Cedar Girls’ Secondary School: History, Motto & Affiliation

When parents start looking at secondary schools in Singapore, a few names come up again and again. Cedar Girls’ Secondary School is one of them — a government autonomous school with a history that dates back to 1957. This fact sheet covers its founding, motto, and affiliation, giving you a clear picture of what makes this institution stand out.

Established: 1957 ·
School type: Government Autonomous ·
Student mode: Single session ·
School nature: Girls only ·
Initial enrollment: 507 students ·
Classes at founding: 13

Six key attributes define Cedar Girls’ Secondary School at a glance, from its founding details to its current status.

What is the most prestigious secondary school in Singapore?

How is prestige measured among secondary schools?

• Prestige often reflects academic performance, affiliation strength, and historical reputation.
• Cedar Girls’ Secondary School is considered prestigious partly because of its government autonomous status — a designation given to schools with strong track records (MOE Heritage Centre (official school history archive)).
• Other markers include alumni networks, co-curricular programmes, and post-secondary pathways like the Integrated Programme.

The implication: prestige is rarely a single number — it’s a combination of factors, and autonomous schools like Cedar sit at the upper tier of Singapore’s secondary landscape.

What this means: the school’s autonomous status and dual-track offering give it a distinct position among elite secondary schools.

What is the affiliation of Cedar Girls’ Secondary School?

Is Cedar Girls’ Secondary School affiliated with a specific institution?

• The school is a government autonomous school — it receives state funding and follows the national curriculum.
• It is not affiliated with any private or religious body.
• However, since 2012 it has been part of the Victoria-Cedar Alliance with Victoria School and Victoria Junior College, enabling a seamless transition for students into the Integrated Programme (MOE Heritage Centre (official school history archive)).

What this means: the alliance offers Cedar students a direct route to Victoria Junior College, a well-regarded institution — a practical advantage for families planning long-term academic paths.

What is the motto of Cedar Girls’ Secondary School?

What does the school motto mean?

• The official motto is Honesty, Perseverance, Courtesy, as recorded by the MOE Heritage Centre (MOE Heritage Centre (official school history archive)).
• The school crest is upheld by these three virtues.
• Note: some sources reference a Latin phrase “Fide et Literis” (By Faith and By Learning), but the MOE Heritage Centre — the primary source for school history — lists the English motto as the official one.

The catch: confusion between mottos is common among older alumni materials. The current official motto, per the school’s history page, is the English trio.

How old is Cedar Girls’ Secondary School?

When was the school established?

• Cedar Girls’ Secondary School was founded in 1957 at its current location in Sennett Estate (MOE Heritage Centre (official school history archive)).
• It started with a three-storey classroom block, 18 teachers, and 507 students across 13 classes.

What was the initial enrollment?

• The pioneer batch comprised 507 students from Bartley, Beatty, and Siglap schools, according to historical records (Wikipedia (community-edited school profile)).

Why this matters: a founding enrollment of 507 in a single building — with no air conditioning and basic facilities — shows how much the school has grown in infrastructure and reputation over nearly seven decades.

What is the cut off point for Cedar Girls’ Secondary School?

What is the admission process for the school?

• Admission is managed through the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise by the Ministry of Education.
• Cut-off points are determined annually based on student demand and academic performance; specific numbers vary by year and are published after posting results.
• As a government autonomous school, Cedar generally attracts competitive entry scores.

The trade-off: parents aiming for Cedar should prepare for a selective admission cycle and check the latest MOE cut-off points after the posting exercise.

The catch: exact cut-off data is only available after each year’s posting exercise, so families must rely on recent trends and MOE updates.

Timeline

• 1957: School founded with 507 students and 13 classes (MOE Heritage Centre)
• 1992: Became a single-session school (MOE Heritage Centre)
• 1996: Accorded autonomous status (MOE Heritage Centre)
• 2012: Formed the Victoria-Cedar Alliance with Victoria School and Victoria Junior College (MOE Heritage Centre)
• 2017: Launched the Centre for Social Innovation (MOE Heritage Centre)
• 1981: One of the first 16 schools in Singapore to offer computer appreciation as an extracurricular activity

The pattern: Cedar’s timeline shows steady evolution from a small girls’ school to a modern dual-track institution with a strong social innovation focus.

Clarity: What we know and what we don’t

“Cedar Girls’ Secondary School was established in 1957 at its current premises in Sennett Estate.”

— MOE Heritage Centre (official school history archive)

“The school is committed to developing students to be gracious individuals of character and leaders of tomorrow.”

— School Principal (Principal’s Welcome message, via school website)

Summary

Cedar Girls’ Secondary School has built a strong identity over nearly 70 years: a government autonomous institution with a clear motto, a strategic alliance, and a focus on social innovation. For parents navigating Singapore’s secondary school landscape, the choice is clear — Cedar offers a proven track record with multiple academic pathways. Compare it carefully against your child’s strengths and preferences, or risk missing a school that might be the perfect fit.

Related reading: Junior Colleges in Singapore: List and Cut-Off Points (2025) · Singapore Calendar 2025 with Public Holidays – Free Printable

For a comparison with another historic Singaporean girls’ school, see Zhong Hua Secondary School which also traces its origins to the early 20th century.

Frequently asked questions

These answers synthesize the most common questions about Cedar Girls’ Secondary School based on the facts above.