School MattersSt. Margaret's School (Secondary) vs Yuan Ching Secondary 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) | Yuan Ching Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Girls' School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | South | West |
| Address | 111 Farrer Road | 103 Yuan Ching Road |
| Nearest MRT | Farrer Road | Lakeside |
| Listed CCAs | 21 | 20 |
| DSA listings | 16 | 2 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 1 CCA listing. 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. Yuan Ching Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys), Concert Band (Girls and 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. 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. Yuan Ching Secondary School also lists Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys), Engineering Innovation and Solutions (Girls and Boys), 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 Yuan Ching Secondary School: Lakeside. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | St. Margaret's School (Secondary) | Yuan Ching Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–11 | 2026 · 12–18 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | 2026 · 10–20 | Not listed |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–24 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | 2026 · 21–25 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–26 | 2026 · 25–28 |
| 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.
Yuan Ching Secondary School
MOE records Yuan Ching’s establishment in 1978 as an English and Chinese integrated government school and its official opening on 28 August 1980. It became English-medium in 1988 and offered pre-university Arts and Commerce courses between 1987 and 1990. Those courses are historical, not current entry options. The campus was rebuilt from 2006–2009. MOE’s history also retains older Marine Robotics and sports-based programme names; the current school pages describe broader R.E.A.P engineering learning and Community Youth Leadership. Present programme descriptions should therefore be checked against those current pages.
The Applied Learning Programme’s common tier includes coding, an AI camera and land, marine and aerial robotics. Secondary 1 land robotics involves building remote-controlled vehicles; another project adds water-quality sensors to Seaperches for geographical investigation at Jurong Lake Gardens. A programme launched in 2024 uses temperature and humidity sensors with microgreens. Deeper-interest pupils have a separate talent-development route involving advanced construction, Python and other enrichment, with competitions at its higher end. These distinctions matter: shared exposure is not a guarantee of every specialist course, external visit or competition place for every pupil.
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)
Yuan Ching Secondary School
- Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Dragon Boat (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Lion and Dragon Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Media Resource Library (Girls and Boys)
- National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (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)
Listed DSA programmes at Yuan Ching Secondary School
- Community Youth Leadership (Girls and Boys)
- Engineering Innovation and Solutions (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between St. Margaret's School (Secondary) and Yuan Ching 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: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 8–11; Yuan Ching Secondary School 2026 · 12–18. PG3 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 10–20; Yuan Ching Secondary School Not listed. PG2 · Non-affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–23; Yuan Ching Secondary School 2026 · 21–24. PG2 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 21–25; Yuan Ching Secondary School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–26; Yuan Ching Secondary School 2026 · 25–28. PG1 · Affiliated: St. Margaret's School (Secondary) 2026 · 25–28; Yuan Ching Secondary 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.