School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Nan Hua 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 | Nan Hua High School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | SAP · Autonomous |
| Zone | West | West |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 41 Clementi Avenue 1 |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Clementi |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 24 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 17 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 10 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Dragon Boat (Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Football (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Nan Hua High School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys), Chinese Drama (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 7 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Coding (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Football (Boys), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Nan Hua High School also lists Chinese Calligraphy (Girls and Boys), Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Chinese and Modern 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.
- Programme tags
- Commonwealth Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed; Nan Hua 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 Nan Hua High School: Clementi. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Nan Hua High School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 5M–10M |
| 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.
Nan Hua High School
Nan Hwa Girls’ School began on Coleman Street in 1917 as a Chinese-medium school supported by Cantonese businessmen. It added secondary classes in 1957 and became fully secondary in 1964. Following relocation to Clementi, it became a co-educational English-medium school in 1984. SAP status followed in 2000; the current Clementi Avenue 1 premises opened for operations in January 2004. It became Nan Hua High and autonomous in 2006, introducing its Bicultural Programme in 2009. This is the secondary school’s history and should be kept distinct from Nan Hua Primary.
The science department says STEM Playground participation is offered during curriculum time to all pupils. It gives examples from the 2025 challenges: a chemical-reaction boat made from recycled bottles and a slow-descending paper helicopter. Beyond these shared experiences, the page describes external competitions and a student physics presentation on water’s surface tension. Such examples show both practical classroom exploration and opportunities for further interest. Awards belong to the participating teams; they should not be treated as a measure of every child’s science attainment or an automatic competition place.
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)
Nan Hua High School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Design and Innovation (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Harp Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (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 Nan Hua High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Calligraphy (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese and Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Debating (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Harp Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Nan Hua 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; Nan Hua High School 2026 · 5M–10M. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Nan Hua High School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Nan Hua 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.