School MattersKent Ridge Secondary School vs Xinmin Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Kent Ridge Secondary School | Xinmin Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Autonomous |
| Zone | West | North |
| Address | 147 West Coast Road | 11 Hougang Avenue 8 |
| Nearest MRT | Clementi, Haw Par Villa | Hougang |
| Listed CCAs | 18 | 19 |
| DSA listings | 3 | 14 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 9 CCA listings. Kent Ridge Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Floorball (Girls and Boys), Football (Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Xinmin Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Floorball (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 0 DSA programme listings. Kent Ridge Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Floorball (Girls and Boys), which do not appear in the other school's records. Xinmin Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Choir (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 Kent Ridge Secondary School: Clementi, Haw Par Villa; for Xinmin Secondary School: Hougang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Kent Ridge Secondary School | Xinmin Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 13–18 | 2026 · 8–13 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–30 | 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.
Get to know each school
Kent Ridge Secondary School
Kent Ridge Secondary began in January 2000 at the former Yusof Ishak premises on Jubilee Road. It moved to 147 West Coast Road in December 2001 and officially opened in March 2003. Its history page records an earlier computational-thinking and robotics ALP. The current ALP page instead describes sustainability. Keeping those descriptions in their proper periods matters: an old programme name should not determine what a family expects an incoming Secondary 1 pupil to study today.
The current sustainability ALP names three living laboratories: Miyawaki Frontier, a mini-forest; an Eco-Pond for water-quality investigations; and Sky Garden for food-system learning. Its Explore, Apply and Lead structure links classroom learning, school spaces and community action. The published overview does not allocate every activity to a particular year, so it cannot establish identical participation for all cohorts. The sports-and-outdoor LLP adds Kent Ridge Olympics and student leadership camps, using leadership practices such as modelling behaviour and enabling others to act.
Xinmin Secondary School
Xinmin began as Sin Min School on 1 November 1945, initially teaching primary pupils. Its founders rented three bungalows after Yap Fun Hong sold five pigs to help fund education for the Hougang-Serangoon community. Secondary classes began in 1956, and performances helped raise money for facilities in 1958. MOE’s heritage record dates autonomous status to 2001 and the Creative Arts Complex to 2015. Its 80th anniversary was in 2025. These are historical milestones; earlier examination bands or rankings do not establish a current teaching-quality ranking.
MAKERS@Xinmin combines digital and analogue making across a specially designed two-year lower-secondary curriculum. All pupils in those years learn about AI applications and ethics, and design and prototype solutions to real problems. Examples include sustainability models using AI, eco-themed games and environmental-data analysis, with workshops, pop-up sessions and showcases. This is broader than a coding club for selected enthusiasts. Ask what the child will build, how teachers supervise tool use and how a pupil with little coding experience is helped to contribute within a group.
CCAs and programmes
Kent Ridge Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- International Chess (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Outdoor Adventure (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
Xinmin Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Students' Council (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Kent Ridge Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Xinmin Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Kent Ridge Secondary School and Xinmin 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: Kent Ridge Secondary School 2026 · 13–18; Xinmin Secondary School 2026 · 8–13. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Kent Ridge Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Xinmin Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Kent Ridge Secondary School 2026 · 25–30; Xinmin 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.