Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

1. Is AES only for Catholic students?

No, AES is a government-aided secondary school, i.e. we take in students from all races and religions and we follow closely to the MOE-stipulated curriculum.

2. AES being a catholic school, does that mean I have to attend catechism classes and/or say prayers?

Daily morning prayers will follow the flag-raising ceremony in the morning, and we will start each school event and meal by saying grace. Non-Catholic students are not required to participate in these activities; they should, however, remain silent as a sign of respect. For Catholic students, there will be Faith Alive! classes conducted every Friday afternooons and attendance is compulsory for all Catholic students. Catholic students will also participate in other Catholic events.

3. What's the difference between AES and APS?/ Are AES and APS the same?

Both schools were set up by the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel. However, AES and APS are run independently by 2 different principals in the schools. While APS focuses on practical/ vocational skills as part of their curriculum (like hairdressing, baking/cooking), AES follows closely the MOE-stipulated 4/5-year curriculum. All our students will sit for the ‘O’/ ‘N’ levels at the end of their 4/5-year education in the school.

4. What is a government-aided school? Does that mean the curriculum taught is different from the other Secondary Schools?

Being a school started by the Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel, AES is affiliated to Boys’ Town Singapore and the other Montfortian institutions by its mission. For example, we share the same school crest as Assumption Pathway School, St Gabriel’s and Montfort Secondary. We may celebrate certain school events (such as Founders’ Day) together as a community. As a government-aided school, we remain open to all students and we follow closely to the MOE-stipulated curriculum. All our students will sit for the ‘O’/ ‘N’ levels at the end of their 4/5-year education in the school.

5. What is the PSLE Assessment Level (AL) score range for AES?

This is the indicative PSLE AL range for our school.

Do note that the above are only indicative AL range. The actual range depends on the new cohort of admissions and may vary.

6. What are the subjects offered in the school?

The core subjects offered are the same as all government schools. For Lower Secondary students, English, MT, Math and Science, History and Geography, as well as coursework subjects like Art, D&T and F&N. English Literature is infused into English Language lessons and are known as Language Arts in AES. Students will learn language skills and go through critical analysis of literary classics in their English lessons.

Along with the SPeak English with grAce and Knowledge (SPEAK) Applied Learning Programme, English lessons will include oracy components to develop the students’ competency and confidence in speaking and presenting. For example, our Sec 1 and 2 students would be rostered to report the news to the school during morning assembly as part of the programme. The programme was recently featured in MOE Facebook page and Schoolbag.sg for building confidence in budding public speakers. We were also invited to present at the 2017 MOE EXCEL Fest to share with other schools about this programme. We are in our 4th year of implementation and all current AssumptionKnights have experienced ALP as part of their education in AES.

7. What are the subjects offered in the school? [Subject based banding]

Since 2017, AES is one of the few schools to offer Subject Based Banding (SBB) to higher ability students to take the subject(s) at a more challenging level. E.g. G2 students may opt to take English at the G1 level if they have achieved at least A at the PSLE. (Ref. Annex-Information on SBB for more detailed example scenarios and eligibility criteria.) For Upper Secondary students, besides the core subjects such as English, MT, Math and Science, subjects such as English Literature, Additional Mathematics and Biology may also be offered to students demonstrating greater competency in the subject areas.

8. How does the school perform at National Examinations?

Our graduating cohorts’ performance at National Examinations had been comparable to their counterparts in other schools. For some subjects, we even exceeded the national average in terms of percentage passes. As a school, we are focused in our commitment to develop men and women of character and learning. We recognise that every student has his/ her own strengths. Beyond academic performance, we also provide ample learning opportunities through various Service Learning initiatives and projects which showcase leadership development. These initiatives are in line with our Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), Developing Leadership in Community and Youth.

9. With your affiliation to Boys' Town, does that mean that the boys staying there will also be studying in the school?

Not all boarders will attend AES, some may continue to attend the same schools prior to admission to the boarding home; but yes, we do have a few boys studying at AES.

10. With Boys' Town boarders studying in AES, does that mean that your school's discipline is very poor?

Boys’ Town is not Boys’ Home. Some of the boys may be admitted under the care of the Brothers because of the less-than-desirable environments some of them came from (abandonment by parents, lack of ability to provide for them by their parents, etc.) Some of our most brilliant may come from Boys’ Town. For example, our top “O” level student (2012) was a Boys’ Town boarder. He was a Student Councillor and Sports Leader when he was in AES, and he went on to achieve good results at JC and was appointed the Valedictorian of his cohort at CJC.