School MattersRiver Valley High School vs Yishun Town Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | River Valley High School | Yishun Town Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | IP · SAP · Autonomous | Autonomous |
| Zone | West | North |
| Address | 6 Boon Lay Avenue | 6 Yishun Street 21 |
| Nearest MRT | Boon Lay, Lakeside | Yishun |
| Listed CCAs | 22 | 18 |
| DSA listings | 16 | 8 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 8 CCA listings. River Valley High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Yishun Town Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Girls and 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 0 DSA programme listings. River Valley High School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys) - IP, Basketball (Boys) - IP, Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) - IP, Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys) - IP and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Yishun Town Secondary School also lists Basketball (Girls and Boys), Bilingualism (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- River Valley High School: IP / SAP; Yishun Town Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for River Valley High School: Boon Lay, Lakeside; for Yishun Town Secondary School: Yishun. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | River Valley High School | Yishun Town Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 4M–9M | Not listed |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 5–13 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 21–22 |
| 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
River Valley High School
River Valley High was established in 1956 and adopted the River Valley name after moving to Jalan Kuala in 1958. MOE records SAP status from 1979, autonomous status from 1994 and the Integrated Programme from 2006. It moved to its current Boon Lay Avenue premises in 2010. Today’s six-year programme runs through A Levels in the school’s own JC section. Secondary and JC activities share one school name, so a Year 1 family needs to check which opportunities apply at the secondary stage.
The school’s FAQ says primary-school Higher Chinese is not a prerequisite for admission, but all secondary pupils take Higher Chinese in S1–4. It lists after-school Chinese support for pupils who struggle and enrichment for developing interest in the language. The FAQ also says promotion criteria apply between levels. Its description of a seamless programme should therefore not be interpreted as automatic progression regardless of attainment. Families can ask for the current criteria and the support offered when a child finds the pace or language demands difficult.
Yishun Town Secondary School
MOE records Yishun Town Secondary’s establishment in January 1986 with nine classes and 13 pioneer teachers. It first shared premises with Yishun Secondary, then moved to Yishun Street 21 on 31 March 1988 and officially opened on 29 July that year. It became single-session in 1998 and gained autonomous status in 2010. The distinction matters when searching: Yishun Secondary has its own history and programmes. Older references to shared premises should not cause accounts of one school to be assigned to the other, and autonomous status is not an individual outcome guarantee.
The science page describes learning journeys and a Sagano High exchange, with deeper competitions and project investigation through talent development for interested pupils. Its concrete examples are dated: selected pupils received A*STAR scientist mentorship in 2021; Secondary 2 workshops in 2022 covered 3D design and printing, perfume and cosmetic making. These show past practice, not a promise of the same mentor, destination or workshop for the next cohort. A prospective family can ask what the current common experience includes and how access to deeper research or Olympiad preparation is decided.
CCAs and programmes
River Valley High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (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)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls and Boys)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Softball (Girls)
- St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Yishun Town Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Bowling (Girls and Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
- International Chess (Girls and Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Photography (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Listed DSA programmes at River Valley High School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Basketball (Boys) - IP
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Chinese Painting (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Choir (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Floorball (Girls) - IP
- Leadership (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Netball (Girls) - IP
- Robotics (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Scientific Investigation (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Softball (Girls) - IP
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys) - IP
- Volleyball (Girls) - IP
- Wushu (Girls and Boys) - IP
Listed DSA programmes at Yishun Town Secondary School
- Basketball (Girls and Boys)
- Bilingualism (Girls and Boys)
- Bowling (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Shooting (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between River Valley High School and Yishun Town 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: River Valley High School 2026 · 4M–9M; Yishun Town Secondary School Not listed. PG3 · Non-affiliated: River Valley High School Not listed; Yishun Town Secondary School 2026 · 5–13. PG2 · Non-affiliated: River Valley High School Not listed; Yishun Town Secondary School 2026 · 21–22. PG1 · Non-affiliated: River Valley High School Not listed; Yishun Town 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.