School Matters

Getting things ready

Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) vs St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

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

At a glance

CompareFairfield Methodist School (Secondary)St. Margaret's School (Secondary)
School typeCo-Ed SchoolGirls' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsAutonomousAutonomous
ZoneSouthSouth
Address102 Dover Road111 Farrer Road
Nearest MRTBuona Vista, One-NorthFarrer Road
Listed CCAs1821
DSA listings716

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 4 CCA listings. Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) also lists Basketball (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Art and Crafts (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (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. Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls) 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 Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary): Buona Vista, One-North; for St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareFairfield Methodist School (Secondary)St. Margaret's School (Secondary)
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 6–112026 · 8–11
PG3 · Affiliated2026 · 6–202026 · 10–20
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 212026 · 21–23
PG2 · Affiliated2026 · 21–252026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–272026 · 25–26
PG1 · Affiliated2026 · 25–282026 · 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

Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)

Fairfield's origins lie in Sophia Blackmore's 1888 class for eight Peranakan girls. In 1983 it moved to Dover Road and became two co-educational schools. The secondary school went single-session in 1995 and gained autonomous status in 1996. Its current history explains the shared name, badge and Methodist mission, including the One Fairfield alignment in 2011. These links do not make the primary and secondary programmes interchangeable. The secondary school's rules explicitly describe daily devotions after the national anthem and pledge; families should understand how religious activities fit into school life.

The Full SBB page records mixed form classes for the 2023 Secondary 1 intake, sharing Art, CCE, Design and Technology, Food and Consumer Education, Music and PE. It also describes opportunities to take History at a more demanding level. However, the detailed thresholds refer to 2022 marks and older Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) arrangements. A 2026 webpage update does not make those thresholds current for a new intake. Parents should request the incoming cohort's subject-level criteria and review arrangements instead of planning from the historical examples.

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

St Margaret’s traces its roots to Maria Dyer’s 1842 home and school for homeless girls in North Bridge Road. The school moved to Sophia Road in 1861 and adopted the St Margaret’s name after the Second World War. A separate secondary campus was completed at Farrer Road in 1960 and officially opened in 1963. Redevelopment began in 1998, with a temporary move to Commonwealth Avenue before returning in December 2000; the rebuilt campus was officially opened in 2002. From January 2023, the primary and secondary schools adopted the St Margaret’s School names to reflect their shared heritage. The primary school’s recent Sophia Road return is a separate campus story.

The Arts Education Programme targets all students through assembly performances and post-examination workshops, with examples including gamelan, creative movement, manga art and storytelling. Enhanced Music is a separate two-year upper-secondary course for students with musical potential and interest. Sec 2 applicants are directed to their Music teacher in Term 3; selection includes aural tests and recordings of two contrasting pieces. The page also describes a written test and audition, so confirm the current procedure. It still names the O-Level examination: incoming cohorts should check their applicable examination and subject requirements. Choir, String Ensemble and Concert Band support Music opportunities but do not guarantee EMP admission.

CCAs and programmes

Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Guitar Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Journalism (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Student Leadership (Council) (Girls and Boys)
  • Volleyball (Girls and Boys)

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Art and Crafts (Girls)
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)

Listed DSA programmes at Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)

  • Badminton (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Volleyball (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)
  • Visual Arts (Girls)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) and St. Margaret's 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?

PG3 · Non-affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 6–11; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 6–20; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 21; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–27; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–28; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 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.