School of Science and Technology, Singapore


The School of Science and Technology, Singapore is a specialised independent secondary school in Singapore, offering a four-year Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level Programme for secondary students.
The school uses the Direct School Admissions Exercise to obtain its cohort of about 200 students, with the application, including a written test and a selection camp. The school does not take part in the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, and extra slots are filled in by the Supplementary Intake Exercise. SST admits an additional of up to 50 students for Secondary 3.
The school is also the sixth school in the FutureSchools@Singapore Programme, relying fully on Information and Communications Technology for its specialised curriculum.

History

Foundation and Vision (2008–2010)

Founded in 2008, SST is Singapore's fourth specialised independent school, after the Singapore Sports School, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, and the School of the Arts. The school is a subsidiary under Ngee Ann Polytechnic and with its parent organisation, Ministry of Education.
The institution was first announced in Parliament by then-Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 4 March 2008, that a new specialised independent school with an emphasis on applied learning will be set up. Mr Chua Chor Huat, then-principal of Ngee Ann Secondary School, was appointed to be principal of SST starting from June 2008. Prof Su Guaning, the then-President of Nanyang Technological University, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for SST.
Housed temporarily in NP, and with the collaboration of MOE and NP, SST was established. On 11 March 2008, job applications were sent out to all teachers in Singapore. Together with MOE's Curriculum Planning Division, lecturers from NP and NTU, and the teaching staff recruited, the school's curriculum was developed.
On 3 March 2009, SST held its first board meeting, chaired by Prof Su Guaning, in signing the Memorandum of Understanding with NP and NTU.

Temporary Campus (2010–2012)

On 4 January 2010, SST moved to its temporary holding site of former Clementi North Primary School, at 5, Clementi Ave 6, to welcome the first batch of students, while waiting for completion of the permanent campus.
On 29 March 2010, a Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for the school, with Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development, and Ministry of Education Grace Fu. SST also received a S$8.1 million donation from Ngee Ann Kongsi, to be used for annual scholarships and bursaries.

Permanent Campus (2012–present)

On 3 January 2012, SST moved to its permanent and current location, at 1 Technology Drive.
On 13 April 2013, SST was officially declared open by Deputy Prime Minister and then-Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
On 25 July 2016, SST signed an MOU with the Singapore University of Technology and Design

Principals

Curriculum

Academic Curriculum

Secondary 1 and Secondary 2

Secondary 1 and 2 students take the standard Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level Express Stream subjects.

Secondary 3 and Secondary 4

Secondary 3 and 4 students take the standard Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level Express Stream subjects, with the addition of an Applied Subject – Computing+, Biotechnology, Design Studies, Electronics. Applied Subjects are elective subjects and will be reflected in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level Certificate.

Extended Curriculum

The extended curriculum named ChangeMakers Program, combines principles and skills from, Information and Communications Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Art, Design, Media & Technology, Mathematics, and Science. This program is taught by solving real world issues within and across the disciplines.

Campus

The SST Campus consists of 4 blocks and a football field, situated north-east of the junction of Clementi Road and Commonwealth Avenue West, a short walk away from Singapore Polytechnic.

Science Hub

The Science Hub consists of ten laboratories, four dedicated to the Applied Sciences, as well as a tissue culture room, a research lab, and an engineering lab.

Sports Complex

The Ngee Ann Kongsi Sports Complex was constructed with donations received from Ngee Ann Kongsi. It has both indoor and outdoor sports facilities, in addition to a synthetic football field.