School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Punggol 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 | Punggol Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | West | East |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 51 Edgefield Plains |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Punggol, Cove |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 3 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 10 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Dragon Boat (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Punggol Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys), Community Service (Rotary-Sponsored) (Girls and Boys), English Language, Drama and Debating (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 2 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Punggol Secondary School also lists Volleyball (Girls and 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 Punggol Secondary School: Punggol, Cove. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Punggol Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 13–19 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| 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.
Punggol Secondary School
Punggol Secondary traces its beginnings to the Chinese-medium Singapore Girls’ Vocational High School on Oxley Road in 1957. It moved to Toa Payoh East in 1977 and became Pei Dao Secondary the following year, introducing English-stream classes and admitting boys. Government-school status followed in 1986. The move to Punggol and the present English name came in 2001. MOE’s history says the school retained its Chinese name, linking this decision to its emphasis on character development. Its environmental learning and community-leadership programmes were introduced in 2015.
The July 2026 Applied Learning Programme page describes work with Science Centre to develop block-programming lessons for a smart hydroponic system. Students use technology to monitor plant growth; the page also shows vermicomposting and learning about plants and animals at Sungei Buloh. It reports participation in the Singapore Institute of Technology Community Challenge and team awards, without dating that competition or establishing that every pupil attends it. These examples make the school’s environmental focus tangible, while leaving participation and the current level-by-level timetable to be confirmed.
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)
Punggol Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Rotary-Sponsored) (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Volleyball (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 Punggol Secondary School
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Punggol 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; Punggol Secondary School 2026 · 13–19. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Punggol Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Punggol 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.