School Matters

Getting things ready

Swiss Cottage Secondary 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

CompareSwiss Cottage Secondary SchoolYishun Town Secondary School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsNot listedAutonomous
ZoneWestNorth
Address3 Bukit Batok Street 346 Yishun Street 21
Nearest MRTBukit GombakYishun
Listed CCAs1718
DSA listings118

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 5 CCA listings. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Basketball (Boys), Bowling (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), Chinese Dance (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 2 DSA programme listings. Swiss Cottage Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls), Bowling (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Yishun Town Secondary School also lists Bilingualism (Girls and Boys), Bowling (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Shooting (Girls and Boys) 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 Swiss Cottage Secondary School: Bukit Gombak; for Yishun Town Secondary School: Yishun. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareSwiss Cottage Secondary SchoolYishun Town Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 8–112026 · 5–13
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–222026 · 21–22
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–262026 · 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

Swiss Cottage Secondary School

Swiss Cottage began in 1962 with about 200 pupils at Raffles Institution’s Bras Basah premises. It moved to Dunearn Road in July 1963 and officially opened that November, with English- and Malay-medium pupils. Its history describes sport as a means of national integration, followed by a growing emphasis on character, reading and the performing arts. It later relocated to Bukit Batok, where it remains. The MOE history’s narrative and milestone table give different relocation years, so a precise year should not be asserted without reconciliation. PRIME upgrading was completed in 2005; the 50th-anniversary celebration took place in 2013.

Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development follows Awareness, Action and Advocacy. The table identifies common programmes in Sec 1—sustainability-infused Science and interdisciplinary work such as EARTH—and Sec 2, including STEM projects such as Project Dream Maker. It lists no core ALP programme for Sec 3 and above, although leadership opportunities continue. Science Ambassadors facilitate workshops; Maker Education Leaders manage iCreate @ Swiss. Overseas learning journeys are for selected ambassadors or maker leaders, not every pupil. The programme’s broad promise of access should be read alongside these stage and selection limits, rather than becoming a guarantee of travel or competition entry.

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

Swiss Cottage Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Design and Innovation (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls and Boys)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Air) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Scouts (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 Swiss Cottage Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Girls and Boys)
  • Bowling (Boys)
  • Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Girls and Boys)
  • Leadership (Girls and Boys)
  • Military Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Science for Sustainable Development (Girls and Boys)

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 Swiss Cottage Secondary 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?

PG3 · Non-affiliated: Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 8–11; Yishun Town Secondary School 2026 · 5–13. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 21–22; Yishun Town Secondary School 2026 · 21–22. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Swiss Cottage Secondary School 2026 · 25–26; 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.