School Matters

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Holy Innocents' High School vs Swiss Cottage Secondary School

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

At a glance

CompareHoly Innocents' High SchoolSwiss Cottage Secondary School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedNot listed
ZoneSouthWest
Address1191 Upper Serangoon Road3 Bukit Batok Street 34
Nearest MRTHougangBukit Gombak
Listed CCAs2017
DSA listings911

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 6 CCA listings. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Girls and Boys), Chinese Weiqi (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Bowling (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Dance (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 4 DSA programme listings. Holy Innocents' High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Media/Journalism (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Boys), English Drama (Girls and 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 Holy Innocents' High School: Hougang; for Swiss Cottage Secondary School: Bukit Gombak. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareHoly Innocents' High SchoolSwiss Cottage Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 11–142026 · 8–11
PG3 · Affiliated2026 · 13–22Not listed
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–242026 · 21–22
PG2 · Affiliated2026 · 23–25Not listed
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–272026 · 25–26
PG1 · Affiliated2026 · 26–28Not 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

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.

Swiss Cottage Secondary School

Swiss Cottage began in 1962 with about 200 pupils at Raffles Institution’s Bras Basah premises. It moved to Dunearn Road in July 1963 and officially opened that November, with English- and Malay-medium pupils. Its history describes sport as a means of national integration, followed by a growing emphasis on character, reading and the performing arts. It later relocated to Bukit Batok, where it remains. The MOE history’s narrative and milestone table give different relocation years, so a precise year should not be asserted without reconciliation. PRIME upgrading was completed in 2005; the 50th-anniversary celebration took place in 2013.

Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development follows Awareness, Action and Advocacy. The table identifies common programmes in Sec 1—sustainability-infused Science and interdisciplinary work such as EARTH—and Sec 2, including STEM projects such as Project Dream Maker. It lists no core ALP programme for Sec 3 and above, although leadership opportunities continue. Science Ambassadors facilitate workshops; Maker Education Leaders manage iCreate @ Swiss. Overseas learning journeys are for selected ambassadors or maker leaders, not every pupil. The programme’s broad promise of access should be read alongside these stage and selection limits, rather than becoming a guarantee of travel or competition entry.

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)

Swiss Cottage Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Design and Innovation (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Scouts (Girls and Boys)

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 Swiss Cottage Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls and Boys)
  • Leadership (Girls and Boys)
  • Military Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Science for Sustainable Development (Girls and Boys)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Holy Innocents' High School and Swiss Cottage 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: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 11–14; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 13–22; Swiss Cottage Secondary School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 21–24; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 21–22. PG2 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 23–25; Swiss Cottage Secondary School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 25–27; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Holy Innocents' High School 2026 · 26–28; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 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.