current provision.
The ALP, Global Citizenship Education through Critical Social Inquiry, uses UN Sustainable Development Goals to explore global issues and affected communities. Its page gives a dated 2025 Riverside Model United Nations example focused on technology, sustainability and inclusion, with stakeholder perspectives and proposed resolutions. VIA separately asks pupils to understand community needs, plan, act and reflect. These descriptions show an inquiry-and-service approach; they do not establish that every pupil attends the same forum or takes the same community role.
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)
Riverside Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Softball (Girls)
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 Riverside Secondary School
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys)
- Media (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School and Riverside 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?
IP · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 4D–7M; Riverside Secondary School Not listed. PG3 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 6M–8M; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 8–14. PG3 · Affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School 2026 · 7M–14; Riverside Secondary School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School Not listed; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School Not listed; Riverside 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.