Anderson Secondary School

From 2003 to 2006 the school underwent a Programme for Rebuilding and IMproving Existing school upgrading project. The school raised funds for a student activity hub, a heritage centre and a multi-purpose studio, upgraded the lecture theatre and classrooms and added a five-storey building.

The final stage of the upgrading process took place in 2005. Some facilities, such as the school hall, cookery rooms and the football field, were ready in July 2006.

A facility called the "Inspire Town" was opened in 2005. This is a room where innovation and creativity is encouraged amongst pupils. Two classrooms were converted into a black box theater for use by drama students.[6]

In 2008, an indoor sports hall was opened.

Girls wear a white blouse and a kelly blue[7] tunic knee-length pinafore.[8] Lower secondary boys wear a pair of short trousers while upper secondary boys wear a pair of white long trousers. Students wear the school badge, with their name tag directly below it. Students wear the school tie on Mondays, and at formal school functions. On Casual Friday, students are allowed to wear Half-Uniform, PE-Shirts[9] or their Class T-shirts to replace their school shirt. From time to time, if there is an increase in temperature, the school may allow Half-Uniform from Tuesdays-Thursdays, with PE-Shirt the only choice.

The Anderson Secondary School Discipline Committee has classified offences committed by students into minor and major offences. Minor offences include being late for school, flaws in personal grooming and use of electronic devices during curriculum time. Major offences include absenteeism, forgery, arson and many others. Boys who commit any of the major offences are liable to receive corporal punishment in the form of caning. In the most serious cases, they are caned in front of the other students (known as "public caning"). Girls are never caned at Anderson but must attend detention class if they carry out any of these acts instead.[10] A stroke of cane for boys is equivalent to 5 days of detention class for girls.[11]

The Express Course is a nationwide four-year programme that leads up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination.[12]

The Normal Course is a nationwide 4-year programme leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination, which runs either the Normal (Academic) curriculum or Normal (Technical) curriculum, abbreviated as N(A) and N(T) respectively.[13]

In the Normal (Academic) course, students are offered 5-8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal (Academic) Level examination. Compulsory subjects include:[14]

• English Language
• Mother Tongue Language
• Elementary Mathematics
• Combined Science (Chemistry & Physics)
• Combined Humanities (Social Studies & History/Geography)
• Design & Technology/Principal of Accounts/Art

A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to N(A) 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.[13]

The Normal (Technical) course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education.[14] Students will offer 5-7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal (technical) Level examination.[14] The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students’ proficiency in English and Mathematics.[14] Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects.[14]

Overseas exchange programmes are known as Cultural Flexibility Programme:

• Anderson-Winitsuksa STEP Camp, Cultural Exchange & Adventure Camp
• Anderson-Marryatville Drama Educational Exchange
• Anderson-Kagoshima Daiichi High School Sports Exchange
• Anderson-EMAS Overseas Learning Journey, Sabah, Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange
• Anderson-SM Sultan Abdul Halim School Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange

Anderson Secondary School was the partner school for South Korea during the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.[15]

The school organizes events such as Cross Country[19] (Term 1) and Arts Fest (before end of Term 4) every year.

The school's Choir and Military Band stages a performance biennially known as VOICES and AMBience respectively, with the Chinese Dance and Malay Dance team staging a joint performance biennially known as ANDance, with their last concerts in 2014, it has been stopped indefinitely with the current school principal's decision.[20]

Most intra-school events are played at the class level, where students compete in events for their classes. This is done instead of inter-house competition to encourage greater bonding within classes.