Bowen Secondary School


Bowen Secondary School is a government school at Lorong Napiri in Hougang, Singapore.

History

Bowen Secondary School started in 1982 in the town of Ang Mo Kio.
On 4 December 1999 Bowen moved to new premises along Lorong Napiri off Yio Chu Kang Road. In 2000, the school became a single session school with 1374 pupils.

Principals

Since its establishment, the school has had a total of seven principals and twelve vice-principals.
PrincipalYears of service
T P Naidu1982–1985
Low Fook Yow1985–1996
Grace Lim Siew Meng1996–2003
Paul Chua Meng Huat2004–2007
Frederick Yeo2007–2011
Bernard Chew2011–2016
Liu Earnler2017–present

Identity and culture

Uniform

The six arrows in the school crest represent Bowen's Brand Personality of Passion, Genuineness, Benevolence, Confidence, Vibrancy and Imagination.
Skewed in one direction to create a notable rotation denoting the shaping of aspirations and self-belief, the six arrows converge to form a star, which symbolizes distinction through the core values of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, Resilience, Teamwork and Excellence. Together with the corporate colours of Blue and Purple, the distinctive logo epitomizes the harmonious balance between the left and right brain.

Academic information

Being a government secondary school, Bowen Secondary School offers three academic streams, namely the four-year Express course, as well as the Normal Course, comprising Normal and Normal academic tracks.

GCE O Level Express Course

The Express Course is a nationwide four-year programme that leads up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination.

Academic subjects

The examinable academic subjects for Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level offered by Bowen Secondary School for upper secondary level, as of 2017, are listed below.
Notes:
  1. Subjects indicated with ' * ' are mandatory subjects.
  2. All students in Singapore are required to undertake a Mother Tongue Language as an examinable subject, as indicated by ' ^ '.
  3. "SPA" in Pure Science subjects refers to the incorporation of School-based Science Practical Assessment, which 20% of the subject result in the national examination are determined by school-based practical examinations, supervised by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board. The SPA Assessment has been replaced by one Practical Assessment in the 2018 O Levels.
SciencesLanguage & humanitiesArts & aesthetics

  • Additional Mathematics*
  • Mathematics*
  • Physics
  • Chemistry *
  • Biology
  • Science
  • English Language*
  • English Literature
  • Mother Tongue Language* ^
  • Higher Mother Tongue Language
  • Geography
  • History
  • Combined Humanities *
  • Art
  • Design & Technology
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Music

    • Normal Course

    The Normal Course is a nationwide four-year programme leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination, which runs either the Normal curriculum or Normal curriculum, abbreviated as N and N respectively.

    Normal (Academic) Course

    In the Normal course, students offer 5–8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Compulsory subjects include:
    A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to N students who perform well in their Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Students can move from one course to another based on their performance and the assessment of the school principal and teachers.

    Normal (Technical) Course

    The Normal course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education. Students will offer 5–7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students' proficiency in English and mathematics. Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects.

    LifeLit Programme

    LifeLit Programme is a niche programme in Bowen Secondary, where a combination of English and Literature subject is offered. It offers a wide variety of related CCAs for the students.

    Notable alumni