School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Dunman Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Dunman Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Autonomous |
| Zone | West | East |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 21 Tampines Street 45 |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Tampines East |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 17 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 9 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 9 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Dunman Secondary School also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls), Guitar Ensemble (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 3 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Dunman Secondary School also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls), 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 Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi; for Dunman Secondary School: Tampines East. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Dunman Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 6–14 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 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
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.
Dunman Secondary School
Dunman Secondary began at Haig Road in 1963 as Dunman Integrated Secondary School, initially with three language streams. It moved to Tampines Street 45 in 1990 and gained autonomous status in 2000. MOE records its Life Sciences Training and Research Centre and East Zone science-innovation role from 2001. The original language streams and former pre-university classes are history. Families should distinguish this Tampines secondary school from Dunman High’s SAP and six-year IP arrangements; the similar English names do not imply the same curriculum.
STEMviaDT describes applying design thinking to real-world challenges, with previous projects including a karaoke app and an essential-services app for seniors. The talent-development page separately records ELIXiR+ examples such as upcycling jeans into bags, hydroponics, a load-bearing-chair challenge and competition training. Its primary-school outreach and old 2022 DSA criteria should not be mistaken for an enrolled secondary pupil’s entitlement. The examples illustrate possible work; the pages do not establish that every pupil does every specialist activity or follows one fixed project timetable.
CCAs and programmes
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)
Dunman Secondary School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Boys)
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)
Listed DSA programmes at Dunman Secondary School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Stem (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Dunman 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: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Dunman Secondary School 2026 · 6–14. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Dunman Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Dunman 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.