Did you know that CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) can trace its educational story back to the arrival of the Infant Jesus Sisters in Singapore in 1854 — yet its 2026 curriculum also includes coding, LEGO robotics, oral interaction, outdoor learning, progressive sports and critical-thinking programmes?
That combination is what makes CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) especially interesting.
The school’s current vision is Empowered Girls; Effective Leaders. Its mission remains rooted in the Infant Jesus tradition of a Christ-centred community committed to truth, justice, freedom and love, with particular care for those who are disadvantaged. The modern school layers that heritage with English-language development, Mother Tongue learning, Character and Citizenship Education, outdoor and sports learning, digital literacy, Design Thinking and leadership. Source: school history. Source: CCE.
So what is so awesome about CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) in 2026–2027? It is the way an old mission-school heritage keeps being translated into modern capabilities for girls: communication, judgment, resilience, independence, digital confidence and service.
Independent eduKateSG profile checked on 4 October 2026. This is not a school ranking or school-endorsed publication. Programme arrangements may change; families should use current official school information for cohort-specific decisions.
The Quick Answer: What Makes CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) Stand Out?
- A school story reaching back to 1854. The Toa Payoh school inherits the Victoria Street CHIJ tradition established by the Infant Jesus Sisters.
- English is built around reading, speaking and critical thinking. Reading@IJ, Oral Interaction Time and enrichment develop voice and comprehension.
- Physical Education is progressive rather than one-size-fits-all. The 3E framework moves from Explore to Engage to Excel.
- IJ Venture extends PE into outdoor and multisport learning. Hiking, cycling, kayaking, gymnastics and athletics support resilience and independence.
- Character and Citizenship Education is explicitly values-driven. IJ Wings, VIA, life skills and leadership are used to develop girls who serve others.
- Technology is becoming creative rather than merely consumptive. Tech & Media Club includes Scratch coding and LEGO robotics.
- Life skills are treated as real learning. Self-management, practical independence and social awareness are deliberately developed.
Did You Know? CHIJ’s Singapore Story Begins in 1854
The school’s official history traces its Singapore roots to February 1854, when Infant Jesus Sisters led by Rev Mother St Mathilde Raclot arrived and established the convent at Victoria Street. Within days, they were teaching children and caring for orphans. Source: school history.
That beginning matters because the school was not founded simply to provide academic instruction.
Care and education were connected from the beginning.
Over time, the school expanded, secondary education was introduced, and in 1984 CHIJ Primary moved from Victoria Street to Toa Payoh. The school later underwent upgrading and returned to its present campus at 628 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh. Source: school history.
That gives the school an unusual continuity.
The physical location changed.
The educational technologies changed.
The social world changed.
But the central question remained recognisable: how do we educate girls to become capable people who care about others?
English: A Good Reader Should Eventually Become a Good Thinker
CHIJ Primary’s English department states a clear vision: nurture independent critical thinkers and effective communicators. Source: English department.
The programme includes STELLAR, Reading@IJ, Oral Interaction Time, English Language Week and enrichment for high-achieving learners.
That combination is important because language grows through several different processes.
Reading expands vocabulary and background knowledge.
Speaking forces the learner to organise thoughts for an audience.
Writing slows thinking down enough for the child to inspect it.
Discussion introduces other perspectives.
Together, these experiences turn English into a thinking system.
Reading@IJ: Reading Compounds Quietly
The school runs Reading@IJ from Primary 1 to 6 and also includes daily silent reading in English and Mother Tongue. Source: English department.
This may be one of the least dramatic programmes on the page.
It may also be one of the most powerful.
Reading compounds.
The child sees more sentence structures.
Meets more ideas.
Learns more words in context.
Builds a larger mental library for writing and comprehension.
Ten or fifteen minutes repeated over years can change the learner’s language environment substantially.
Oral Interaction Time: Speaking Is a Learnable Skill
The school’s current English programme allocates Oral Interaction Time three times a week, with pupils presenting or discussing topics at the beginning of English lessons. Source: English department.
This is a powerful design because speaking improves through repetition.
A child who speaks occasionally may never receive enough practice to notice recurring habits.
Regular oral interaction creates more opportunities to work on:
- sequence,
- clarity,
- audience awareness,
- confidence,
- listening,
- responding to another person.
That is communication as practice, not personality.
High-Achieving Readers: Talent Should Become Responsibility
The Enriched Reading, Response & Inquiry programme extends higher-achieving learners through reader response, critical and creative thinking, project management and civic-conscious learning. The school explicitly links talent with serving the greater good. Source: ERRI programme.
That is an excellent educational idea.
Strong ability should not become only faster completion.
It can become deeper interpretation, better questions and greater responsibility.
Physical Education: Explore → Engage → Excel
CHIJ Primary’s PE department uses a 3E framework: Explore, Engage, Excel. Source: Physical Education.
The progression is useful because it respects how talent develops.
First, girls need broad exposure.
Then enough experience to discover genuine interest.
Only after that does deeper excellence make sense.
This is true in sport.
It is also true in music, writing, Mathematics and technology.
IJ Venture: The Outdoors Changes the Learning Conditions
The IJ Venture Programme extends the school’s Learning for Life Programme through multi-sports and Outdoor Education. The published programme includes hiking, cycling, kayaking, navigation, gymnastics, athletics and other physical experiences. Source: IJ Venture.
Outdoor education matters because values become easier to observe when conditions are less controlled.
Responsibility becomes real when a pupil must manage her own belongings.
Teamwork becomes real when route choices differ.
Resilience becomes real when the activity is tiring or unfamiliar.
Courage becomes real when the child has to act despite hesitation.
The environment turns character vocabulary into behaviour.
CCE: Empowered Girls Need a Moral Compass
The school’s CCE vision is Empowering Values-Driven Leaders and Citizens. Its current programme includes FTGP, Education and Career Guidance, PAL, Social Studies, National Education, life skills, VIA, Catechism or Ethics and IJ Wings. Source: CCE department.
This is important because empowerment without judgment is incomplete.
A child may become confident, articulate and technically capable.
The next question is what she chooses to do with that capability.
Character education keeps that question visible.
Life Skills: Independence Is Not Too Ordinary to Teach
CHIJ Primary’s Life Skills programme has included practical experiences such as folding uniforms, tying hair, table manners, sandwich-making, cross-stitching and gift-wrapping. Source: school Life Skills publication.
These activities may sound modest beside robotics or outdoor adventure.
They are not trivial.
Independence in daily life creates confidence.
A child who can organise belongings, care for herself and manage simple routines is better prepared to take ownership of larger tasks later.
Whole-person education includes ordinary competence.
Technology: Code, Create, Innovate
The school’s Tech & Media Club gives Primary 4 pupils opportunities to learn Scratch programming and Primary 5 and 6 pupils opportunities to work with LEGO robotics. Source: Tech & Media Club.
This is a good example of technology moving from screen familiarity into creation.
Scratch introduces sequence, loops and conditions.
Robotics adds the physical world.
Now a programming error may cause a machine to behave differently.
The pupil receives feedback from reality.
An eduKateSG Example: A Better Explanation Is Better Thinking
The following is our illustration, not a CHIJ Primary assignment.
Imagine a pupil says, “My robot did not work.”
That statement names the outcome but not the problem.
A stronger explanation might be:
“The robot moved forward but did not stop at the marker because my repeat loop had no stopping condition.”
The child has now identified:
- what happened,
- what was expected,
- where the logic failed.
Language improves the debugging process.
This is why English and technology are not separate worlds.
Mother Tongue: Language Needs Cultural Context
The school’s Mother Tongue programme includes reading, Speech and Drama and cultural learning. Chinese-language pupils participate in the ACES Reader Programme, reading and reviewing storybooks through a structured Reading Passport. Source: Mother Tongue department.
This matters because bilingualism becomes stronger when the learner uses each language in meaningful settings.
A child is not simply translating vocabulary.
She is moving between stories, contexts and cultural references.
What Families Can Borrow From CHIJ Primary’s Learning Design
- Make reading a daily habit.
- Give children frequent speaking opportunities.
- Let high ability become deeper inquiry, not just faster work.
- Use sport and outdoor learning to discuss character in real situations.
- Teach practical independence deliberately.
- Move technology from consumption into creation.
- Keep service and values inside the definition of empowerment.
The eduKateSG Learning Connection
CHIJ Primary’s curriculum demonstrates a key eduKateSG idea: strong language expands the learner’s ability to operate everywhere else.
Reading builds vocabulary.
Vocabulary improves comprehension.
Oracy organises thought.
Critical thinking improves judgment.
Technology gives the learner new tools for making and communicating.
Character determines where that growing capability points.
That is how an old school tradition can stay future-facing.
How CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) Connects to the eduKateSG Singapore Graph
CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) is at 628 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319765. Source: school information.
- History of Singapore | Toa Payoh
- Why Singaporeans Love Toa Payoh
- Fun facts about Singapore | Toa Payoh
- Awesome Schools in Toa Payoh
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the CHIJ tradition in Singapore?
The Infant Jesus Sisters established the Singapore convent at Victoria Street in 1854. CHIJ Primary later moved to Toa Payoh in 1984. Official history.
What is the school’s vision?
Empowered Girls; Effective Leaders. Official school information.
What is IJ Venture?
It is an extension of the school’s Learning for Life Programme through progressive PE, multisports and Outdoor Education. Official PE page.
Does CHIJ Primary offer coding and robotics?
The Tech & Media Club currently includes Scratch programming for Primary 4 and LEGO robotics for Primary 5 and 6 members. Official CCA page.
Official References Checked for the 2026–2027 Edition
- CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) — History
- CHIJ Primary — English
- CHIJ Primary — Mother Tongue
- CHIJ Primary — Physical Education and IJ Venture
- CHIJ Primary — CCE
- CHIJ Primary — Tech & Media Club
So, What Is So Awesome About CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh)?
It is the continuity between an old educational mission and modern forms of capability.
Reading becomes critical thinking.
Speaking becomes leadership.
Sport becomes resilience.
Outdoor learning becomes independence.
Technology becomes creation.
Faith and values become service.
Did you know that this may be one of the strongest ways a historic school can remain relevant?
Keep the purpose. Keep changing the tools.