Our Heritage
Discover the rich history behind Greenridge Secondary School, formed from the merger of four schools since 1964. Learn how their combined strengths shape the school today.
Our Heritage
In 2023, the former Greenridge Secondary School (also previously known as Dunearn Secondary Technical School) and Fajar Secondary School (merged schools of former Fajar Secondary School and Chestnut Drive Secondary School in 2015) merged to become a new school - Greenridge Secondary School.
The new school is an amalgamation of both schools’ strengths in the areas of uniformed groups, sports, performing arts, Applied Learning and Learning for Life. With these strengths and synergy coming together, the new Greenridge Secondary School looks forward to growing from strength to strength as students experience a technology-rich learning environment.
With the merged Greenridge Secondary at Bukit Panjang (long hill), our promise to all students and staff is that, there is space for everyone at Greenridge and together we will scale to the top of the ridge to experience a new Dawn (Fajar)
Brief Histories of the Schools
Dunearn Secondary Technical School
Greenridge Secondary School was established in 1964 as Dunearn Secondary Technical School (DSTS) at Hillcrest Road. On 14 May 1965, it was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye. DSTS started as a technical school equipped with the best technical facilities available during that time. It was in line with the government's emphasis on meeting Singapore's industrial needs then. DSTS was located on a small hill sandwiched between Linden Drive and Hillcrest Road.
Dunearn Secondary Technical School situated on a small hill.
Former Greenridge Secondary School
In June 1992, DSTS moved out of its Hillcrest site to a new site on Bukit Panjang Ring Road. With the move, the school was given a new identity. DSTS was renamed Greenridge Secondary School to reflect the lush greenery and its location in "Bukit Panjang", which means "ridge" in Malay. This new identity also brought about a change in the demographics of the school, where there was a balance in the male and female student ratio befitting its co-educational status. The school was officially declared open on 16 July 1994 by Mr Lee Yiok Seng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Labour and MP for Sembawang GRC. The school is one of the pioneer secondary schools in Bukit Panjang area and has hosted two other schools, Fajar Secondary School and Zhenghua Secondary School.
Magazine featuring the construction of the former GSS. The page also features a Straits Times article which says that more female students have enrolled to be part of the new school due to the shift in its educational direction.
Chestnut Drive Secondary School
Chestnut Drive Secondary School (CDSS) received her first cohort of students on 4 January 1968.
An photograph showing the Opening Ceremony celebrations of Chestnut Drive Secondary school.
She started as a Chinese Integrated School with an enrolment figure of 787. The school was officially opened on 12 June 1969 by then Member of Parliament, Mr. P. Selvadurai. The school was situated in a private residential district in Upper Bukit Timah. It was built to serve a vast area, with students coming from Woodlands, Jurong, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang and even Yishun. The school conducted classes for both the English and Chinese streams. The school operated on two different streams – the Chinese stream and the English stream – for 19 years until the Chinese stream was phased out in 1987. In 1988, the school converted from a double session (morning session and afternoon session) to a single session.
Fajar Secondary School
With an enrolment of 307 students and a teaching strength of 17 teachers, the former Fajar Secondary School (FSS) started functioning at its temporary premises at Greenridge Secondary School in 1994. The former Fajar Secondary School moved to its current premises at 31 Gangsa Road. Students and Staff walked from Greenridge Secondary School to the newly constructed (former) Fajar Secondary School to signify the move in 1996.
An photograph showing students of the former Fajar Secondary School doing their symbolic walk from the former Greenridge Secondary School campus to the former Fajar Campus.
Merged Fajar Secondary School
In 2015, the former Fajar Secondary School began merger preparations with Chestnut Drive Secondary School. Both schools were formally merged in 2016 and began functioning at the Chestnut Drive Secondary School campus for two years. At the end of 2018, the new Fajar Secondary School moved to the newly furnished and primed former Fajar Campus at 31 Gangsa Road.
One of the key events in the newly merged Fajar Secondary School was the combined student investiture held in 2016 at the CDSS campus.