Victoria School

This article is about the secondary school in Singapore. For other uses, see Victoria School (disambiguation).

Victoria School 维多利亚学校 Sekolah Victoria விக்டோரியா பள்ளி
Address
2 Siglap Link Singapore 448880 Marine Parade
Information
Type	Autonomous Government
Motto	Nil Sine Labore (Nothing Without Labour)
Established	1876
Sister school	Cedar Girls' Secondary School
Session	Single session
School code	3014, 9151(IP)
Principal	Mr Chow Weisi
Gender	Boys
Enrolment	1600+
Colour(s)	Yellow and Red
Affiliations	Victoria Junior College
Website	http://victoria.moe.edu.sg

Victoria School (VS) is Singapore's second government secondary school. The all-boys school, founded in 1876, is currently located at Siglap Link. It is less than one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College and a very short walk to East Coast Park and the beach.

Previous campuses of Victoria School include the Syed Alwi and Tyrwhitt Road sites. The Syed Alwi site is featured on the back of Singapore's S$2 banknote. See Singapore Portrait Series currency notes. The Tyrwhitt Road site was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007 and was awarded URA's Heritage Award in 2009.

History

Kampong Glam: 1876-1900

Victoria School had its beginnings in an English class formed in Kampong Glam Malay School in 1876. Kampong Glam Malay Branch School was then established with twelve Malay boys with Mr Y. A Yzelman as their principal. The school enrolment grew but the school provided poor shelter from the weather and was often flooded.

In 1897, the enrolment recorded was 122, and the school's first football team was formed by the school principal, F.W. Hartley.

Syed Alwi: 1900-1933

The school moved to new premises at Syed Alwi, near the Victoria Bridge. The school was renamed Victoria Bridge School.

The first annual sports meet was held in 1915 and the first annual Speech Day the following year.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) was formed in 1918. Scouting was first started in the school when the 5th Singapore (HQ Malay) Troop was formed in 1919.

By 1920, the school enrolment was 733.

The House system was introduced in 1929 and House prefects were appointed in 1930.

Until 1930, the school had only primary classes. It became the second government secondary school in Singapore in 1931.

Tyrwhitt Road: 1933–1984

In 1933, the school moved to Tyrwhitt Road, off Jalan Besar. The new school building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, who also designed the Supreme Court Building and other prominent landmarks in Singapore. The school became known as Victoria School in 1933.

In 1940, the school motto, 'Nil Sine Labore', was adopted.

During the Japanese Occupation from 1941 to 1945, Victoria School was renamed Jalan Besar Boys' School by the Japanese authorities. It was one of the few schools selected to teach a Japanese-language-oriented school syllabus.

In 1950, the first-ever school science and laboratories block in Singapore was built in VS. It was designed by the school principal, R.F. Bomford. VS was also the colony's selected school to pioneer audio-visual teaching.

In 1951, Post-School Certificate (present-day GCE 'A' Level) classes were started, and for the first time, girls were admitted into VS. Secondary one to four classes remained boys-only. The school anthem was composed in the same year.

In 1955, the school recorded a 99.5% pass rate at the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate Examinations (present-day GCE 'O' Levels), making it the top school in Singapore.

In 1957, the school had the best results in Singapore for the University Entrance Examinations.

The Boys' Brigade 2nd Singapore Company was formed in the school in 1982. Today, it has an enrollment of about 60 Victorians.

In 1984, VS became one of the first two secondary schools to offer the Art Elective Programme (Singapore).

With the setting-up of Victoria Junior College in 1984, VS ended its Pre-University intake, and the last batch of Pre-University students sat for the GCE 'A' Level Examinations in November 1985.

The Tyrwhitt Road site was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007. It is one of the few early city-centre schools still in existence and features two school buildings from the pre- and post-war period on a single site. The Hall-cum-Canteen Block is the only known school hall left of this style and configuration in Singapore. The site was awarded the URA's Heritage Award in 2009.

The site is now also a marked-out historical landmark of the Jalan Besar Heritage Trail.

Geylang Bahru: 1984–2003

The school moved to the Geylang Bahru campus in 1984. The move to the new site was marked with a 2.3 km march by 1500 present and former students, teachers and principals from Tyrwhitt Road, led by Member of Parliament and old boy, Major Abbas Abu Amin.

The first "Victoria Challenge" was inaugurated in 1987.

In 1993, the Minister for Education, Lee Yock Suan, announced during the school's speech day that Victoria School would be one of the first six secondary schools to receive autonomous status.

In 1996, the school was placed fifth in the Ministry of Education's ST Ranking for all secondary schools in Singapore, based on academic results.

In 2001, VS became the seventh Secondary Gifted Education Programme centre and hosted the Gifted Education Programme from 2001 to 2005.

Siglap Link: 2003-Present

The ceremonial move in 2003 to the new campus at Siglap Link was attended by President S R Nathan, an old boy of VS.

The cost of construction of the new campus, which consists of the school and hostel, was almost S$40 million. A new indoor sports hall costing S$5 million was added in 2009.

The campus was selected to participate at the 9th International Architecture Exhibition at Venice, Italy.

In 2008, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to offer Physical Education as a GCE 'O' Level subject. It also became one of the first four secondary schools to offer the Regional Studies Programme.

Victoria School started offering the Integrated Programme together with Cedar Girls' Secondary School and Victoria Junior College in 2012.

Headmasters/Principals

Principal	Years Served
Y A Yzelman	1876 - 1884
Abdul Wahab	1884 - 1890
M Hellier	1890 - 1894
J King	1894 - 1894
W J Parry	1894 - 1894
M Hellier	1894 - 1895
H S Atkinson	1895 - 1897
F W Hartley	1895 - 1897
J H H Jarret	1897 - 1899
D A Yzelman	1899 - 1900
P A Yearwood	1900 - 1906
H Laugher	1906 - 1910
Mr Stockwell	1910 - 1911
R E Smith	1911 - 1912
H Laugher	1912 - 1913
M B Brockwell	1913 - 1914
Reverend A J Amery	1914 - 1920
Seah Seng Kang	1920 - 1922
R E Smith	1922 - 1934
Captain C E H Jacobs	1934 - 1937
F Cobb	1938 - 1939
D Roper	1941 - 1941
P F Howitt	1941 - 1941
Major E H Wilson	1941 - 1941
J D Joseph	1941 - 1941
S R Williams	1941 - 1946
Reverend Colin King	1946 - 1946
P F Howitt	1946 - 1948
R F Bomford	1948 - 1953
Soo Ban Hoe	1953 - 1954
M Campbell	1954 - 1957
Boey Chen Kee	1957 - 1958
A D Costa	1958 - 1959
Wee Seong Kang	1959 - 1959
Paul Abisheganaden	1959 - 1961
Cheong Hock Hai	1961 - 1962
Low Kee Pow	1963 - 1966
A Kannayson	1966 - 1971
Ong Kim Siong	1971 - 1971
T P Naidu	1971 - 1975
Looi Sik Cheong	1975 - 1982
Andrew Ng Lian Timn	1982 - 1986
Nicholas Tang Ning	1987 - 1989
Tan Tiek Kwee	1990 - 1994
Tan Kiak Seng	1994 - 1997
Chia Choon Kiat	1998 - 2000
Ang Pow Chew	2000 - 2005
Low Eng Teong	2005 - 2011
Andrew Lim Boon Kong	2012 - 2017
Chow Weisi	2017 - Present

Culture and tradition

Uniform

The Victoria School uniform is worn at all times, apart from the maroon blazer which is worn only during formal events. It consists of a white short-sleeved shirt, with either khaki short trousers (for secondary 1 and 2 students) or white long trousers (for secondary 3 and 4 students). A label bearing VICTORIA is sewn on the back pockets of the trousers. Secondary 3 and 4 students wear a black school belt

The school socks are white with the initials VS in red on both sides. Shoes have to be at least 80% white. In 2005, an official 'Victoria School' shoe bearing the letters VS on each side was introduced.

Victorians wear a maroon striped tie every Monday and on formal occasions. The school badge is worn above the left chest pocket. Student bodies such as the Prefectorial Board, Peer Support Board and Monitors' Council have their own badges, but the school crest remains the main feature of the badges.

For physical activities and camps, students wear a bright yellow bumblebee T-shirt with black trim, black shorts and white socks (PE kit). VICTORIAN is printed on the back of the T-shirt and the shorts has a back pocket.

Each house has its own running vest (singlet) in the house colours. These are yellow (Rochore), blue (Kallang), green (Kapor), purple (Whampoa) and red (Glam). It is worn during competitive athletic events.

Demographics

The Victoria School student demographic consists of a substantial number of ASEAN (South-east Asian), People's Republic of China (PRC) and A*STAR scholars in its midst who reside in the school's hostel, Victoria Hall.

Peer Support Board

The Peer Support Board is serves as a friend and facilitator to new secondary one students and helps to ease their transition from a primary school to a secondary school environment.

The Peer Support Leaders have important roles to play in both intra- and inter-school activities, like helping to facilitate the smooth running of events. The Peer Support Board works closely with the Prefectorial Board and Monitor's Council for a wide range of activities and also works with Cedar Girls Secondary School's Peer Support Board to organise Supörté up till 2014.

Prefectorial Board

The Prefectorial Board organises school events and helps regulate school discipline. The Prefectorial Board also serves as the bridge between the school management and the student body, looking into student well-being, student feedback as well as instilling a positive culture of school discipline.

Secondary 1 and 2 students are given the opportunity to apply to become Junior Prefects. Some are recommended by the form teaches in their lower secondary years. After a series of interviews and a probation period, they are eventually shortlisted and selected by the Prefectorial Board’s Student Executive Committee. Selection of Senior Prefects is also carried out in a similar manner.

The board is led by the Head Prefect and two Deputy Head Prefects. Since 1989, these three positions have been chosen annually by the students and teachers of the school through an online voting process.

Monitors' Council

The Monitors' Council acts as a bridge of communication or dissemination of information between the school administration, the various student bodies, and students. Like prefects, they also regulate discipline to an extent. Selected monitors are also sent to represent the school during its open house.

It is one of the three leadership boards in Victoria School and the Board frequently organise events with the Peer Support Board as well as the Prefectorial Board. The Peer Support Board also recommends new students who are of suitable material and calibre to the form teachers and Monitor's Council EXCO Members. Joint interviews will then be held to determine the new Monitors.

The EXCO of the Monitor's Council consist of upper secondary students who are selected through intensive interviews and peer evaluation by the current Monitor's Council EXCO Members. There are 6 members in the EXCO, and they organise student-led activities such as Teacher's Day. The various positions in the Monitor's Council EXCO are Chairman, Vice-Chairman(Admin), Vice-Chairman(Council Affairs), Secretary, Head of Communications and Head of Logistics.

Since 2013, Monitor's Council has also sent potential EXCO members to the Peer Support Board's Supörté event in order to learn more about providing support and boosting class as well as school morale.

House System

The students are grouped into five houses, namely Glam, Kallang, Kapor, Rochore and Whampoa, where they compete against each other in the school's annual Sports Day, Cross-Country Championships and during Inter-house games.

The Victorian and Victoriana

The school has published an annual yearbook, "The Victorian", since 1948, and a biannual newsletter called the Victoriana, first published in 1982. The editorial board consists of teachers and students from the school's Media Club.

Victorian Spirit

The Victorian Spirit is a sense of pride and belonging to the school. It encapsulates the fighting spirit and striving to their best for the school by Victorians. It lives on in the Victorian even after many years he had left the school, and bond different generations of Victorians together.

Special Programmes

Victoria School offers the Integrated Programme, GCE 'O' Levels Physical Education Programme, Art Elective Programme (Singapore), Regional Studies Programme, and Higher Mother Tongue Languages in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. VS students may also enrol in the Music Elective Programme in Secondary Three, or a third language (French/German/Japanese). However, these lessons are held at external venues. VS students of foreign languages take part in the Ministry of Education Language Centre's (MOELC) month-long Study-cum-Immersion Programmes (SCIP) in countries such as France, Germany and Japan.

Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP)

Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) is a 6-year Integrated Programme (IP) which allows VS students to bypass the GCE 'O' Levels and take the GCE "A" levels. Students complete their secondary education in VS before joining Victoria Junior College in Year 5. VS started offering the IP together with Cedar Girls' Secondary School and Victoria Junior College from 2012, building upon the success of the 4-year Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP) started by VJC in 2005. The VIP saw its last batch of students in the 2012 intake.

GCE 6080 Physical education

In 2008, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to offer Physical Education (PE) at GCE 'O' Levels, gaining the Ministry of Education's approval in 2006. The course involve both theoretical and practical aspects, including modules on weight training, football, hockey, and cross-country running, among others.

Students take the 'O' Levels theory examination at the end of the course (i.e. November of the graduating year). This examination contributes 40% of their overall grade, the other 60% coming from the practical component, assessed over a period of time.

In order to better acquaint students with the style of GCE PE lessons, PE Theory lessons are also conducted in lower secondary classes, as an examinable subject. The selection process for GCE 'O' Levels PE candidates is carried out towards the end of secondary two, and students whose applications have been approved by the PE department are notified prior to the subject combination allocation process at the end of the school year.

Art Elective Programme (AEP)

The Art Elective Programme (Singapore) leads to the GCE 'O' Levels Higher Art examination. The AEP is offered to academically good students with talents in art. For lower secondary classes, the AEP class is not entirely made up of AEP students. Usually, about a third of the class will take AEP lessons while the other two-thirds will have Home Economics or Design & Technology lessons. For upper secondary classes, AEP lessons are conducted after normal school hours.

Regional Studies Programme (RSP)

Students in the RSP take Indonesian as a third language, and learn about Southeast Asian culture and contemporary society. The curriculum includes overseas immersion programmes and structured enrichment modules spread throughout the course.

VECTORS

VECTORS is a school-based talent programme aimed at nurturing students who demonstrate high abilities in Mathematics and Science. Students are given a wide range of opportunities to learn beyond the curriculum. The programme also provides students with the opportunity to participate in enrichment modules at junior colleges, polytechnics and universities, research mentorships and other institutions.

Co-Curricular Activities

The school offers 40 Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in the four areas of sports, uniformed groups, performing arts, and clubs and societies for its students.

The school holds performing arts and sporting activities, such as the biennial Rhapsody, Drama Festival (Dramafest), Musical World, Arts Festival and Evening of Music and Drama (EMD), as well as the annual Sports Day and Cross-Country Championship.

Sports

Thirteen sports are offered in Victoria School: badminton, cricket, cross-country, floorball, football, hockey, sailing, shooting, table-tennis, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wushu. The school also participates in the Inter-School Dragon Boat competition.

Victoria School has always received the highest number of sports colours awards among the secondary schools in East Zone. More than one-third of the secondary school boy awardees in East Zone are from VS. In the 2010 Schools Sports Colours Awards, Victoria School received 12 individual national colours awards, 14 individual zone colours awards and 14 team awards.

In cross-country, VS has won 33 out of 50 team titles from 1988 to 2012, winning at least one "B" or "C" Division (Boys) team title every year except for 2007.

VS also participates in the Singapore Floorball Association local men's league.

National Schools Games

The National Schools Games is the annual national inter-school sports competition. Between 2009 and 2018, the school had won 24 national team titles and 25 zonal team titles, and achieving a national top-four placing 149 times.

Sports Awards

Singapore Schools Sports Council Best School Boy Award (Sports)

VS students who have won the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Best School Boy Award for respective sports, since it was started in 2010:

Year	Name	Sports
2010	Jeffrey Adam Lightfoot	Football
2010	Fung Junjie	Wushu
2010	Rezza Gaznavi *	Cricket
2011	Marcus Ng Yu Pei	Cross-Country
2011	Ryan Lo Jun Han	Sailing
2012	Fung Junjie *	Wushu
2013	Samuel Tan Wei Han *	Wushu
2016	Ryan Tham Junkun	Floorball
2016	Poh Yu Hao	Shooting (Air Pistol)
2017	Poh Yu Hao	Shooting (Air Pistol)
2017	Mohamad Amir Arsyad B M I *	Floorball
2018	Daniel Hung Book Lok *	Sailing
2018	Poh Yu Hao *	Shooting (Air Pistol)

Note: * - Former VS students in pre-university

Singapore National Olympic Council Sports Awards

• Tan Wearn Haw (Sailing) - Sportsboy of the Year, 1992 and 1995
• Daniel Hung Book Lok and Muhammad Daniel Kei Yazid (Sailing) - Sportsboy/Sportsgirl Team of the Year (Event), 2016
• Muhammad Daniel Kei Yazid (Sailing) - Sportsboy of the Year, 2018

Uniformed Groups

Victoria School has six uniformed groups, 4 national UG and 2 worldwide UG.

Uniformed Groups' Best Unit Competitions

• Boys' Brigade: J M Fraser Award for Excellence - Gold (20th consecutive), 2017
• National Police Cadet Corps: NPCC Unit Overall Proficiency Award - Gold (18th consecutive), 2017
• National Cadet Corps (Land): Best Unit Competition - Silver 2016
• Scouts - Arrow Scout Group: Frank Cooper Sands Award - Gold (12th consecutive), 2016
• Red Cross: Red Cross Youth Excellent Unit Award - Gold (9th consecutive), 2016
• National Cadet Corps (Sea): Best Unit Competition - Gold, 2016

Former VS NCC cadets include the former Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces, LG Neo Kian Hong.

Scout Group

Passing Over Ceremony at Victoria School. circa 2005

Scouting was first started in Victoria Bridge School (present day Victoria School) when the 5th Singapore (HQ Malay) Troop was formed on 28 March 1919. The 5th Troop was mentioned in the local newspaper in August 1950, but appears to have been disbanded shortly after. The 6th Troop was founded in 1922, when school-based Scouting was introduced in government schools. In 1932, the 6th Troop was renamed Arrow Scout Group after the Golden Arrow which BP had proclaimed in 1929's 3rd World Scout Jamboree as Scouting's symbol of peace and goodwill.

Performing Arts

Victoria School has six performing arts groups. Victoria School Chinese Orchestra is one of the top school Chinese Orchestra in Singapore. In the biennial Singapore Youth Festival (SYF), Victoria School Chinese Orchestra has always attained good results, with the most recent SYF 2017 attaining a Certificate of Distinction. Victoria School Choir is one of the top school choirs in Singapore. In the biennial Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Choral Judging Competition, the school has always attained a Gold with Honours award, except for 2007, when a Gold award was attained. It has also won gold medals in international choir competitions. In the 2012 National Day Parade, the 300-strong Combined School Choir was formed by students from Victoria School and Cedar Girls' Secondary School.

Clubs and societies

• AV Club
• Photography Club
• Chess Club (consisting of International Chess Club and Chinese Chess Club)
• English Language Drama Club
• English Language Debate Society
• Infocomm Club

In The Straits Times National Youth Media Competition, VS holds the best record among all the schools in Singapore, clinching the championship twice and runner-up position thrice since the competition was inaugurated in 2005.

Community Involvement Programmes

Youth Day

On Youth Day, Victoria School boys attempt to 'paint the town yellow' as they go round nearby housing blocks in the neighbourhood collecting old newspapers and items for disposal. Residents are notified in advance about the collection. The boys are clad in their yellow PT kit so that they are easily identified.

President's Challenge

Victoria School participates in the President's Challenge every year. In 2004, each class did a specific activity to raise funds for the charity. Activities included washing cars, going door-to-door to do household chores for a donation. In 2005, it held a watch design competition and the best designs were made into real watches and put on sale. In 2006, it sold small booklets containing the artworks of past and present Victorians.

Victoria Challenge

Started in July 1987, the Victoria Challenge allows classes to identify tasks that will contribute to the school. The "challenge" itself is for classes to plan their tasks carefully and pledge to complete it within 24 hours. It is conducted once every four years. Special T-shirts have been designed for every Victoria Challenge since its inception. Every class challenge is unique, and the challenges encompass various domains. Past challenges have ranged from creating miniature clay figurines, folding 3D origami eagles to hang in the library, drawing floor murals to creating an "Arts Nook" in a corner of the school, complete with books and a piano

Overseas Exchange Programmes

Victoria School has established ties with schools abroad to promote a Singaporean brand of education and an exchange of ideas.

As part of the initiative to improve bilateral education links between Singapore and Malaysia, Victoria School has been linked up with Penang Free School, Malaysia by the Ministry of Education. Other schools with which Victoria School has bilateral exchange programmes include Hebei Baoding Yizhong, English School Attached to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Beijing Sanfan Zhongxue and Nan Hai Zhi Xin Zhongxue (all from People's Republic of China), Modern School of Vasant Vihar (India), University of Griffith (Australia) and Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudin High School (Brunei).

Humanities Trips

Victoria School offers week-long overseas humanities trips to ASEAN and other parts of Asia for secondary 1 to 3 students. The aim of these trips is to expose students to the realities of lessons learnt in class and to provide an eye-opener and cultivate a global mindset for students and staff.

Camps

Secondary One Bonding Camp

During January, all secondary one Victorians attend a three-day-two-night camp usually held in school. They take part in physical, interactive and character-building activities designed to let them make new friends within the class and the cohort, as well as to adapt to the new secondary school environment.

Secondary Three Overseas Adventure Camp

In 2001, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to send its entire cohort of secondary three students on an overseas camp. The camp, which used to be held typically in March, is now held in January concurrently with the secondary one and two cohort camps on farmland in Malaysia. The aim is to bond the new secondary three students and help them settle into their new classes after being streamed according to their subject combinations, as well as to expose them to life outside the confines of urban Singapore. Also, following the "EDGE" model of the school, the camp aims to "Grow" (Third letter of the acronym) the students into effective leaders as they will be the new batch of student leaders to take over various leadership roles from the secondary four students. Rigorous activities ranging from rafting, trekking, river-crossing to mountain-climbing are held during the camp.

From 2001 to 2010, the annual camp had been held at Kahang Organic Rice Eco-Farm, Kahang town, located near Kluang, Johor. From 2011, the location of the annual camp was shifted to Tanjong Sutera Resort, Tanjung Sedili, near the town of Kota Tinggi, Johor.

Victoria Enhanced Leadership/Outdoor Camp Instructor Training Camp (VELOCI-T)

The VELOCI-T is a grueling 5-day outdoor camp held locally (for one part) and immediately overseas at Mawai Eco Camp, Malaysia the following day. Ever since 2014, the camp was no longer held at Mawai Eco Camp. It is run by external camp instructors in collaboration with selected Secondary Three Junior Leaders for that year. It has garnered praise for being one of the most trying and effective leadership camps among local institutions. 100 Secondary Two students, nominated through CCA teachers that will undertake leadership positions the following year are trained to run camps and conduct activities commonly carried out during outdoor camps. All Prefects, as well as nominated Peer Support Leaders which have successfully pass their interview, will have to go for VELOCI-T. They also learn the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership through hands-on activities and undergo rugged adventurous activities. The VELOCI-T 2010 saw trainees making an expedition on inflatable rafts and kayaks from East Coast Beach to the MOE Adventure Campsite in Changi, doing high elements and braving a water obstacle course. There is also a mountain climb of Gunung Arong for every year's camp except in 2010, and until 2013 when the camp site was changed, where a heavy downpour made it impossible. After the camp is concluded, the participants' performances are reviewed and if found suitable, promoted to the rank of Junior Leader (JL) or, upon further application and stringent selection, Senior Leader (SL). In recognition of these, they are then awarded Red shirts and Black shirts respectively. The JLs and SLs are informally called Red Shirts and Black Shirts due to the shirts awarded to them. The JLs and SLs form the backbone of student leadership in VS and play an instrumental role in rallying and organising the student population.

Campus and facilities

In the 3.5-hectare VS campus, the "Eco-Street" forms the central artery, which acts as a green lung, providing the space between the Classroom Block and the Science Block. This space allows more natural light in classrooms and improved ventilation.

The flora and fauna of the Eco-Street, including various tropical plants, fish and turtles, provide a setting for outdoor learning to take place. The Victoria Pool, Learning Garden, Bio Pod and Exploration Patch are intended to represent a move away from rigidly-structured, classroom-based instruction.

The classrooms on ground level, known as Learning Studios, are air-conditioned and have sliding doors that open out to the landscape, and are suitable for impromptu lectures, meetings and project work. Some classrooms on the upper floors have balconies originally intending to take advantage of the sea view, but are closed for safety reasons with the Indoor Sports Hall blocking the majority of the sea view.

There is also a 500-seater auditorium and a three-storey library, of which the third floor is reserved for teachers only and contains a collection of teaching resources.

Victoria Hall

Victoria Hall is a hostel consisting of two 11-storey blocks (one male and one female only block) within the school compound. The Hall is beside the sea and East Coast Park, giving boarders both a refreshing sea view and convenient access to the sporting facilities at the Park. It is home to about 500 boarders of different nationalities, such as Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese, many of whom attend either Victoria School or Victoria Junior College. Sec/Year 3 students also stay at the hostel for the duration of 6 weeks. 3 classes attend this programme in Term 1, 4 in Term 2 and 3 again, in Term 3.

Sports facilities

A S$500,000 AstroTurf field replaced the conventional field in early 2007.

A S$5 million multi-purpose sports hall (more commonly referred to as the Indoor Sports Hall (ISH)) was completed in June 2009. It consists of two storeys, but the height of the building is approximately seven storeys due to the high ceiling.

The school also has an air-rifle range, tennis cum basketball court, fitness corner and a gymnasium.

Computer facilities

The school is mostly covered by a Wi-Fi network (SWN) provided by the Ministry of Education to provide teachers and students with internet access on campus.

Incentives and sanctions

There are rules concerning students' uniform, grooming and attendance.

Electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets are used for IT Learning to enhance the learning experience for all students. Students are allowed to use their electronic devices during curriculum time only after receiving permission from teachers for IT Learning, or for emergency purposes. Students are allowed to use the school Wi-Fi freely anytime by logging in with their given accounts. Students are allowed to use their electronic devices outside of curriculum time. However, unauthorized usage within curriculum time, especially in the classroom may result in a temporary confiscation of the electronic devices.

The most common punishments at VS are the informing of parents, confiscation and/or receiving scolding for minor offences. For repeated major offences such as playing truant, gambling, vandalism, fighting, smoking, theft, bullying, cheating, possession of pornographic material, or being disrespectful to staff, students are usually suspended, if not expelled for repeated offences. VS has also administered public caning for major offences across the seat of the PE shorts. There is general support for this given the high standards of the school and low tolerance towards blatant misbehaviour. For a repeat of minor offences such as inappropriate hairstyles and being late consecutively, the student's conduct grade recorded in the report card may be reduced, for example from "Very Good" to "Good" or "Fair".

Awards

In 2009, Victoria School was awarded the Ministry of Education's School Distinction Award (SDA).

Victoria School has also attained various CCA awards, such as the Sustained Achievement Awards for sports, performing arts and uniformed groups, in recognition of its consistently high performance in national competitions, sports meets, the biennial Singapore Youth Festival and other events.

Scholars

Nine Victoria School students had received the prestigious Queen's, State and President's Scholarships.

• Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim - Queen's Scholar, 1936
• Poh Soo Jin - Queen's Scholar, 1951
• Teh Ee Kheng - Queen's Scholar, 1957
• Yap Choon Teck - Queen's Scholar, 1957
• Si Hoe Sing Yin (Ms) - Queen's Scholar, 1958
• Han Cheng Fong - State Scholar, 1962
• Lam Chuan Leong - President's Scholar, 1967
• Ng Chee Khern - President's Scholar, 1984
• Loh Wai Keong - President's Scholar, 1984

Note: Queen's and State Scholarships are the predecessors of the President's Scholarship

Victoria Junior College

Victoria Junior College (VJC), affiliated to Victoria School, was established in 1984 to replace the Pre-University classes in VS. Over the years, it has been recognized as one of the top three junior colleges in Singapore.

Students from VS and Cedar Girls' Secondary School in the 6-year Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) continue their Year 5 and 6 education in VJC. Non-IP students from VS get two bonus points off their GCE 'O'-Level L1R5 academic aggregate if they apply to continue their two-year junior college education within the Victorian family at VJC.

The introduction of the Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme in 2012 and the further sharing of expertise as well as joint events between VS, CGSS and VJC highlights thieir continuning commitment to ensure a smooth transition for both VS and CGSS students into VJC.

Victoria Advisory Committee

The Victoria Advisory Committee (VAC), formed in 1968, set the direction and advises on the future of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College. The principals of VS and VJC, as well as the President of the Old Victorians' Association, sit on the Committee.

Victoria Chorale

Formed in 1988, Victoria Chorale, which comprises graduands of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College, is one of the top semi-professional choirs in Singapore. It has won numerous prizes at many prestigious international competitions, including gold medals at the Choir Olympics.

Old Victorians' Association

The alumni body, Old Victorians’ Association (OVA), was established in 1941. It serves as a channel for former students of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College to continue to associate with their alma mater.

The OVA supports the activities undertaken by the schools, assists needy students, and promotes sports, social and cultural activities among association members.

The OVA men's and women's hockey teams play in the Singapore Hockey Federation hockey leagues.

In 2009, OVA organized the inaugural combined VS and VJC gala concert, with a 260-strong cast comprising both students and celebrity alumni, at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

In 2011 and 2016, OVA organized the Victoria School 135th and 140th Anniversary Celebration Dinners respectively at the former VS campus at Tyrwhitt Road.

Notable alumni

See Victoria School alumni

Head of State

• Yusof Ishak: First President of Singapore, 1959–1970
• C V Devan Nair: Third President of Singapore, 1981–1985
• S R Nathan: Sixth President of Singapore, 1999–2011

Politics

• Eu Chooi Yip: Leader, Communist Party of Malaya in Singapore
• Abdul Samad Ismail: Leading Malay politician in 1950s-1960s; Founding member, People's Action Party; Malaysia Journalism Laureate
• S Dhanabalan: Cabinet Minister, 1980–1993; Member of Parliament, 1978–1996; Chairman, Temasek Holdings, 1996-2013
• Sardon Haji Jubir: Cabinet Minister, Malaysia, 1955–1972; Governor, Penang, Malaysia, 1975–1981
• Abdul Aziz Ishak: Cabinet Minister, Malaysia, 1955–1963
• Teo Ser Luck: Minister of State, 2011-2017; Senior Parliamentary Secretary, 2008-2011; Parliamentary Secretary, 2006-2008; Member of Parliament, 2006-; Mayor, North East Community Development Council, 2009-2017
• Sha'ari Tadin: Senior Parliamentary Secretary, 1972-1976; Parliamentary Secretary, 1968-1976; Member of Parliament, 1968-1976
• Dr Ong Chit Chung: Senior Parliamentary Secretary, 1991-1993; Member of Parliament, 1988-2008
• Lim Biow Chuan: Deputy Speaker, Parliament, 2016-; Member of Parliament, 2006-
• Dr Kanwaljit Soin (Ms): First female Nominated Member of Parliament, 1992–1996

Government

• Dr Phay Seng Whatt: Chairman, Public Service Commission, 1962–1975

Military/Police

• LG (NS) Ng Yat Chung: Chief of Defence Force, Singapore Armed Forces, 2003–2007
• LG (NS) Neo Kian Hong: Chief of Defence Force, Singapore Armed Forces, 2010-2013; Permanent Secretary, 2013-
• MG (NS) Ng Chee Khern: Chief of Air Force, Singapore Armed Forces, 2006–2009; Permanent Secretary, 2014-
• MG Syed Mohamed Syed Ahmad Alsagoff: Commander, Singapore armed forces when Singapore was part of Malaysia, 1963–1965
• Air Vice Marshal Sulaiman Sujak: Malaysia first non-British Chief of Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, 1967–1976
• Tee Tua Ba: Commissioner of Police, Singapore Police Force, 1992–1997

Education

• Dr A Vijiaratnam: First Pro-Chancellor, Nanyang Technological University, 1992–2005; Olympian (Hockey), 1956; Only person to have represented Singapore in four sports - hockey, football, cricket and rugby
• Emeritus Prof Edwin Thumboo: First Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, 1980–1991; First Cultural Medallion (Literature) winner, 1979
• Dr Law Song Seng: Director and CEO, Institute of Technical Education, 1982-2007

Legal

• Prof Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim: Singapore first non-British Attorney-General, 1965–1967
• Koh Eng Tian: Solicitor-General, 1981–1991; One of the first eight Senior Counsels appointed in Singapore, 1997

Medicine

• Dr Chew Chin Hin: First and only Singaporean who had been conferred the prestigious Mastership in the American College of Physicians (MACP) for contribution to medicine in Singapore

Business

• G Ramachandran: Prominent Indian business leader; President, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce, 1966–1968, 1973–1974, 1982–1986
• Quek Leng Chan: Founder and Executive Chairman, Hong Leong Group Malaysia; Ranked 2nd richest in Malaysia, Forbes, 2017
• Mohamed Salleh Marican: Founder, Chairman and CEO, 2nd Chance Properties; First Malay Businessman of the Year, 1988

Religion

• Haji Sanusi Mahmood: First Mufti of Singapore, 1969–1972
• Sik Kwang Sheng: President, Singapore Buddhist Federation, 2006-; Abbot, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, 2004-; Founder, Buddhist College of Singapore, 2005

Social

• Anthony Yeo: Singapore's "father of counselling"
• Dr Ngiam Tee Liang: One of the pioneers of social work in Singapore; Nominated Member of Parliament, 2002-2005

Culture

• A. Samad Said: Malaysia Literature Laureate
• David Lim Kim San: Music educator; First Cultural Medallion (Music) winner, 1979
• Iskandar Jalil: Ceramist; Cultural Medallion (Art) winner, 1988; Berita Harian Achiever of the Year, 2002
• T. Sasitharan: Theatre practitioner/educator; Cultural Medallion (Theatre) winner, 2012
• Boey Kim Cheng: Writer/poet whose poems are on the A-level English Literature syllabus in Singapore and the O-level English Literature syllabus internationally
• Daniel Yun: Film producer; Co-produced, co-wrote and co-directed "1965", a thriller/historical film released in 2015 to commemorate Singapore's fifty years of independence
• Kelvin Tong: First Singaporean film-maker to direct a Hollywood film, The Faith of Anna Waters, 2016
• Sonny Liew: Comic artist/illustrator; First Singaporean to win the Eisner Award, 2017
• J C Sum: One of the top illusionists in Asia
• Willin Low: Restaurateur/chef who has been named as one of the world's top 100 emerging culinary stars
• Charlie Lim: Producer and singer, 2018 Singapore National Day theme song

Sports

• Dr Lau Teng Chuan: Secretary-General, Singapore National Olympic Council, 1995-2002
• N Ganesan: Chairman, Football Association of Singapore, 1976-1982
• MAJ (Ret) Abbas Abu Amin: Chairman, Football Association of Singapore, 1989-1991; Member of Parliament, 1980-1991
• Choo Seng Quee: Former national football coach; Coach of the Year, 1977; Only person to have coached national teams of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
• LTC (Ret) Kesavan Soon: Olympian (Athletics), 1956; Only schoolboy to represent Singapore in 1956 Melbourne Olympics
• Tan Wearn Haw: Olympian (Sailing), 2000; Youngest person to helm a national sports association, 2011
• Calvin Kang Li Loong: Olympian (Athletics), 2008
• Gary Yeo Foo Ee: Olympian (Athletics), 2012
• Stacey Muruthi: National cricket captain, 1970s-1980s; Hold the record for playing 45 consecutive years in the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) league, 1968-2012

Trivia

Cedar Girls' Secondary School is the sister school of Victoria School.

See also

• Education in Singapore

Books

• Lim Fang York, "A sense of belonging, and other poems", 1979, Victoria School
• Lim Mu Yao, "Celebrating 130 years of Victoria School in Singapore", 2006, Victoria School
• "Victoria School art elective programme, 21 years", 2006, Victoria School; English 741.683095957 VIC, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library
• "Victoria Chorale", Victoria Chorale [1]

External links

• Official website of Victoria School
• Official website of Victoria Junior College
• Official website of Old Victorians' Association
• Ministry of Education - School Information Service - Victoria School
• Victoria School's Events, Lessons and CCAs weblog by Randell Siow
• Sprint @ VS