School MattersNational Junior College 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 | National Junior College | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | IP | Not listed |
| Zone | South | North |
| Address | 37 Hillcrest Road | 3 Woodlands Street 81 |
| Nearest MRT | Botanic Gardens, Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue | Woodlands |
| Listed CCAs | 32 | 22 |
| DSA listings | 23 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 13 CCA listings. National Junior College also lists Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Community Service (Rotary-Sponsored) (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), English Drama (Girls and Boys), Girls' Brigade (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 2 DSA programme listings. National Junior College also lists Art Elective Programme (AEP) (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Canoeing (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Riverside Secondary School also lists Environmental Science (Girls and Boys), Leadership and Character (Girls and Boys), Media (Girls and Boys), Robotics (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
- National Junior College: IP; 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 National Junior College: Botanic Gardens, Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue; for Riverside Secondary School: Woodlands. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | National Junior College | Riverside Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 5–8 | Not listed |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 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
National Junior College
National Junior College opened in January 1969 with 570 students and was officially opened in May 1970. MOE records its move to Hillcrest Road in 1995, a four-year Integrated Programme from 2004, and expansion to six years with Sec 1 admission in 2009. This profile concerns Junior High, the four secondary-stage years within that six-year route. Its learning experiences and activity choices should be distinguished from the two Senior High years, even though both stages share the college name and some programmes.
The current Junior High page describes interdisciplinary SPIRE work and Perspectives Tasks alongside languages, mathematics, integrated sciences, humanities, PE, art and music. JH1–2 pupils can take one or more electives, subject to selection and timetable fit. JH3–4 pupils normally take at most two; those taking triple science can take at most one. Examples include coding, forensic science and advanced science or mathematics. This offers room to explore, but not an unrestricted menu. Families can ask how choices, project deadlines and subject progression fit together across the four years.
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
National Junior College
- Audio Visual Aid (Girls and Boys)
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Canoeing (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Rotary-Sponsored) (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Design and Innovation (Girls and Boys)
- English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Guitar Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Softball (Girls and Boys)
- Squash (Girls and Boys)
- String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Touch Rugby (Girls)
- Track and Field (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 National Junior College
- Art Elective Programme (AEP) (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Canoeing (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Dragon Boat (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Language Elective Programme - Malay (MLEP) (Girls and Boys)
- Language Elective Programme - Tamil (TLEP) (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
- Science Research (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Softball (Girls and Boys)
- String Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls and Boys)
- Western Dance (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 National Junior College 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?
IP · Non-affiliated: National Junior College 2026 · 5–8; Riverside Secondary School Not listed. PG3 · Non-affiliated: National Junior College Not listed; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 8–14. PG2 · Non-affiliated: National Junior College Not listed; Riverside Secondary School 2026 · 21–23. PG1 · Non-affiliated: National Junior College 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.