School MattersHillgrove Secondary School vs Unity Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Hillgrove Secondary School | Unity Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | West | West |
| Address | 10 Bukit Batok Street 52 | 20 Choa Chu Kang Street 62 |
| Nearest MRT | Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak | Yew Tee |
| Listed CCAs | 18 | 17 |
| DSA listings | 11 | 3 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 8 CCA listings. Hillgrove Secondary School also lists Badminton (Boys), CONCERT BAND, Choir (Girls and Boys), Digital Media (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Unity Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (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 1 DSA programme listing. Hillgrove Secondary School also lists Badminton (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), English Drama (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Unity Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Table Tennis (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 Hillgrove Secondary School: Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak; for Unity Secondary School: Yew Tee. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Hillgrove Secondary School | Unity Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 13–18 | 2026 · 12–18 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–27 | 2026 · 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.
How to choose between them
Both are solid West zone schools with similar COP ranges, but they suit different kids. Hillgrove opens more doors through DSA with 12 areas and stronger performing arts; Unity keeps things focused and still competitive at the top end.
Consider Hillgrove Secondary School if…
- 12 DSA areas gives talent-diverse kids more admission pathways
- 3 SYF Distinctions signals a genuinely strong performing arts culture
Consider Unity Secondary School if…
- Slightly tighter top-end COP means a marginally more selective intake
- Focused CCA slate can mean deeper commitment and less spread-thin resources
If your child has a clear talent to showcase, Hillgrove's DSA breadth is hard to beat — but Unity is no compromise for families who prefer focus over variety.
Get to know each school
Hillgrove Secondary School
Hillgrove Secondary began in 2001 with 277 pupils, initially sharing Yusof Ishak Secondary’s premises. MOE records its move to 10 Bukit Batok Street 52 on 2 February 2002 and official opening on 5 March 2004. Flight and aerospace became its ALP in 2014, followed by the arts LLP in 2015. These milestones explain the two strands visible in the school’s current open-house materials. Historical enrolment and earlier principals’ descriptions are not used to infer the present pupil population or a uniform experience of school culture.
The ALP microsite describes a three-tier approach to STEM through flight and aerospace. Its April 2023 example involved all Secondary 2 pupils building and flying rubber-band-powered gliders; a separate group of 20 Secondary 1 and 2 pupils was selected for drone training. Earlier entries discuss autonomous-vehicle principles with mBot in 2021 and coding drones in 2019. These give tangible examples of applied learning, but they are dated records. Ask what the incoming cohort will actually build, how often lessons occur and how pupils enter additional training.
Unity Secondary School
Unity Secondary opened in January 2000 with 17 staff and 364 pupils, with its official opening in November 2001. Its history records hosting a leg of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games torch relay and gaining Basketball niche status in 2009 and Uniformed Groups niche status in 2012. The 2014 anniversary included basketball and thumbprint-art records and a musical. These are historical milestones, not current sporting rankings. The history page names the 2015 ALP as agro-bioscience and technology; the dedicated programme page now uses GreenovAtors In Action, so the older title should not be treated as the latest curriculum description.
GreenovAtors In Action, or GAIA, links STEM concepts and technology to sustainability challenges, including food production and energy-efficient communities. Its brief page explains the purpose but not every module, lesson frequency or selection rule. The academic page introduces Full Subject-Based Banding from the 2024 Sec 1 cohort and a subject-option exercise at the end of Sec 2. It also retains older Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical upper-secondary tables. Families should obtain the subject-combination information for their child’s cohort rather than assuming those legacy examination labels describe every incoming student’s route.
CCAs and programmes
Hillgrove Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- CONCERT BAND
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Digital Media (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Girls and Boys)
- Singapore Youth Flying Club (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Unity Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Girls and Boys)
- Speech and Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at Hillgrove Secondary School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Stem (Girls and Boys)
- Visual Arts (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at Unity Secondary School
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Hillgrove Secondary School and Unity 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: Hillgrove Secondary School 2026 · 13–18; Unity Secondary School 2026 · 12–18. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Hillgrove Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Unity Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Hillgrove Secondary School 2026 · 25–27; Unity Secondary 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.