Programme Highlights

Open House 2023

Programme Highlights

Introduction by Principal, Mr Toh Thiam Chye
Distinguished Speaker 1: STEM by Professor Tan Aik Ling
Distinguished Speaker 2: Leadership by Mr Shane Chong

Time	Event
0830 to 1100	School Tour and STEM Experiential Learning (STEM-Maker Workshops)
1100 to 1120	Break
1120 to 1130	Registration and Entry of Parents to Webinar
1130 to 1150	Introduction by Principal, Mr Toh Thiam Chye
1150 to 1210	Distinguished Speaker 1 STEM by Associate Professor Tan Aik Ling
1210 to 1230	Distinguished Speaker 2 Leadership by Mr Shane Chong
1230 to 1300	Q&A Segment General Engagement with School Leaders and HODs
1300	End of Webinar

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Under the New PSLE Scoring System, what is the PSLE score range of 2022 for Dunman Secondary School?

	PSLE Score Range
Express/Posting Group 3	10 - 15
Normal (Academic)/Posting Group 2	21 - 23
Normal Technical/Posting Group 1	25 - 27

Extracted from: https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/schooldetail?schoolname=dunman-secondary-school

2. How do the students select their CCA and what are the CCAs offered in Dunman Secondary?

Dunmanites are required to take up a CCA from one of the core CCAs offered in Dunman.

In Secondary One, the school will organise performing arts auditions and sports trials at the beginning of the year to identify students’ area of strength. During the CCA Fair, there will be exhibitions and performances from CCAs to provide students with more information about the CCAs, so that they can decide which CCA they would like to join.

All Secondary 1 students will be allocated a CCA based on one of five choices that the students have selected and they are expected to remain in that CCA for the duration of their secondary school years unless they have medical reasons that preclude them from serving their commitments to the CCA.

Students are reminded to make their choices wisely as they may not be allocated a CCA of their first choice in cases where the CCA is oversubscribed and they may be allocated choices other than their first choice.

Find out more about our CCA programme here.

3. What are the signature programmes of Dunman Secondary? The school has a high-end Life Science Research Centre and an exciting programme ‘ELIXIR’ (Explore, Life, Innovations, eXcel, Individual Responsibility).

Please click here to learn more about our Science curriculum.

The positive learning experience of our students is not just achieved through our Instructional Program but also through our revised ELIXiR Science Enrichment Programme taking place from 2021 onwards.

Sec 1 - Explore Science: Exposure to different fields in STEM and Training for Students (E.g. Design Thinking, Presentation Skills)

Sec 2 - Science for Life & Society: STEMviaDT

Sec 3 - Innovations in Science: VIA and Regional STEM Programme (RSP), Talks by STEM industry partners, Olympiads and Competitions

Sec 4/5 - eXcel in Science: STEM Student Portfolio (Consolidation)

School-wide - Individual Responsibility: Assembly Programmes and Exhibitions

We are also currently developing our four-year STEM-infused Science curriculum. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It is important for our students to be exposed to STEM as “… scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to level much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past” (National Science Foundation)

By infusing STEM in our science curriculum, it provides a platform for students to acquire the fundamental ideas essential for the understanding of Science and thereby build a strong science foundation. In addition, it also allows the students to see the connectivity across various subject disciplines and hopefully to pursue STEM for future learning and work.

The Science enrichment programme is available for all students. You can click here to find out more about our Science enrichment programme.

We provide a vibrant school-based curriculum such as MEDAL (Mastering English, Drama, the Art of Communication and Literature), which integrates English, Drama and Literature.

4. Apart from the Science programmes offered, what are the other programmes offered for the other core (English and Mathematics) subjects?

In Dunman, we believe that language learning should not take place in silos and should be done through authentic learning platforms. Students are provided with opportunities to apply their learning in varied settings and to different audiences. We also leverage on the teaching of literature to enhance communication skills. For the lower secondary students, we have a two-year programme, MEDAL (Mastering English, Drama, the Art of Communication and Literature) which uses drama-based pedagogy to teach communication skills. By taking on the perspective of the characters, students will develop social emotional competencies and empathy. Hence, through both the English and Literature curriculum we aim to develop confident and empathetic communicators who will in turn grow to become ethical change-makers.

For Mathematics, we seek to elicit the joy of learning the subject by understanding how Mathematics is part and parcel of our daily lives.. For the Lower Secondary students, we have organised Maths Trails to relate Mathematics concepts to everyday life. To stretch the higher ability students, we provide training and enroll them in Math Olympiads. In the Upper Secondary classes, we teach Mathematics and Additional Mathematics as one integrated subject to allow students to see the connections between relevant topics in the two subjects. To reinforce students’ learning, we also have Alternative Assessments in which students have to apply their classroom knowledge in carefully chosen projects.

5. Will Dunman Secondary School be looking to offer O Level Computing?

We will not be offering O-Level Computing in the near future. Dunman is offering Exercise and Sports Science (ESS) to selected students in Secondary 3 Express. The course will develop students’ interdisciplinary understanding while they analyze and critique on the focal point of movement along with subdisciplines of sports science.

6. What is the disciplinary approach in Dunman?

The school adopts a whole-school, multi-pronged approach to student development and management through the following key strategies:

Whole School Approach through involving all staff and students in establishing supportive policies, systems and practices.
Building a culture of care through establishing a positive school environment in which students feel safe and cared for and have a sense of belonging to.
Delivering a structured Character & Citizenship Education Programme that teaches and provides opportunities for application of values and skills necessary for demonstrating positive behaviours.
Providing intervention support for specific groups of students who require help in managing their behaviours and to address other developmental and intrapersonal needs.
Providing capacity building opportunities for teachers to enable them to carry out their disciplinary role effectively.

7. What is the eligibility for Higher Mother Tongue (HMT) and is it possible to appeal?

Secondary 1 students who are newly posted to the school will be given the option to accept or reject Higher Mother Tongue Languages (HMTL) course if they receive the offer letter from MOE based on their PSLE results when they report on Secondary 1 registration day.

For students who are not offered HMTL course by MOE, the school may offer HMTL if they meet the selection criteria as determined by the school Mother Tongue Language Department at the end of their Secondary 1 course.

8. What are the Science combinations offered at the end of Secondary 2?

We currently offer the following Science combinations to Express Stream:

Pure Biology, Pure Chemistry and Pure Physics
Pure Chemistry and either Pure Physics or Pure Biology
Combined Science (Physics, Chemistry) or Combined Science (Biology, Chemistry)

Information for the subject combination for Secondary 2 this year can be found on our website. Please click here for more information.

9. Apart from academic achievements, how does Dunman Secondary School provide a holistic environment that also inculcates life skills?

Dunman Secondary School aims to provide a holistic environment that inculcates life skills through three approaches – education, experiences and empowerment.

i) Education

By facilitating our students’ learning in and out of classroom to draw out critical life skills like self-management and awareness, students are aware of their strengths and weakness. Impactful and intentional programmes like study skills workshop are conducted to help our students improve themselves.

ii) Experiences

Through the numerous student developmental experiences like cohort camps, CCAs, learning journeys, sports and recreational activities and overseas trips, students get to better understand themselves and their relationships with others. They also learn how to set SMART goals and targets for themselves while working hand-in-hand with others to fulfil their potential.

iii) Empowerment

Students get numerous opportunities to model the way and practice responsible decision making on how to be an ethical change maker and an empathetic leader. Through their time in Dunman, they will get to utilise what they have learned in their various subjects to solve real world problems through their Values-in-Action initiatives. In addition, they get to lead their peers and juniors in the numerous leadership development platforms.