School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Maris Stella 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 | Maris Stella High School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Boys' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | SAP · Autonomous |
| Zone | West | North |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 25 Mount Vernon Road |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Bartley |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 18 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 18 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 1 CCA listing. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Maris Stella High School also lists Badminton (Boys), Bowling (Boys), Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (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. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Maris Stella High School also lists Badminton (Boys), Bowling (Boys), Chinese Language (Boys), Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- Commonwealth Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed; Maris Stella High School: SAP. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi; for Maris Stella High School: Bartley. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Maris Stella High School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 7M–12 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 4M–16 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-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
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.
Maris Stella High School
Maris Stella plans to rebuild its Mount Vernon campuses from 2027 to 2029. Its secondary section will use the former Bedok North Secondary School site; the primary section uses a different site. The 2027 information page sets an 8am start for Sec 1–4 pupils, superseding the 7.30am routine in its general admission FAQ for that period. Return to Mount Vernon is tentatively in 2030. The secondary school remains all-boys: the move towards co-education is a primary-section change. Families should plan travel to the secondary holding campus.
Brother Chanel Soon founded Maris Stella in 1958 in borrowed classrooms at St Stephen’s, initially with both primary and secondary classes. It moved to Mount Vernon in 1967; the secondary section became a SAP school in 1979 and autonomous in 1996. The current FAQ welcomes pupils of all faiths. Some assembly activities introduce Catholic traditions to all students, while additional Catholic camps and masses are described as optional for non-Catholics. Families can discuss those arrangements directly instead of assuming either religious membership or complete absence of faith-related activities.
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)
Maris Stella High School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Bowling (Boys)
- Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
- Concert Band (Boys)
- English Culture and Language (Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
- Outdoor Adventure (Boys)
- Robotics (Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Softball (Boys)
- St John Brigade (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Taekwondo (Boys)
- Wushu (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 Maris Stella High School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Bowling (Boys)
- Chinese Language (Boys)
- Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
- Concert Band (Boys)
- English Literary - Debate and Scrabble (Boys)
- Leadership (Boys)
- Media Arts / Film / Photography (Boys)
- Robotics (Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Softball (Boys)
- Sport Climbing (Boys)
- Stem (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Taekwondo (Boys)
- Wushu (Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Maris Stella 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; Maris Stella High School 2026 · 7M–12. PG3 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Maris Stella High School 2026 · 4M–16. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Maris Stella High School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Maris Stella 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.