School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Girls' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | IP |
| Zone | West | South |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 2 Braddell Rise |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Braddell, Caldecott |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 35 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 18 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 2 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. Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) also lists Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls), Art and Crafts (Girls), Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls) 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 0 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. Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls) - IP, Basketball (Girls) - IP, Chinese Language (Girls) - IP, Community Youth Leadership (Girls) - IP 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; Raffles Girls' School (Secondary): IP. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi; for Raffles Girls' School (Secondary): Braddell, Caldecott. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 4–6 |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | Not listed |
| 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.
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
RGS dates its establishment to 1879. Its historical milestones explain that the primary and secondary sections separated in 1959: the secondary section moved to Anderson Road, while the primary section remained at Queen Street as RGPS. RGS and RI introduced the six-year Raffles Programme in 2004. RGS moved from Anderson to Braddell in October 2019. The current admissions overview describes the IP as a six-year commitment and strongly discourages transfers, with transfers to other IP schools allowed only in exceptional circumstances. Families should consider the whole pathway, rather than only Year 1 entry.
The Research Studies curriculum begins with Year 1 skills in inquiry, research design, information literacy and data collection. Year 2 moves into school-based projects, specialised clusters or creative problem-solving, including planning, analysis, report writing and oral presentation. Year 3 intensifies this work and includes public presentation or publication opportunities. The page describes possible external mentorship with universities and other institutions, rather than guaranteeing a particular placement to every pupil. Families can ask how project topics, teams and mentors are allocated, and how research deadlines interact with ordinary subject work.
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)
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
- Angklung/kulintang Ensemble (Girls)
- Art and Crafts (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Girls)
- Environmental Science (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls)
- Handbell Ensemble (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Sea) (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Opera/operatta (Girls)
- Photography (Girls)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls)
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls)
- Sailing (Girls)
- Shooting (Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- Squash (Girls)
- Strategy Games (Girls)
- String Ensemble (Girls)
- Swimming (Girls)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
- Tennis (Girls)
- Track and Field (Girls)
- Trampoline (Girls)
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 Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
- Badminton (Girls) - IP
- Basketball (Girls) - IP
- Chinese Language (Girls) - IP
- Community Youth Leadership (Girls) - IP
- English Language (Girls) - IP
- Malay Language (Girls) - IP
- Mathematics (Girls) - IP
- Music Elective Programme (Girls) - IP
- Netball (Girls) - IP
- Rhythmic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP
- Science (Girls) - IP
- Softball (Girls) - IP
- Squash (Girls) - IP
- Swimming (Girls) - IP
- Table Tennis (Girls) - IP
- Tamil Language (Girls) - IP
- Tennis (Girls) - IP
- Visual Arts (Girls) - IP
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)?
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?
IP · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) 2026 · 4–6. PG3 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) 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.