School Matters

Getting things ready

Pei Hwa Secondary School vs St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

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

At a glance

ComparePei Hwa Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
School typeCo-Ed SchoolGirls' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedAutonomous
ZoneNorthSouth
Address21 Fernvale Link111 Farrer Road
Nearest MRTSengkang, LayarFarrer Road
Listed CCAs2121
DSA listings616

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 1 CCA listing. Pei Hwa Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Art and Crafts (Girls), Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (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 1 DSA programme listing. Pei Hwa Secondary School also lists Chinese and Modern Dance (Girls and Boys), Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys), Robotics (Girls and Boys), Taekwondo (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Girls), Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls) 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 Pei Hwa Secondary School: Sengkang, Layar; for St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

ComparePei Hwa Secondary SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 7–142026 · 8–11
PG3 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 10–20
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–232026 · 21–23
PG2 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–272026 · 25–26
PG1 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 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

Pei Hwa Secondary School

Pei Hwa Secondary began in January 2005 and officially opened on 28 July 2007. The Pei Hwa Foundation, formed by alumni of the former Pei Hwa Public School, supplies bursaries and scholarships; this connection does not mean the present secondary school began in the former school’s founding year. The opening launched a Jalan Kayu Heritage Trail. Later developments included the indoor sports hall in 2018 and Full Subject-Based Banding pilot participation in 2020. In 2023, project work was repositioned as the Future Leaders Programme, integrating technology, leadership and community needs.

The Robotics and Programming ALP joins the Community Youth Leadership LLP through the Future Leaders Programme. Secondary 1 projects address the school’s immediate context; Secondary 2 widens the focus to the external community and environment. Streamnovation Week includes a level-wide making challenge plus optional visits, talks and making activities. Maker Monday is an interest group, rather than the whole cohort’s weekly entitlement. The school’s hackathon is for primary-school competitors: participating secondary pupils can train as assistant maker coaches and facilitators. That distinction prevents a primary outreach competition being mislabelled as every secondary pupil’s contest.

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

St Margaret’s traces its roots to Maria Dyer’s 1842 home and school for homeless girls in North Bridge Road. The school moved to Sophia Road in 1861 and adopted the St Margaret’s name after the Second World War. A separate secondary campus was completed at Farrer Road in 1960 and officially opened in 1963. Redevelopment began in 1998, with a temporary move to Commonwealth Avenue before returning in December 2000; the rebuilt campus was officially opened in 2002. From January 2023, the primary and secondary schools adopted the St Margaret’s School names to reflect their shared heritage. The primary school’s recent Sophia Road return is a separate campus story.

The Arts Education Programme targets all students through assembly performances and post-examination workshops, with examples including gamelan, creative movement, manga art and storytelling. Enhanced Music is a separate two-year upper-secondary course for students with musical potential and interest. Sec 2 applicants are directed to their Music teacher in Term 3; selection includes aural tests and recordings of two contrasting pieces. The page also describes a written test and audition, so confirm the current procedure. It still names the O-Level examination: incoming cohorts should check their applicable examination and subject requirements. Choir, String Ensemble and Concert Band support Music opportunities but do not guarantee EMP admission.

CCAs and programmes

Pei Hwa Secondary School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Badminton (Girls and Boys)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Journalism (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Outdoor Adventure (Girls and Boys)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Speech and Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Student Leadership (Council) (Girls and Boys)
  • Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
  • Taekwondo (Girls and Boys)
  • Wushu (Girls and Boys)

St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Art and Crafts (Girls)
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)

Listed DSA programmes at Pei Hwa Secondary School

  • Chinese and Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Taekwondo (Girls and Boys)
  • Wushu (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at St. Margaret's School (Secondary)

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Bowling (Girls)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Fencing (Girls)
  • Floorball (Girls)
  • Indian Dance (Girls)
  • Malay Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)
  • Visual Arts (Girls)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Pei Hwa Secondary School and St. Margaret's School (Secondary)?

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: Pei Hwa Secondary School 2026 · 7–14; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Pei Hwa Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Pei Hwa Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Pei Hwa Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Pei Hwa Secondary School 2026 · 25–27; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Pei Hwa Secondary School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 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.