School MattersNan Chiau High School vs Riverside Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Nan Chiau High School | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | SAP | Not listed |
| Zone | North | North |
| Address | 20 Anchorvale Link | 3 Woodlands Street 81 |
| Nearest MRT | Sengkang, Renjong, Tongkang | Woodlands |
| Listed CCAs | 23 | 22 |
| DSA listings | 8 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 12 CCA listings. Nan Chiau High School also lists Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys), Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Boys' Brigade (Boys), Football (Boys), Girls' Brigade (Girls), Indian 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 0 DSA programme listings. Nan Chiau High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Bilingualism (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Choir (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- Nan Chiau High School: SAP; Riverside Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Nan Chiau High School: Sengkang, Renjong, Tongkang; for Riverside Secondary School: Woodlands. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Nan Chiau High School | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 4M–11M | 2026 · 8–14 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 25–27 |
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
Nan Chiau High School
Nan Chiau’s history starts with the teachers’ training school founded by Tan Kah Kee in 1941 on land donated by Lee Kong Chian. Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan converted it into Nan Chiau Girls’ High with a primary section in 1947. It became co-educational in 1984; the two sections moved to Sengkang as separate schools in 2001. The secondary school received SAP status in 2012 and introduced CLEP-Sec in 2020. This explains the institutional emphasis on bilingual and bicultural learning without confusing it with the primary school’s programmes.
The ALP page describes Sec 1 electronics lessons using Arduino, held fortnightly for 90 minutes over one semester, with pupils working in pairs. It also lists six forensic-science lessons in the second semester, from DNA and blood typing to fingerprint analysis. Sec 2 extends design thinking and programming into team projects, including healthcare devices and research on bacterial growth, with reports and presentations. Selected Sec 3 pupils can enter applied-science competitions. These are progressively different activities; the competition opportunities belong to the talent tier rather than every pupil’s timetable.
Riverside Secondary School
Riverside Secondary’s own history says it began in 1987 at Fuchun Secondary’s premises before moving to 3 Woodlands Street 81 that December. It became single-session in 1999 and returned to its upgraded campus in 2004 after a holding-site period. Its history records a 2020 Full Subject-Based Banding pilot and Tamil Language Elective Programme provision. Older heritage material describes an Arts for Life LLP; the present programme page instead identifies Digital Citizenship. Historical programme names should therefore be kept separate from current provision.
The ALP, Global Citizenship Education through Critical Social Inquiry, uses UN Sustainable Development Goals to explore global issues and affected communities. Its page gives a dated 2025 Riverside Model United Nations example focused on technology, sustainability and inclusion, with stakeholder perspectives and proposed resolutions. VIA separately asks pupils to understand community needs, plan, act and reflect. These descriptions show an inquiry-and-service approach; they do not establish that every pupil attends the same forum or takes the same community role.
CCAs and programmes
Nan Chiau High School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Student Leadership (Council) (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls and Boys)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Riverside Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girls' Brigade (Girls)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Softball (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at Nan Chiau High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Bilingualism (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Visual Arts (Girls and Boys)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Riverside Secondary School
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys)
- Media (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Nan Chiau High School and Riverside 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: Nan Chiau High School 2026 · 4M–11M; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 8–14. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Nan Chiau High School Not listed; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Nan Chiau High School Not listed; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 25–27.
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.