School Matters

Getting things ready

Commonwealth Secondary School vs St. Patrick's School

Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.

At a glance

CompareCommonwealth Secondary SchoolSt. Patrick's School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolBoys' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsAutonomousNot listed
ZoneWestEast
Address698 West Coast Road490 East Coast Road
Nearest MRTJurong East, ClementiMarine Terrace
Listed CCAs2018
DSA listings1317

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 3 CCA listings. 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. St. Patrick's School also lists Badminton (Boys), Concert Band (Boys), Cricket (Boys), English Drama (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), 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. St. Patrick's School also lists Badminton (Boys), Community Youth Leadership (Boys), Computational Thinking Skills (Boys), Concert Band (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 St. Patrick's School: Marine Terrace. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareCommonwealth Secondary SchoolSt. Patrick's School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 8–132026 · 11
PG3 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 13–20
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–232026 · 21–22
PG2 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–282026 · 25–27
PG1 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 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.

St. Patrick's School

St Patrick’s began in 1933 as a branch of St Joseph’s Institution before becoming a school in its own right. Its building was used as a hospital and then a Japanese administrative facility during the war, returning to the La Salle Brothers in 1946. The primary section separated to become St Stephen’s School in 1957. A co-educational pre-university period ended with a return to an all-boys school in 1978. Its 90th anniversary was celebrated in 2023. The Catholic ethos includes prayers, reflections, Masses and Catholic societies; families should clarify how these experiences apply to pupils of different faiths.

The Music and Music Technology LLP introduces all lower-secondary pupils to instrumental skills, performance and digital music creation. The page describes ukulele group work, a keyboard module involving melody and chords with both hands, and software for arrangements or expressive music cues. Sec 1 orientation includes performances and instrument stations led by Military Band and Guitar Ensemble students. A separate Rock Band Interest Group has weekly guided jamming for interested pupils. Talent shows and lunchtime showcases offer performance platforms, but linked 2021 submissions are historical examples rather than evidence of this year’s event schedule.

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)

St. Patrick's School

  • Badminton (Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Concert Band (Boys)
  • Cricket (Boys)
  • English Drama (Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Golf (Boys)
  • Guitar Ensemble (Boys)
  • Media Resource Library (Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
  • Scouts (Boys)
  • Singapore Youth Flying Club (Boys)
  • Tennis (Boys)
  • Track and Field (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 St. Patrick's School

  • Badminton (Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Community Youth Leadership (Boys)
  • Computational Thinking Skills (Boys)
  • Concert Band (Boys)
  • Cricket (Boys)
  • English Drama (Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Golf (Boys)
  • Guitar Ensemble (Boys)
  • Media/Journalism (Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
  • Scouts (Boys)
  • Tennis (Boys)
  • Track and Field (Boys)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and St. Patrick's 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; St. Patrick's School 2026 · 11. PG3 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; St. Patrick's School 2026 · 13–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; St. Patrick's School 2026 · 21–22. PG2 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; St. Patrick's School 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; St. Patrick's School 2026 · 25–27. PG1 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; St. Patrick's 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.