School Matters

Getting things ready

Singapore Chinese Girls' 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

CompareSingapore Chinese Girls' SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
School typeGirls' SchoolGirls' School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsIPAutonomous
ZoneSouthSouth
Address190 Dunearn Road111 Farrer Road
Nearest MRTStevensFarrer Road
Listed CCAs2321
DSA listings3016

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 14 CCA listings. Singapore Chinese Girls' School also lists Artistic Gymnastics (Girls), Chinese Drama (Girls), Debating and Public Speaking (Girls), Environmental Science (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls), Fencing (Girls), Floorball (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 9 DSA programme listings. Singapore Chinese Girls' School also lists Artistic Gymnastics (Girls), Artistic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP, Badminton (Girls) - IP, Basketball (Girls) - IP and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Bowling (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls), Fencing (Girls), Floorball (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
Programme tags
Singapore Chinese Girls' School: IP; St. Margaret's School (Secondary): no IP or SAP tag listed. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
The daily journey
Nearby MRT stations listed for Singapore Chinese Girls' School: Stevens; for St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareSingapore Chinese Girls' SchoolSt. Margaret's School (Secondary)
IP · Non-affiliated2026 · 4–7Not listed
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 6–82026 · 8–11
PG3 · Affiliated2026 · 7–172026 · 10–20
PG2 · Non-affiliatedNot listed2026 · 21–23
PG2 · AffiliatedNot listed2026 · 21–25
PG1 · Non-affiliatedNot listed2026 · 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

Singapore Chinese Girls' School

SCGS began in 1899 with seven Peranakan girls on Hill Street, moved to Emerald Hill in 1924 and relocated to Dunearn Road in July 1994. It attained independent status in 1989 and introduced the Integrated Programme alongside its examination route in 2013. This history helps explain the shared primary-secondary institution and its traditions. Today’s secondary programme descriptions should be read separately from the primary storytelling and arts programmes, which appear nearby on the same website but serve a different stage.

The current principal’s message confirms both the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate route and the Integrated Programme. IP pupils spend four years at SCGS before two years at Eunoia Junior College, within the Joint Integrated Programme with Catholic High and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’. The admissions page says primary affiliation benefits apply to SEC only, but it still includes old 2025 posting and 2026 test details. Families should confirm incoming-cohort conditions and progression rather than assume primary affiliation secures IP entry or rely on those older dates.

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

Singapore Chinese Girls' School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls)
  • Artistic Gymnastics (Girls)
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Chinese Drama (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • Debating and Public Speaking (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • Environmental Science (Girls)
  • Girl Guides (Girls)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Handbell Ensemble (Girls)
  • Hockey (Girls)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls)
  • Squash (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • Swimming (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls)

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 Singapore Chinese Girls' School

  • Artistic Gymnastics (Girls)
  • Artistic Gymnastics (Girls) - IP
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Badminton (Girls) - IP
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls) - IP
  • Choir (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls) - IP
  • Concert Band (Girls)
  • Concert Band (Girls) - IP
  • English Drama (Girls)
  • English Drama (Girls) - IP
  • English Language (Girls)
  • English Language (Girls) - IP
  • Handbell Ensemble (Girls)
  • Handbell Ensemble (Girls) - IP
  • Humanities (Girls)
  • Humanities (Girls) - IP
  • Leadership (Girls)
  • Leadership (Girls) - IP
  • Modern Dance (Girls)
  • Modern Dance (Girls) - IP
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Netball (Girls) - IP
  • Squash (Girls)
  • Squash (Girls) - IP
  • String Ensemble (Girls)
  • String Ensemble (Girls) - IP
  • Tennis (Girls)
  • Tennis (Girls) - IP

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 Singapore Chinese Girls' 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?

IP · Non-affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School 2026 · 4–7; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) Not listed. PG3 · Non-affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School 2026 · 6–8; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11. PG3 · Affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School 2026 · 7–17; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' School Not listed; St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26. PG1 · Affiliated: Singapore Chinese Girls' 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.