School MattersSt. Margaret's School (Secondary) vs Tanjong Katong Girls' School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | St. Margaret's School (Secondary) | Tanjong Katong Girls' School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Girls' School | Girls' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Autonomous |
| Zone | South | East |
| Address | 111 Farrer Road | 20 Dunman Lane |
| Nearest MRT | Farrer Road | Paya Lebar, Dakota |
| Listed CCAs | 21 | 19 |
| DSA listings | 16 | 10 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 15 CCA listings. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Chinese Dance (Girls), Fencing (Girls), Girls' Brigade (Girls), Indian Dance (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Tanjong Katong Girls' School also lists Community Service (Girls), English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls), Media Resource Library (Girls), Softball (Girls), which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- DSA programme
- The records share 8 DSA programme listings. St. Margaret's School (Secondary) also lists Basketball (Girls), Chinese Dance (Girls), English Drama (Girls), Fencing (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Tanjong Katong Girls' School also lists Music Elective Programme (Girls), Softball (Girls), 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 St. Margaret's School (Secondary): Farrer Road; for Tanjong Katong Girls' School: Paya Lebar, Dakota. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | St. Margaret's School (Secondary) | Tanjong Katong Girls' School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–11 | 2026 · 7–13 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | 2026 · 10–20 | Not listed |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–23 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | 2026 · 21–25 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–26 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | Not listed |
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
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.
Tanjong Katong Girls' School
MOE records TKGS’s establishment in 1953 as Singapore’s first post-war government English-medium girls’ school. It began the Music Elective Programme in 1983, gained autonomous status and moved to Dunman Lane in 1995, and returned there in 2019 following PRIME upgrading at a temporary Bedok South site. Its arts identity therefore predates the current signature programmes. This history helps explain the place of music and community service in the school’s published curriculum; it should not be read as evidence of a particular child’s fit or future results.
The Music Elective Programme is for pupils with passion and aptitude, rather than a general music CCA. TKGS describes four years of in-depth study, encompassing listening, research, performance or composition, with workshops and collaborations. The school’s selection exercise includes an audition, an e-listening test and an interview. The audition calls for two unaccompanied solo pieces on an instrument or voice, totalling no more than five minutes. Interested pupils register through the Sec 1 package after a TKGS placement is confirmed. The page still uses O-Level Higher Music terminology; ask which qualification and assessment framework applies to the incoming cohort.
CCAs and programmes
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)
Tanjong Katong Girls' School
- Art and Crafts (Girls)
- Badminton (Girls)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Bowling (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Community Service (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- English Drama (Girls)
- English Language, Drama and Debating (Girls)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls)
- Media Resource Library (Girls)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- String Ensemble (Girls)
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)
Listed DSA programmes at Tanjong Katong Girls' School
- Badminton (Girls)
- Bowling (Girls)
- Choir (Girls)
- Concert Band (Girls)
- Floorball (Girls)
- Modern Dance (Girls)
- Music Elective Programme (Girls)
- Netball (Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- String Ensemble (Girls)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between St. Margaret's School (Secondary) and Tanjong Katong Girls' 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: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11; Tanjong Katong Girls' School 2026 · 7–13. PG3 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20; Tanjong Katong Girls' School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23; Tanjong Katong Girls' School 2026 · 21–23. PG2 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25; Tanjong Katong Girls' School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26; Tanjong Katong Girls' School Not listed. PG1 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–28; Tanjong Katong Girls' School Not listed.
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.