Catholic High School · Complete Parent Guide

Catholic High School (Secondary) is a government-aided autonomous boys' secondary school and a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school located in Bishan. It offers both the Integrated Programme (IP) and the standard O-Level track, making it one of a small number of schools in Singapore with dual academic pathways for boys within a SAP environment.

Catholic High School is affiliated with the Catholic Mission and reflects that heritage in its school values and culture, while operating as a mainstream MOE school under the government-aided framework. As an autonomous school, it has additional programme flexibility compared to standard government schools, but with fees below the independent school level.

The school's co-location in Bishan — alongside other secondary schools — makes it a central node in Singapore's secondary school geography for the north-central region.

Programmes and Curriculum

Integrated Programme (IP)

The IP section at Catholic High School leads to A-Levels at Meridian Junior College via the Joint Integrated Programme (JIP) partnership. Students on the IP track do not sit for O-Levels at Secondary 4; they proceed to a JC partner school after completing the secondary years.

This IP-via-JIP structure is different from the in-house IP found at independent schools (such as RGS, HCI, or RI) where the secondary and JC sections are on the same campus. JIP students may attend a different JC campus from their secondary school.

For P6 families: the IP at Catholic High School is competitive and provides a continuous academic pathway, but the JC may not be the same campus. Read the school's current admissions information to understand the JC partner arrangement.

O-Level Track

Catholic High School also runs the standard Singapore-Cambridge O-Level programme for students in the Express stream. Students completing the O-Level track can apply to JC, Polytechnic, or other post-secondary pathways through JAE after Secondary 4. This dual-track structure means students are placed on either the IP or O-Level path based on DSA-Sec outcomes or S1 Posting.

Special Assistance Plan (SAP)

Catholic High School is a SAP school, one of Singapore's designated bilingual institutions for developing higher Mandarin Chinese proficiency alongside English. SAP shapes the school's culture, CCA offerings, and academic environment. The Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP) is available for students pursuing deep Chinese-English bilingual development.

Applied Learning Programme — STEM Sustainability (Coding in Environmental Solutions)

Catholic High School's ALP is "Coding in Environmental Solutions" (CODES) — a STEM focus on sustainability and coding applied to environmental problems. This is listed verbatim on MOE SchoolFinder as the school's ALP, reflecting its curricular innovation emphasis. (Source: MOE SchoolFinder — Catholic High School Secondary)

Learning for Life Programme — VITALS (Sports and Outdoor Education)

The school's LLP is "Values Infused Through Active Learning in Sports" (VITALS), a sports and outdoor education programme designed to develop character through physical activity. This aligns with Catholic High's active sports culture and ties into its DSA offerings in sports. (Source: MOE SchoolFinder — Catholic High School Secondary)

Music Elective Programme (MEP) and SBGE

Catholic High School offers MEP as a formal academic music programme. The school is also designated as an SBGE school by MOE. Both are listed on MOE SchoolFinder under Electives and Programmes.

Co-Curricular Activities

Catholic High School's CCA programme spans Performing Arts, Sports and Games, Clubs and Societies, and Uniformed Groups, with a strong representation of arts reflecting its MEP and drama offerings.

Performing Arts

Chinese Orchestra
Concert Band
Choir
Chinese Drama — available at relatively few boys' secondary schools in Singapore
English Drama
Modern Dance
Guitar Ensemble
Guzheng Ensemble

Catholic High School is one of the few boys' schools in Singapore with both Chinese Drama and English Drama as active CCAs — a reflection of its strong arts heritage.

Sports and Games

Sports at Catholic High School include a range aligned with its VITALS LLP philosophy:

Badminton · Basketball · Floorball · Softball
Table Tennis · Track and Field · Volleyball · Wushu

Clubs and Societies

Academic clubs include Mathematics, Science, Infocomm, Debate, and community service groups. The school's STEM focus through its ALP (CODES) also shapes its Infocomm and Science club culture.

Uniformed Groups

Boys' Brigade — Catholic High School has a strong Boys' Brigade tradition tied to its mission school heritage
National Cadet Corps (NCC) — Army
National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC)
Scout

Campus and Facilities

Catholic High School is located at 9 Bishan Street 22, Singapore 579767 in Bishan.

Nearest MRT station:

Bishan (North South Line / Circle Line interchange) — approximately 10–15 minutes on foot

The Bishan MRT interchange makes Catholic High School accessible from both the NSL and CCL lines. The school's campus supports both its IP and O-Level tracks, with facilities for the arts (MEP, drama), sports, and STEM activities. For current facility details, refer to the Catholic High official website.

Admission Pathways

PSLE and S1 Posting

Catholic High School is among Singapore's more competitive secondary schools by PSLE score for a government-aided institution. As a SAP school, posting data includes HCL grade distinctions across both IP and O-Level tracks. For current and historical PSLE cut-off point data for both tracks, see PSLE COP historical data.

DSA-Sec

Catholic High School participates in DSA-Sec with a notably wide range of talent areas covering sports, performing arts (including both Chinese and English Drama), academic talent areas (Mathematics, Science, Humanities), and language/cultural pathways (Bilingualism, MEP, Leadership). The breadth of Catholic High's DSA offering reflects its dual-track structure — DSA applicants may be considered for either the IP or O-Level track depending on their results and the school's assessment.

The school's drama DSA is distinctive: both Chinese Drama and English Drama are offered, which is uncommon among boys' schools. For preparation, see Drama DSA guide.

The specific talent areas offered are updated each year. For the current intake year's full list and to match your child's talent to schools, use the DSA-Sec School Finder.

For preparation frameworks by talent area, browse the DSALink talent guides. For DSA results guidance, see DSA Results.

Achievements and Recognition

Catholic High School holds Government-Aided Autonomous status under MOE. Government-aided schools receive partial government funding and are managed by a governing board (in this case, affiliated with the Catholic mission). Autonomous status provides additional programme flexibility.

MOE-recognised programmes at Catholic High School (listed on MOE SchoolFinder):

Programme	Type
Integrated Programme	Academic pathway
Special Assistance Plan (SAP)	Language and culture
School-based Gifted Education	Academic enrichment
Music Elective Programme (MEP)	Arts development
Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP)	Bilingualism
ALP — Coding in Environmental Solutions	STEM innovation
LLP — VITALS (Sports & Outdoor Education)	Character through sport

The school has a tradition of Boys' Brigade involvement tied to its mission school heritage. For verified historical achievements in specific competitions or awards, refer to the school's official publications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Catholic High School a Catholic school?

Catholic High School is affiliated with the Catholic mission and has a heritage connected to the Catholic faith. However, as a government-aided school under MOE, it does not have religious entry requirements. Students of all backgrounds apply through the standard DSA-Sec and S1 Posting processes.

Does Catholic High School have both IP and O-Level tracks?

Yes. Catholic High School admits students to both the IP and O-Level tracks. IP students proceed to a JC partner via the Joint Integrated Programme (JIP) rather than an in-house JC section. O-Level students complete Secondary 4 and apply to JC through JAE. For current posting band data across both tracks, see PSLE COP historical data.

Does Catholic High School offer DSA-Sec?

Yes. Catholic High School participates in DSA-Sec across sports, performing arts, academic, and language talent areas. The school has one of the broader DSA offerings among government-aided schools. For the current year's talent area list, use the DSA-Sec School Finder. For the full process, see What is DSA-Sec?.

What is the CODES ALP at Catholic High School?

CODES stands for Coding in Environmental Solutions — Catholic High's Applied Learning Programme focused on applying coding and technology to sustainability challenges. This programme shapes the school's Science and Infocomm culture and is also connected to the Science and Mathematics DSA talent areas.

What makes Catholic High distinctive among SAP boys' schools?

Catholic High School offers both IP and O-Level tracks within a SAP environment — a combination not available at all SAP schools. Its ALP (CODES) and LLP (VITALS) are distinctively named and structured. The drama DSA includes both Chinese Drama and English Drama, which is uncommon for boys' secondary schools in Singapore.

Related Schools and Resources

Schools with Similar Profiles

Hwa Chong Institution (Secondary) — Independent, Boys, IP+SAP, Bukit Timah
Dunman High School — Government Autonomous, Co-ed, IP+SAP, Tanjong Rhu
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) — Independent, Co-ed, IP+O-Level, Dover
Raffles Institution (Secondary) — Independent, Boys, IP, Bishan

DSA Preparation Resources

DSA-Sec School Finder — filter by talent area and PSLE score
DSA-Sec Timeline — key dates for the application cycle
What is DSA-Sec? — the complete process explained
Drama DSA guide — relevant for Catholic High's drama DSA pathways
DSA Results — historical results data
PSLE COP Data — historical posting data

Catholic High School (Secondary)