The NUS High School of Math and Science, also known as NUS High School or NUSH, is a specialised independent

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in Singapore offering a six-year

Integrated Programme The Integrated Programme (IP) is a scheme that allows high-performing students in secondary schools in Singapore to skip the GCE Ordinary Level (O-Level) examination (typically taken by students at the end of their fourth or fifth year in secon ...

(IP) leading to the NUS High School Diploma. Its parent university is the

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...

. The school offers an accelerated mathematics and science curriculum integrated with language, arts, humanities, sports, in a modular system. Over 70% of its graduates have pursued Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine-related courses in university.

Curriculum

Academic curriculum

NUS High School is an

school, which allows students to bypass the GCE O Levels. However, unlike other

schools, it does not offer

GCE A Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

programmes. Instead, it offers an NUS High School Diploma, which is recognized by all universities in Singapore, as well as by universities worldwide. The diploma's curriculum is based on a modular system similar to its parent university NUS. Core modules are compulsory, elective modules help deepen the student's knowledge and may be compulsory for a major in a particular subject, and enrichment modules are purely for the student's interests. The school uses the cumulative average point (CAP) system, a 5-point system similar to the

grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

used in the United States. This is unlike most other schools in Singapore, where subjects are graded according to the British GCSE System. The school's mathematics and science curriculums are accelerated. Topics are usually covered earlier than other schools. For example, the

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

is introduced in Year 2 instead of Year 3,

kinematics Kinematics is a subfield of physics, developed in classical mechanics, that describes the Motion (physics), motion of points, Physical object, bodies (objects), and systems of bodies (groups of objects) without considering the forces that cause ...

in Year 1 and Year 2 instead of Year 5, calculus in Year 3, and

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

and

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...

in Year 3 instead of Year 6. Examples of the accelerated

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

curriculum include sections on solutions of

equation In mathematics, an equation is a formula that expresses the equality of two expressions, by connecting them with the equals sign . The word ''equation'' and its cognates in other languages may have subtly different meanings; for example, in ...

s introduced in Year 1 instead of Year 3, and three-dimensional vectors and

matrices Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...

in Years 2 and 4 instead of Year 5. The school offers elective programmes which may or may not count to the CAP. Students may choose up to two electives which will be held after the core modules. The school also offers honours courses in the Specialization Stage for mathematical and scientific disciplines. The curriculum in these honours courses usually covers university material, such as

linear algebra Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning linear equations such as: :a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n=b, linear maps such as: :(x_1, \ldots, x_n) \mapsto a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n, and their representations in vector spaces and through matrices. ...

in mathematics, calculus-based

electromagnetism In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of a ...

in physics,

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...

and

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...

in chemistry, and

proteomics Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, with many functions such as the formation of structural fibers of muscle tissue, enzymatic digestion of food, or synthesis and replication of DNA. In ...

in biology. To graduate with the NUS High School diploma, students must take mathematics and at least two science subjects (including computer studies) as a major. Students may choose to take a fourth subject from any subject group (sciences, humanities & the arts), or take any mathematics or science subject at the honours level. In addition, students must complete an Advanced Research Project under the school's Da Vinci Research Programme. Finally, students must have a CAP above 2.5 (C+). Students are also encouraged to take

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

and

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

examinations in their senior years for credits for admission into foreign

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, though these are not necessary for graduation.

Research curriculum

All students go through a research curriculum called the Da Vinci Programme. As part of the curriculum, all students must complete an Advanced Research Project which is included the student's school grades.

Sports

NUS High School offers various sports to choose from as part of its options for co-curricular activities. The compulsory

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

modules from Years 1 to 6 also covers sports such as soccer, netball, basketball, badminton, floorball, baseball, outdoor education, and so on.

Houses

Students are sorted at random into one of four houses upon matriculation. The four houses, named

Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, ...

Fibonacci Fibonacci (; also , ; – ), also known as Leonardo Bonacci, Leonardo of Pisa, or Leonardo Bigollo Pisano ('Leonardo the Traveller from Pisa'), was an Italian mathematician from the Republic of Pisa, considered to be "the most talented Western ...

, Fleming and Nobel, bear the colours yellow, red, blue and green respectively. An annual house challenge is held between the houses.

Campus

Location

Currently, the NUS High School campus sits on 4.7 hectares of land off Clementi Ave 1. The school moved operations from its temporary campus at the former Raffles Junior College grounds at Mount Sinai Road in 2005.

Building features

Due to the school's specialization in

and

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, the building features many designs relating to mathematics and science. These include, but are not limited to, a drawing of the four DNA bases ( ACGT) on the roof of the concourse, a timeline of major mathematical discoveries, and colored metal shades to represent the digits of pi.

NUS High School Residence (Boarding School)

The campus includes a boarding school (NUS High School Residence) consisting of two blocks that can accommodate around 500 residents. Facilities include studying areas and rooms, gym, pantries, media rooms (TV and relaxation), game rooms, music rooms and laundry rooms. The boarding school is also open to scholars studying within or outside of the school and serves as the site for the school's boarding programme. Students are required to live in the NUS High Boarding School in Year 5.

NUS Libraries

The library at NUS High School (known as the Node) is part of the NUS Library system. NUS High School students and staff can access the loaning, catalogue and transaction resources of NUS Libraries from the Node. NUS teaching staff can request books in other NUS Libraries to be transferred to the Node. All NUS High School students have full electronic access to all journals available at NUS Libraries.

Key partners

Parent institution

* National University of Singapore (NUS) NUSH is the only high school in Singapore to be supported by a parent university. For example, NUS provides the school with a swimming pool for water-related sports, and much of the school’s students graduate to NUS.

Principals

* 2005 – 2007: Associate Professor Lai Yee Hing * 2007 – 2015: Dr Hang Kim Hoo * 2016 – 2019: Lee Bee Yann * 2020 – Present: Soh Lai Leng Magdalen

Deputy principals

* 2019 – Present: Doreen Gan

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Educational institutions established in 2005 2005 establishments in Singapore Schools offering Integrated Programme in Singapore Secondary schools in Singapore National University of Singapore University-affiliated secondary schools