School MattersNaval Base Secondary 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
| Compare | Naval Base Secondary School | Swiss Cottage Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Not listed | Not listed |
| Zone | North | West |
| Address | 901 Yishun Ring Road | 3 Bukit Batok Street 34 |
| Nearest MRT | Khatib | Bukit Gombak |
| Listed CCAs | 14 | 17 |
| DSA listings | 7 | 11 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 4 CCA listings. Naval Base Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls), Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Football (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Boys), Bowling (Boys), Boys' Brigade (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 3 DSA programme listings. Naval Base Secondary School also lists Concert Band (Girls and Boys), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys), Table Tennis (Girls and Boys), Visual Arts (Girls and Boys), which do not appear in the other school's records. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (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 Naval Base Secondary School: Khatib; for Swiss Cottage Secondary School: Bukit Gombak. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Naval Base Secondary School | Swiss Cottage Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 13–19 | 2026 · 8–11 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–24 | 2026 · 21–22 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–27 | 2026 · 25–26 |
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
Naval Base Secondary School
Naval Base Secondary traces its beginnings to 1957, when the British Navy provided land at Bah Tan Road for children of naval-base employees. It was initially a full school; the primary section moved to Canberra School in 1968 and it adopted its secondary-school name. It moved to Yishun Ring Road in July 1988. After a temporary holding site during upgrading, it returned in December 2009 to a campus designed as a garden and giant art gallery. The current art curriculum gives that historical emphasis a practical teaching context.
Lower-secondary pupils have the General Art Programme. Upper-secondary pupils taking art receive the two-year Enhanced Art Programme during curriculum time, with art offered at G1, G2 or G3. The school describes artist mentorship, talks, two art studios, ceramics space and an in-house gallery. Its wider learning framework separates broad experiences from interest-based development and selected advanced opportunities, while also identifying pupils who need structured intervention. EAP access should be read as provision for upper-secondary art students, rather than an extra specialist subject automatically taken by the entire cohort.
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
Naval Base Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Girls and Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (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 Naval Base Secondary School
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Visual Arts (Girls and 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 Naval Base Secondary 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: Naval Base Secondary School 2026 · 13–19; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 8–11. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Naval Base Secondary School 2026 · 21–24; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 21–22. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Naval Base Secondary School 2026 · 25–27; Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 25–26.
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.