CHIJ Bukit Timah’s former secondary section does not operate as a separate girls’ secondary school for the 2027 Secondary 1 posting exercise. CHIJ Bukit Timah was established by the Infant Jesus Sisters in 1955 and began offering secondary classes in 1961. In 1973, because the site did not have adequate secondary-school facilities, its secondary section amalgamated with Boys’ Town English School, helping create the co-educational Assumption English School (AES). The CHIJ Bukit Timah institution itself continued as a primary school and is now known as CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace. Parents must therefore distinguish the present primary school from the actual secondary successor when planning after PSLE.
Assumption English School is at 622 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678117, near Cashew MRT. Its official historical scores for the 2026 Secondary 1 intake, based on PSLE 2025, were Posting Group 3 (PG3) 10–22, Posting Group 2 (PG2) 21–25 and Posting Group 1 (PG1) 26–29. These belong to AES, not a separate CHIJ Bukit Timah secondary intake, and are not guaranteed for 2027. AES now offers SPEAK English-communication applied learning, DINAN servant leadership, REAL experiential learning, Science practical work, CCAs and student-support programmes. Parents interested in an all-girls CHIJ secondary environment should research an active girls’ school separately rather than assume the old Chestnut Drive secondary section reopened.
Quick parent summary: • CHIJ Bukit Timah opened in 1955 with 62 pupils, began secondary classes in 1961; • Secondary section amalgamated with Boys’ Town English School in 1973; • Secondary successor: Assumption English School, a co-ed Catholic government-aided school; • Current AES address 622 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678117; • CHIJ Bukit Timah became the present CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace primary school; • Historical 2026 AES scores: PG3 10–22, PG2 21–25, PG1 26–29; • ALP: SPEAK, English and communication; • LLP: DINAN, CHRIST values and servant leadership; • Selected Young Scientists and experiential programmes; • School phone 6572 9100; • Check current affiliations and school codes, not the former CHIJ name.
1. Can my daughter choose CHIJ Bukit Timah Secondary School?
No. The former secondary section was discontinued as a separate CHIJ division when its students amalgamated with the Boys’ Town school in 1973. A current school listing under CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace refers to a primary institution, not a secondary school accepting the 2027 PSLE cohort.
The relevant secondary institution in this specific historical succession is Assumption English School. Because AES is co-educational, a family seeking an all-girls education needs to examine other current girls’ schools and their actual eligibility rules.
2. The 1955 founding at a temporary site
MOE’s official CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace history says CHIJ Bukit Timah was the seventh school established by the Infant Jesus Sisters in Singapore. It began in 1955 with 62 pupils, temporarily housed at St Joseph Sino-English School.
This early arrangement reflected the need to build a dedicated environment for girls’ education in the Bukit Timah area. Today’s school choices and historical cutoffs cannot be inferred from the number of original pupils.
3. The Chestnut Drive campus opened in 1957
CHIJ Bukit Timah moved into the Chestnut Drive location in 1957. The school’s primary campus remained there through decades of change and later upgrading, preserving a connection with the surrounding Catholic community.
A parent might see the current CHIJ primary-school building and assume it is still a secondary section. It is not. The current secondary successor is at Upper Bukit Timah Road under the Assumption English School name.
4. The secondary section was added in 1961
CHIJ Bukit Timah began secondary education in 1961 to serve girls who wanted to continue studying in the school’s religious and community environment. It was a genuine historical secondary section rather than just an informal course.
That distinction helps explain why former pupils remember attending secondary classes under the CHIJ Bukit Timah name. However, those memories belong to an institution before the later 1973 amalgamation.
5. Why the secondary section moved out in 1973
MOE’s CHIJ school history identifies inadequate secondary-school facilities as the reason the section could not continue on the original campus. It was amalgamated with the secondary section of Boys’ Town School.
Parents should not treat that decision as a judgement that pupils or teachers failed. Educational institutions often reorganise when buildings and facilities no longer meet the needs of the age group they serve.
6. Boys’ Town English School became Assumption English
MOE’s Assumption English School history confirms that the 1973 merger brought the secondary section of CHIJ Bukit Timah into Boys’ Town English School. The institution became co-educational and adopted the name Assumption English School.
This means the secondary successor does not continue under the CHIJ Bukit Timah name or as an all-girls school. It is the current co-educational AES, which has its own mission, leadership and educational framework.
7. The primary school developed separately
After the secondary section moved out, CHIJ Bukit Timah became a fully primary school by 1975, according to MOE’s heritage record. It is now CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, at a dedicated primary campus in Chestnut Drive.
A family whose child attends that current primary school should still follow MOE’s actual PSLE Secondary 1 posting rules. A shared CHIJ heritage should not be assumed to create automatic priority at Assumption English.
8. CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace is not an AES campus
CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace and Assumption English School are separate contemporary institutions with different student age groups, school leadership and admissions arrangements. Their histories intersect through the old secondary section, but they are not two campuses of one present school.
Use the full name, correct address and official code in enquiries. Do not travel to the primary school expecting to register for Secondary 1 at AES or ask the AES general office to handle primary-school admission.
9. Do not infer modern affiliation from a merger
Singapore secondary-school affiliation is determined by current MOE rules, not by whether a primary and secondary institution shared a campus fifty years ago. The former CHIJ secondary history does not by itself prove present affiliation to AES.
Check the specific primary-to-secondary affiliation list on MOE SchoolFinder and any ranking-order requirements. Avoid telling parents that their child gains a score advantage simply because they attend CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace.
10. An all-girls CHIJ tradition is different from modern AES
Girls educated at CHIJ Bukit Timah before 1973 may remember a single-sex classroom, the Infant Jesus Sisters and particular religious practices. AES’s modern student community is co-educational, with a Montfortian Gabrielite Catholic identity.
Both histories deserve respectful treatment. Parents should ask what the present AES culture is like and allow their child to express a genuine preference for a mixed or single-sex school.
11. The difference between Catholic school traditions
The Infant Jesus Sisters established CHIJ schools, while the Brothers of St Gabriel founded Boys’ Town English School and shaped Assumption English. The merger connected the two traditions, but the organisations have different founding histories.
Families should not assume every current Catholic school’s assemblies, service activities, co-curriculum or admissions conditions are identical. Ask the school directly about its present values education and student expectations.
12. AES is a mainstream secondary school, not a former primary section
Assumption English now serves mainstream secondary pupils through the relevant Posting Groups and Full Subject-Based Banding. Its historic relationship with CHIJ Bukit Timah does not change the curriculum into a CHIJ primary-to-secondary continuation programme.
Parents should evaluate English, Mathematics, Science, Mother Tongue and Humanities at their child’s actual subject levels. The school’s distinctive enrichment adds to these foundations; it does not replace them.
13. The correct 2026 historical score ranges
Assumption English School’s own ask.gov.sg answer gives PG3 10–22, PG2 21–25 and PG1 26–29 for academic year 2026. These were the posted results of pupils who took the PSLE in 2025.
A lower total PSLE Score is stronger. The last number represents the previous last-admitted score. These are AES figures only; there is no separate 2026 cutoff for CHIJ Bukit Timah’s former secondary section.
14. A disagreement in the PG2 starting score
Some independent tables list the strongest PG2 pupil’s score as 22 instead of the 21 shown in AES’s current official FAQ. Both sources show the old last-admitted PG2 score as 25.
Parents should prioritise the school and MOE’s current data over third-party summaries. The relevant historical cutoff for the PG2 posting comparison remains 25, but no historical score guarantees the coming exercise.
15. A PG3 child with Score 21
A child with PG3 eligibility and total Score 21 may find AES historically plausible because its previous PG3 cutoff was 22. The family should ask about the school’s English communication programme and whether the child is comfortable in a co-educational Catholic setting.
The comparison is only a starting point. Another school may offer a better commute or different support. A genuine list of several acceptable schools protects the family from assuming past demand will repeat exactly.
16. A PG2 child with Score 24
For a PG2-eligible pupil with total Score 24, compare with the prior AES PG2 last-admitted score of 25. Do not borrow the PG3 boundary of 22 or assume the school’s old CHIJ name establishes an additional admission category.
Ask how the pupil may be offered G1, G2 or G3 subjects and how later progression is decided. Individual academic strengths differ from the admission grouping.
17. A PG1 child with Score 28
A child eligible for PG1 with Score 28 can use the former AES PG1 cutoff of 29 as historical context. It is still possible that the 2027 cutoff will differ after the new cohort’s choices and vacancies are considered.
The family should ask about foundational learning, opportunities for suitable challenge, CCAs and how the pupil can obtain help when struggling. School fit should not be reduced to one number.
18. What a cutoff does not measure
A past last-posted score is an admissions outcome. It does not tell parents whether the child will form good friendships, whether teachers explain recurring mistakes or whether the journey from home will be manageable.
Use the data to frame questions, then investigate ordinary learning and support. A school with a historically less demanding boundary can be an excellent fit for a particular teenager.
19. The current ALP is SPEAK, not a revived CHIJ curriculum
AES’s current Applied Learning Programme is SPEAK—SPeak English with grAce and Knowledge. It develops confident reading, writing and speaking through real-world communication, media and presentation tasks.
That is today’s programme to ask about. The curriculum of CHIJ Bukit Timah’s old secondary section should not be presented as though it survived unchanged after the 1973 merger.
20. Secondary 1 book trailers
The SPEAK progression includes a Secondary 1 book-trailer project, where pupils prepare narratives and voice-overs about characters or themes from selected reading texts.
Ask whether the child learns to support an interpretation using the text and revise the script after feedback. Digital production is helpful when it reinforces comprehension and language rather than becoming an exercise in editing effects alone.
21. Secondary 2 reporting projects
In Secondary 2, pupils have created newscasts, developing planning, reporting and clear spoken communication. Such tasks can teach them to distinguish an observation from a claim and write for a real audience.
Parents should ask how the school teaches source checking, consent when recording and accurate representation of information. A confident presenter still needs reliable evidence.
22. Secondary 3 advocacy and public speaking
At Secondary 3, speaking activities can become more demanding, with pupils developing speeches or campaigns around issues they care about. These can teach structure, empathy and evidence-based persuasion.
An effective programme should allow a quiet child to practise gradually and teach confident pupils to listen respectfully. A good argument is not simply the loudest one.
23. The DINAN leadership progression
AES’s Learning for Life Programme is DINAN, grounded in service and the CHRIST values: Compassion, Humility, Respect, Integrity, Sense of Responsibility and Trust.
Students progress from self-leadership and Values in Action to selected peer and senior leadership opportunities. Ask what every pupil receives and how teachers provide feedback before formal roles are assigned.
24. What servant leadership means for a child
Servant leadership begins with the needs of others rather than collecting positions. A young pupil may help classmates, listen attentively or complete a small responsibility without being a student councillor.
Ask how AES guides teenagers to recognise real needs and change plans when their first idea is not useful. Honest reflection is more educational than the number of service hours.
25. CHRIST values in everyday school life
The school’s values are rooted in its Catholic identity and include compassion, humility and integrity. They can be meaningful guides for behaviour when a pupil disagrees with someone or makes a mistake.
Parents of any religion can ask how values are taught through assemblies, lessons, restorative practices and voluntary or compulsory activities. Understanding the actual school culture is more useful than assumptions.
26. The REAL experiential programme
AES’s REAL programme is an age-specific experiential programme named after Brother Real Perreault. It provides relevant, engaging and authentic learning beyond the normal classroom, with Secondary 1 camp experiences described in current school material.
Ask about actual 2027 activities, supervision, medical arrangements, fees and support for anxious pupils. A 2026 camp venue or itinerary need not be identical for the next cohort.
27. Science projects remain part of mainstream learning
AES’s Science Department uses experiential projects to link school knowledge to sustainability, investigations and responsible citizenship. Secondary 1 pupils have undertaken projects connecting Science with Values in Action.
Parents should ask what observations are recorded, how a fair comparison is made and whether pupils must explain limitations. Practical Science should strengthen academic understanding, not simply provide entertainment.
28. Selected Young Scientists Programme
AES’s Young Scientists Programme provides deeper enquiry, workshops, competitions, learning journeys and mentoring for students with interest and aptitude. It is additional to the broad Science curriculum.
A school place does not guarantee an YSP role or a competition medal. Ask how pupils are selected and whether interest can develop after joining. Foundations in reading, Mathematics and Science remain important for everyone.
29. The GABRIEL student-support experience
AES’s GABRIEL programme includes additional life-skills and engagement activities for selected pupils, with a welcoming after-school space known as The Cabin.
Ask which children can participate and how form teachers identify students needing help. An intervention is one piece of a larger support system; not every pupil receives identical arrangements.
30. Literature and theatre experiences
The English and Literature department describes live theatre experiences and performance-based tasks that help children interpret characters and understand different perspectives.
Ask how the child is guided to connect a performance with textual evidence. A story can be emotionally engaging without making every interpretation equally supported. Careful reading still matters.
31. Full Subject-Based Banding and later SEC subjects
Posting Groups govern admission, while G1, G2 and G3 indicate the levels of individual subjects. Under current national rules, pupils may have different readiness across English, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue.
The future Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate records the subjects and levels taken. A historic CHIJ secondary section does not offer a separate qualification or an automatic academic route today.
32. DSA is not a late school-choice strategy
Assumption English’s 2026 DSA areas include sports, debate and speaking, and community youth leadership. These involve separate talent assessments before the usual post-PSLE choice exercise.
Do not assume an old CHIJ background creates a DSA entitlement or guarantees a selected CCA. Families using ordinary S1 posting should investigate current trials and beginner-friendly activities.
33. Sports, arts and friendship opportunities
AES offers sports, performing arts, clubs and uniformed groups alongside its academic programmes. These can help a child make friends and develop interests beyond the PSLE subjects.
Ask for the 2027 CCA induction and current training days. A child should identify several activities they genuinely enjoy, since a popular team may have limited places.
34. The actual journey from Cashew MRT
The current Assumption English campus is at 622 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678117, and Cashew MRT is its nearest rail connection. The general office is at 6572 9100.
Try the route during weekday arrival traffic and again after a possible CCA. A short MRT ride can still involve a long wait or walk; practical commuting matters to sleep, homework and safety.
35. CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace is a primary school
The current Chestnut Drive institution traces its history directly to CHIJ Bukit Timah. It remains a living part of the neighbourhood and serves primary pupils, but does not offer Secondary 1 places.
A parent whose child attends that primary school should use the normal PSLE posting process. Confirm current affiliation separately rather than infer it from shared history.
36. A family with a CHIJ alumni connection
An older relative may remember the Infant Jesus Sisters, the Chestnut Drive site and girls-only secondary classes before the 1973 amalgamation. Those memories are important parts of the school’s heritage.
The incoming pupil must make a new choice. AES may be attractive because of English communication and service leadership, or another active secondary school may fit better. Heritage should encourage research rather than decide the entire preference order.
37. Questions to ask at AES Open House
Use the current Assumption English Open House microsite or contact the school for confirmed 2026 visit arrangements, instead of looking for a separate CHIJ Bukit Timah secondary event.
Ask how SPEAK develops a shy student, how DINAN is taught across the cohort, what academic support exists and how school faith practices work. Let the child ask current pupils what happens in an ordinary school day.
38. Registration and buying the right books
If posted to AES, follow the receiving school’s 2027 Secondary 1 registration, subject-level, booklist, uniform, Personal Learning Device and Parents Gateway guidance. Do not use an old CHIJ Bukit Timah or prior-year AES list.
Ask about financial assistance and practical support if equipment or travel costs are a concern. A calm first term begins with accurate instructions and a manageable routine.
39. Six valid school choices
MOE primarily allocates pupils by total PSLE Score. When eligible pupils at equal scores compete for remaining places, citizenship, school-choice order and computerised balloting act as tie-breakers.
List six distinct currently operating schools the child would genuinely attend. Include two or three historically less-demanding options where feasible and confirm current school codes. A former CHIJ secondary section is not a separate option.
40. Official sources and parent conclusion
Read MOE Heritage: CHIJ Bukit Timah and the 1973 secondary merger, MOE Heritage: Boys’ Town and Assumption English, AES official 2026 posting ranges, SPEAK ALP, DINAN leadership, AES contact, MOE SchoolFinder and MOE S1 posting.
Reviewed 14 November 2026. CHIJ Bukit Timah’s former secondary section is not available as an independent 2027 option. AES’s 2026 historical scores cannot guarantee admission. This independent guide is not an official MOE or school notice.
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