School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Holy Innocents' High 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 | Holy Innocents' High School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | West | South |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 1191 Upper Serangoon Road |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Hougang |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 9 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 9 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Dragon Boat (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Chinese Weiqi (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 5 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Coding (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), English Drama (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Leadership (Girls and Boys), Media/Journalism (Girls and Boys), Scouts (Boys), 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 Holy Innocents' High School: Hougang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Holy Innocents' High School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 11–14 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 13–22 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 23–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–27 |
| PG1 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 26–28 |
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.
Holy Innocents' High School
Holy Innocents’ High traces its origins to a Chinese mission school founded in 1892 under the name Tao Nan. Its history records the change to Holy Innocents’ Chinese Boys School in 1920 and the introduction of secondary classes and the High School name in 1958. The primary section moved to its separate premises in 1985. This is why the primary school and the present secondary school should not share reviews indiscriminately. Later milestones include journalism and broadcasting in 2012, the establishment of ALP and LLP in 2014, and the indoor sports hall in 2017.
The school makes Applied Learning Modules available from Secondary 2 onwards, with up to three enrolments across a student’s secondary years. The page connects Secondary 2 module choices with the subject-selection exercise. Examples range from electronics and architecture at ITE to chemistry, analytics and consumer research at polytechnics, alongside school-based vendor modules. These are examples of provision, not a promise that every module runs for every cohort. Families can ask which choices are available now, how places are allocated and whether there are additional costs or timetable commitments.
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)
Holy Innocents' High School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Bowling (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Weiqi (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Football (Boys)
- Journalism (Girls and Boys)
- Media Resource Library (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Scouts (Boys)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Wushu (Girls and 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 Holy Innocents' High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Media/Journalism (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Holy Innocents' 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?
PG3 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 11–14. PG3 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 13–22. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 21–24. PG2 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 23–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 25–27. PG1 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 26–28.
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.