School Matters

Getting things ready

Holy Innocents' High School 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

CompareHoly Innocents' High SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
School typeCo-Ed SchoolGirls' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedAutonomous
ZoneSouthSouth
Address1191 Upper Serangoon Road111 Farrer Road
Nearest MRTHougangFarrer Road
Listed CCAs2021
DSA listings916

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 2 CCA listings. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Bowling (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), Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (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. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Choir (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 Holy Innocents' High School: Hougang; for St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareHoly Innocents' High SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 11–142026 · 8–11
PG3 · Affiliated2026 · 13–222026 · 10–20
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–242026 · 21–23
PG2 · Affiliated2026 · 23–252026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–272026 · 25–26
PG1 · Affiliated2026 · 26–282026 · 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

Holy Innocents' High School

Holy Innocents’ High traces its origins to a Chinese mission school founded in 1892 under the name Tao Nan. Its history records the change to Holy Innocents’ Chinese Boys School in 1920 and the introduction of secondary classes and the High School name in 1958. The primary section moved to its separate premises in 1985. This is why the primary school and the present secondary school should not share reviews indiscriminately. Later milestones include journalism and broadcasting in 2012, the establishment of ALP and LLP in 2014, and the indoor sports hall in 2017.

The school makes Applied Learning Modules available from Secondary 2 onwards, with up to three enrolments across a student’s secondary years. The page connects Secondary 2 module choices with the subject-selection exercise. Examples range from electronics and architecture at ITE to chemistry, analytics and consumer research at polytechnics, alongside school-based vendor modules. These are examples of provision, not a promise that every module runs for every cohort. Families can ask which choices are available now, how places are allocated and whether there are additional costs or timetable commitments.

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

Holy Innocents' High School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Badminton (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Bowling (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Weiqi (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Community Service (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Journalism (Girls and Boys)
  • Media Resource Library (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Scouts (Boys)
  • St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
  • Wushu (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 Holy Innocents' High School

  • Badminton (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Leadership (Girls and Boys)
  • Media/Journalism (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Scouts (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 Holy Innocents' High School 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: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 11–14; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 13–22; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 21–24; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 23–25; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 25–27; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 26–28; 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.