School MattersGan Eng Seng School vs St. Joseph's Institution
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Gan Eng Seng School | St. Joseph's Institution |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Boys' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | IP |
| Zone | South | South |
| Address | 1 Henderson Road | 38 Malcolm Road |
| Nearest MRT | Redhill, Tiong Bahru | Stevens |
| Listed CCAs | 1 | 26 |
| DSA listings | 9 | 40 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 1 CCA listing. St. Joseph's Institution also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Boys), CROSS COUNTRY, Canoeing (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. Gan Eng Seng School also lists Choir (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), English Drama (Girls and Boys), Marching Band (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Joseph's Institution also lists Badminton (Boys), Badminton (Boys) - IP, Basketball (Boys) - IP, Canoeing (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- Gan Eng Seng School: no IP or SAP tag listed; St. Joseph's Institution: IP. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Gan Eng Seng School: Redhill, Tiong Bahru; for St. Joseph's Institution: Stevens. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Gan Eng Seng School | St. Joseph's Institution |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 4–7 |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 9–15 | 2026 · 4–8 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 7–12 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–27 | 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
Gan Eng Seng School
Gan Eng Seng founded the Anglo-Chinese Free School in Tanjong Pagar shophouses in 1885 for children from poor families. It became a government school in 1938, reopened after the war in 1946, and eventually moved to its present Henderson Road campus in 2001. Its history also records participation in the Full Subject-Based Banding pilot in 2020. The present secondary school is distinct from Gan Eng Seng Primary: the shared founder's name does not make their programmes or parent experiences interchangeable.
Probes, the STEM Applied Learning Programme, combines sustainability with digitalisation and coding. Published examples include designing water-purification processes and tending edible gardens. Secondary 1 pupils undertake Code for Fun with Micro:bits and exposure to artificial intelligence, then design a solution to a given problem. Design thinking is also used in projects and alternative assessments. Pupils showing particular interest and potential may be selected for Tier 2 competitions. Those additional opportunities are separate from the general programme; participation alone does not establish independent proficiency in coding.
St. Joseph's Institution
SJI began as St John’s School in 1852, a free boys’ school on Bras Basah Road established by the De La Salle Brothers. It took the St Joseph’s Institution name in 1855. In 1988 it became independent and moved to Malcolm Road; after a temporary Bishan relocation for redevelopment, it returned in 2017. The dual secondary pathway and co-educational post-secondary IB Diploma began in 2013. SJI International, established separately in 2007, should not be confused with this institution when checking fees, admissions or reviews. Historical free schooling also does not describe today’s independent-school charges.
The current SEC Programme page describes a four-year route preparing boys for Secondary Education Certificate examinations, with seven- or eight-subject combinations at upper secondary. SJI’s IP is a six-year route leading to the IB Diploma. Both pages describe a lower-secondary foundation in languages, humanities, sciences and mathematics, with inquiry and research. At Years 3–4, SEC pupils have Curriculum+, including project work and career encounters; IP pupils have Year 3 ArtScience and Year 4 Signum Fidei projects with external organisations. Confirm which route an offer covers and its progression conditions, rather than assuming secondary entry guarantees any later course or subject choice.
CCAs and programmes
Gan Eng Seng School
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
St. Joseph's Institution
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- CROSS COUNTRY
- Canoeing (Boys)
- Chinese Culture and Language (Boys)
- Choir (Boys)
- Concert Band (Boys)
- Design and Innovation (Boys)
- English Drama (Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Guitar Ensemble (Boys)
- Hockey (Boys)
- Indian Culture and Language (Boys)
- Malay Culture and Language (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
- Pipe Band (Boys)
- Rugby (Boys)
- Sailing (Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- St John Brigade (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Tennis (Boys)
- Track and Field (Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Gan Eng Seng School
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Stem (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at St. Joseph's Institution
- Badminton (Boys)
- Badminton (Boys) - IP
- Basketball (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys) - IP
- Canoeing (Boys)
- Canoeing (Boys) - IP
- Coding (Boys)
- Coding (Boys) - IP
- Cross Country (Boys)
- Cross Country (Boys) - IP
- Floorball (Boys)
- Floorball (Boys) - IP
- Football (Boys)
- Football (Boys) - IP
- Hockey (Boys)
- Hockey (Boys) - IP
- International Chess (Boys)
- International Chess (Boys) - IP
- Judo (Boys)
- Judo (Boys) - IP
- Leadership (Boys)
- Leadership (Boys) - IP
- Programming and 3D Modelling (Boys)
- Programming and 3D Modelling (Boys) - IP
- Robotics (Boys)
- Robotics (Boys) - IP
- Rugby (Boys)
- Rugby (Boys) - IP
- Sailing (Boys)
- Sailing (Boys) - IP
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys) - IP
- Taekwondo (Boys)
- Taekwondo (Boys) - IP
- Tennis (Boys)
- Tennis (Boys) - IP
- Track and Field (Boys)
- Track and Field (Boys) - IP
- Visual Arts (Boys)
- Visual Arts (Boys) - IP
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Gan Eng Seng School and St. Joseph's Institution?
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: Gan Eng Seng School Not listed; St. Joseph's Institution 2026 · 4–7. PG3 · Non-affiliated: Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 9–15; St. Joseph's Institution 2026 · 4–8. PG3 · Affiliated: Gan Eng Seng School Not listed; St. Joseph's Institution 2026 · 7–12. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 21–24; St. Joseph's Institution Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Gan Eng Seng School 2026 · 25–27; St. Joseph's Institution 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.