School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs North Vista 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 | North Vista Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | West | North |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 11 Rivervale Link |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Sengkang, Buangkok, Ranggung |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 18 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 10 |
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), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. North Vista Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Choir (Girls), Community Service (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 4 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. North Vista Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Choir (Girls), Golf (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 North Vista Secondary School: Sengkang, Buangkok, Ranggung. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | North Vista Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 11–18 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–28 |
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.
North Vista Secondary School
The school began in 1956 as Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School, was renamed Thomson Government Chinese Middle School in 1958, and later merged with Thomson Vocational School to become Thomson Secondary. It moved to Sengkang on 15 December 2000 and adopted North Vista Secondary as its English name, retaining 德新中学 in Chinese. The current campus officially opened on 8 July 2003. Old Thomson accounts therefore belong to the school’s history, but may describe a different campus and structure from today’s secondary provision.
The ALP names Cities and Urban Landscapes as its 2026 context. All Secondary 1 pupils take high-tech-farming workshops and hands-on hydroponics to grow edibles. Further experiences with outside organisations depend on interest. BioBloom is a separate tier for selected Infocomm Club members: they work on food-waste conditions for worms and harvest compost for the school’s edible gardens. The page’s Secondary 3 examples include moisture sensors and probes. That club project is more specialised than the common Secondary 1 experience, and should not be assigned to the entire cohort.
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)
North Vista Secondary School
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Community Service (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Golf (Girls and Boys)
- 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)
- Outdoor Adventure (Girls and Boys)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Track and Field (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 North Vista Secondary School
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Golf (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and North Vista 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; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 11–18. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; North Vista Secondary School 2026 · 25–28.
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.