Open House 2023

Open House 2023

Welcome

At Victoria School (VS), we nurture every Victorian to be a Gentleman, Professional and Sportsman who makes tangible contributions to his family, work, community and nation.

Meet our principal, Mr Chow who prepared this short welcome video that will bring you directly to the heart of education in VS.

Location Map

Open House Programme

The VS Experience

Prospectus/IP Handbook

  • Click here to view the Prospectus.

  • Click here to view the IP Handbook.

The VS Experience

Performing Arts Showcase

Highlights



Victoria Junior College/OVA



FAQ

Need to clarify something? Check out this FAQ Sections and you will find most of your queries addressed.

    1. What are the unique features of the VCA IP? How is it different from the IP offered in other schools?

      2. The VCA IP draws on the outstanding academic track records of VS and Cedar Girls’ Secondary School (CGSS) and builds on the very successful Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP) in VJC which was launched since 2005. It will be a programme that stretches students’ potential, demands their full participation and develops their individual voice and identity.

      Besides the core curriculum, a signature programme of the VCA is the Imagineering Programme, which aims to inspire students to become social innovators with the passion, attributes and ability to imagine and engineer innovative solutions to social problems. Other key programmes include the Helmsman programme for character development and life skills; the Beyond Borders programme for overseas exposure; and the Electives, consisting of a wide range of subject interests which students can choose from to further develop their creativity, communication and thinking skills which are all important 21st century competencies.

      In the co-curricular arena, students in VS and CGSS will experience the ethos and privilege of an all-boys and an all-girls education respectively and at the same time, they will also participate in joint programmes to broaden their social outlook. In addition, the students will enjoy the full range of co-curricular activities such as sports, performing arts, uniformed groups and experience the schools’ leadership development programme.

    2. For VS, how is the IP curriculum different from the ‘O’ Level curriculum?

      3. The vision of VS is to nurture every Victorian as a Gentleman, a Professional and a Sportsman. To grow the potential of each and every student towards this vision, the total curriculum in VS will comprise 5 main domains, that is, character, cognitive, community, aesthetics and physical. Each student develops and matures in his exposure through carefully planned programmes in each domain.

      Adolescence is both an exciting yet uncertain time of discovery, exploration and growth. While we are keenly aware that each student is different and develops at his own unique pace, ultimately, our purpose is to create the best array of options to secure each student’s future. To this end, the IP and the ‘O’ Level curriculum in VS will each serve to deliver a holistic educational experience that will provide the maximal exposure and post-secondary options for our students, in a manner best suited for their pace of learning and developmental needs.

      The IP curriculum in VS will be tailored for students who are clearly JC-bound. The curriculum puts emphasis on applying intellectual abilities to engage and solve societal issues, both present and future, through the Imagineering, Helmsman, Beyond Borders and Elective Programmes. The ‘O’ Level curriculum in VS on the other hand seeks to further raise the overall potential of students who, although having demonstrated significantly above average results at PSLE, would benefit from a structured environment that not only puts focus on knowledge acquisition and developing deep understanding, but also balances the time in academic learning with co-curricular activities. In other words, learning in the IP curriculum has greater flexibility and less defined boundaries between disciplines and programmes, while learning in the ‘O’ Level curriculum has greater structure and teacher facilitation.

    3. What are the respective Cut-off Points (COP) for VCA IP and VS O Level?

      4. The COP for VCA IP and VS O Level are respectively around 252 (AL 5-8) and 248 (AL 6-9).

    4. How will pupils in the VCA IP be assessed? Will there be examinations or are they expected to do more project work?

      5. A variety of assessment modes will be used to assess the learning progress and understanding of the pupils so as to cater to different learning styles and multiple intelligences. On top of traditional pen-and-paper assessments to consolidate students’ learning, alternative assessment modes like projects, oral presentations and portfolio assessment will also be used.

    5. What is the set of promotion criteria for IP?

      6. IP students need to attain a Year Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3 in order to be promoted [with a subject grade value of at least 2.5 (more than 55% in marks) for English language and Mathematics].

    6. How will the school prepare each pupil for the transition to VJC for Year 5 and 6 of the VCA IP?

      7. There will be multiple opportunities for every student to participate in programmes and activities organised by all three schools throughout the 6 years. These include the Electives and Imagineering Programme. Through these platforms, students from all three schools will have the chance to interact and learn from one another.

      In terms of the academics, the VCA IP is essentially a 6-year programme and the curriculum in Year 1 to 4 will be closely linked to what they will be learning for Year 5 to 6. Therefore it will be a seamless transition to Year 5 and 6 at VJC.

    7. If, after attending the Integrated Programme for some time, I find that I am more suited for the ‘O’ Level curriculum, can I opt to make a switch?

      8. There are various programmes in place to help students level up their performance if additional help is needed. You are advised to talk to your teacher if you encounter any difficulties during the course of your studies.

      The school has clear promotion criteria for the Integrated Programme. Students who fail to meet the promotion criteria might be advised to switch to the ‘O’ Level programme. Otherwise, the school generally does not encourage students in the Integrated Programme to switch to the ‘O’ Level programme and will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. You can approach your teachers to discuss the options available should you consider to do so.

    8. If I am admitted to the ‘O’ Level Programme, can I opt to switch to the Integrated Programme?

      9. The school will accept a number of eligible students into the Integrated Programme in Secondary 3. If you are identified to be suitable for the IP at Secondary 2, and are interested in the IP, you will have the opportunity to apply to be switched over to the IP. If your application is successful, you will join Year 3 of the IP in the following year.

    1. Can I apply for admission to VS through more than one DSA domain?

      2. You may use a maximum of two choices to apply to the same school, for two different talent areas of the school. We encourage students to apply for the DSA domain they are strong in, with evidence of participation and achievement in the talent area.

    2. Would the school assign a DSA applicant to either the O Level or IP track if he is not certain which track he is more suitable for during the DSA exercise?

      3. The DSA selection panel will decide on the suitability of the applicants for O Level or IP track.

    3. Can you please explain the stages of the DSA selection process?

      4. The DSA selection process may be broadly grouped into the following stages:

      i. Students will be shortlisted for a DSA interview based on their performance and records in the academics and DSA talent areas with their primary schools and/or outside involvements. The school does not look for records of specific achievements with specific organizations or events.

      ii. At the DSA interview, students may be asked to comment on various aspects and perform tasks (trials or auditions) related to the talent area.

      iii. The interview panel may then hold a discussion to decide and finalize the confirmed offer to successful DSA applicants before they are notified by the school. All this may take the duration of a month or more.

    4. My son is strong in more than one talent area, e.g. Sports (football), Mathematics and exemplary in character. How would he be assessed? Would the school offer him the DSA vacancy of another talent area if the quota for the one he applied under is filled?

      5. The school will shortlist based on the DSA domains applicants applied for.

    5. If I am successful in my application for the Integrated Programme but my PSLE score does not meet VS cut-off for admission to school’s Integrated Programme under MOE central posting system, will I be transferred to the ‘O’ Level Programme instead?

      6. Your place in the Integrated Programme is confirmed as long as (i) you have been offered a place in Integrated Programme under the DSA scheme, (ii) you have accepted the offer, and (iii) you meet the PSLE cut-off for a place in the Express course.

    6. How many DSA places are reserved for each talent area?

      7. The number of DSA places offered for each talent area varies every year and is dependent on:

      (i) the maximum number of students our school can admit through the DSA-Sec Exercise (approximately 30 - 35% of IP intake and 20% of Express intake);
      (ii) the number of applicants for each talent area;
      (iii) the quality of applicants for each talent area.

      Therefore, the appropriate number of DSA places offered to each talent area may range from 0 to as many as 4, subject to the above considerations and the intention of enhancing the educational experience of everyone in the school.

    7. If I am successful in my DSA application to VS for the ‘O’ Level Programme but do very well in my PSLE, can I be transferred to the Integrated Programme?

      8. You may appeal for a transfer to Victoria School’s Integrated Programme.

    8. What is the commitment if I enter VS through leadership DSA? Do I have to be in a specific leadership position?

      9. There is no specific leadership position with a specific school group you have to be committed to. You may be selected as a student leader of any school group.

    9. Are DSA students of the same talent area who successfully enrolled into VS assigned to the same class?

      10. For the best learning experience and scheduling of commitments, the school will assign students taking the same CCA, special programme and/or the same subject combination to be in the same class, wherever possible. However, such class allocation is more easily accomplished for Secondary 1 and 2 than for Secondary 3 and 4 as there are more subject combinations and more varied commitments at the Upper Secondary level.

    10. If I am not successful in the DSA application, how else can I apply for admission to VS?

      11. If you are not successful in your DSA application, you can still apply for admission to VS through the MOE central posting system under the Joint Admission Exercise (JAE) based on your PSLE results. As there are different option codes for the Integrated Programme (9151) and ‘O’ Level Programme (3014), you should indicate the correct option code of the programme that you are applying for. You should also select VS as your first choice in order to stand a good chance to be posted to the school.

    11. Is a DSA student enrolled with the school allowed to withdraw his commitment to the CCA or programme he applied into the school for when he is offered a higher external commitment in the same talent area?

      12. DSA students who are offered places in the school and accepted the offers must fulfill their commitments to the school in the talent areas they had applied in. As DSA students had taken the place of other students (either DSA or non-DSA), they must be fair to others and stay committed to and not rescind from the talent areas they had entered through.

      The commitment to the talent areas are for 4 years for both Express and IP students. However, for IP students moving on to Victoria Junior College in Year 5, we strongly encourage them to continue to be committed to their DSA talent areas in Year 5 and Year 6, especially for those in DSA (Sports) and DSA (Performing Arts). This is so that the students can continue to be progressively developed and continue to contribute to VJC in their talent areas.

    12. Can a student give up the DSA place he had accepted after the release of his PSLE results?

      13. No. Students who have accepted an offer through the DSA-Sec Exercise will have to commit to their decisions. They will not be eligible to partake in the S1 Posting Exercise.

    13. I would like to register DSA for my son under Mathematics. Can you please explain the stages of the selection process activities?

      14. Students will be shortlisted based on their primary school Math and competitions results. Students may also be asked to offer their solutions to Math problems in real life.

    1. How do I apply to Victoria School?

      2. When making your choice for Secondary Schools with your PSLE results, there is a separate school code of each programme in Victoria School. You can choose:

      - School code: 9151 for Victoria School – Integrated Programme

      - School code: 3014 for Victoria School – ‘O’ Level Programme

    2. Can I choose both the Integrated Programme and the ‘O’ Level Programme among my school choices?

      3. You may choose both the Victoria School – Integrated Programme and the ‘O’ Level Programme among your 6 choices of schools. You will be posted to the programme based on merit of your PSLE score. You will not be able to switch between the two programmes in Secondary One once you are allocated to the specific programme by MOE.

    3. What are the respective Cut-off Points (COP) for VCA IP and VS O Level?

      4. The COP for VCA IP and VS O Level are respectively around 252 (AL 5-8) and 248 (AL 6-9).

    4. I am posted to the Victoria School – ‘O’ Level Programme as it was my first choice. But my PSLE score is higher than the Victoria School – Integrated Programme cut-off. Can I be transferred to the Integrated Programme?

      5. You may appeal for a transfer to Victoria School’s Integrated Programme.

    5. If I am not posted to Victoria School, how else can I apply for admission to VS?

      6. If you are not successful in your posting to VS, you may appeal to be considered for transfer to VS on the Integrated Programme or the ‘O’ Level Programme. Students appealing for admission to VS after the release of the Secondary 1 Posting result have to meet the school’s cut-off points (COPs). The PSLE cut-off scores for both the Integrated Programme and the ‘O’ Level Programme vary every year depending on the PSLE T-scores of the applicants in that year.

      Some applicants may be placed on the waiting list. Places may be available if students posted to VS choose to be transferred to other schools. Students on the waitlists will be selected based on academic results, sporting talents and interviews.

    1. General

      2. Academic Talent Development Programme may begin as early as Secondary 1.

    2. Mathematics

      3. Keen to uncover your aptitude in Math? Or perhaps delve into mathematical solutioning to solve real-life problems? Have a go at our Math Talent Development Programme that exposes you to the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad experiences. You will also be involved in a Mathematics Research Programme where your projects may be submitted for the Singapore Mathematics Project Festival each year. If you’ve participated in your primary school Mathematics Olympiad and related competitions or are generally interested to build up your acumen in this subject, our teachers will get to know more about you and your interests and how you can be mentored to embark on your learning journey.

    3. The Sciences

      4. For our young budding Scientists, you can look forward to challenging projects and experiments that cut across the diverse science disciplines and concepts, geared towards authentic problem-solving in real world contexts. Students are selected based on their aptitude and interests, with recommendation from their teachers through various activities conducted in the school’s Science curriculum. These could include coding for drones and robotics, among other current technologies.

    4. Art Elective Programme (AEP)

      5. Interested students may apply for the AEP via the DSA. They may also apply to be enrolled into Victoria School and then apply to be in the AEP. There is a total of about 20 AEP vacancies per year for both O Level track and IP track combined. Interested students may indicate their preference for the O Level or IP track. The school will decide which track a successful applicant would be assigned to.

      To qualify for AEP, a student must be passionate about and has a strong aptitude for Art. He will be evaluated to find out if he is able to:
      - recognise and differentiate fine details in visuals (art) and sound (music)
      - use art tools and materials,competently to create art
      - analyse, talk about and present ideas about Art/Music works fluently
      - able to engage in and persist in Art/Music activities over longer periods of time.

    5. Music Elective Programme (MEP)

      6. VS does not offer MEP. However, interested students may choose to apply to do MEP at an MEP centre at Sec 1. If successful in their application, they will be required to commit to doing MEP for the next 4 years at the Music Centre and they will not be able to opt out of the programme unless approval is given from MOE citing strong reasons for opting out. Students who apply for the course must remain strongly committed to the programme due to the limited placements in the course.

      Another option is for students who want to do music at O Levels to apply for the O Level Music Programme at external music centres at Sec 2. If successful in their application, they will do the O Level Music programme at Sec 3 - 4 at the external music centre.

    1. Mathematics

      2. Victorians are generally geared towards Math and have continually shown a strong aptitude for it. Thus, in terms of subject combinations, both Additional and Elementary Mathematics are offered to all Express students at Secondary 3. For the Integrated Programme (IP), Integrated Mathematics (a customised, integrative approach to Math learning) is offered to all IP students at Year 3.

    2. The Sciences

      3. Victorians are given a choice to do 2 or 3 sciences (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) depending on their aptitude.

    3. Higher Mother Tongue Languages (HMTL)

      4. VS offers all IP students the opportunity to take HMTL with the exception of special cases such as students granted MTL Exemption by MOE. The school conducts milestone assessments to ascertain students’ suitability to continue with HMT and students may be advised to switch to MT or MTB if they do not meet the criteria for the milestone checks.

    1. Are non-school-based Co-curricular Activities (CCA) recognized?

      2. Every secondary school student must have a school-based CCA, unless they are involved in the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) or the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (SYCO). Our Victorians benefit from the progressive development of their skills, knowledge, leadership, character and 21CC through the school-based CCAs. School-based CCAs also serve as a social integration platform to bring Victorians together, allowing them to engender a sense of belonging to the school.

      Victorians may continue to participate in external activities, but not in lieu of their school-based CCAs. These external activities will be mainly interest-driven and will not be recognised as their school-based CCA. However, they can be considered for school representation in the National School Games (NSG) if the sport is one of those in the NSG calendar but is not offered by the school as a CCA (usually for individual sports like Bowling, Golf, Taekwondo).

      In view of an expanded secondary school curriculum (academic, CCA, enrichment and possibly 3rd language lessons, talent development and leadership training), Sec 1 students with external activities are advised to consider their external commitments carefully so that they are able to strike a balance and cope better in their first year.

    2. Can a non-DSA students change CCA in his 4 years in VS?

      3. We encourage students to develop themselves in the same CCA for 4 years as doing so will allow them to benefit from continuous and long-term progress of their knowledge, skills, attitudes and the 21CC. It is also advantageous for them to do so as they will be able to achieve a higher attainment level in the Participation domain in LEAPS 2.0.

      However, students are allowed to change their CCAs with valid reasons (medical, CCA closure or school transfer). Change of CCA should take place at the beginning of a student’s Sec 2 or Sec 3 year. When a valid medical reason is presented the change of CCA can take place any time during the school year.

      Students in Uniformed Group CCAs are not permitted to change their CCAs during the secondary school years, unless on valid medical grounds and supported by medical documents.

    3. How often does each CCA session take place?

      4. The CCA schedule can be found here.
      Do note that there may be a need for CCA sessions to be increased during peak periods (pre-NSG season, pre-SYF AP season, pre-competitions/camps for other CCA groups). Parents will be informed about these increased sessions accordingly.