Our Journey

1950s

The Beginning

In 1955, Alexandra Estate Secondary School started with 117 boys and 53 girls. By the end of the year, the boys were transferred to Pasir Panjang Secondary.

In 1956, founding Principal, Miss Evelyn Norris, renamed the school Crescent Girls’ School. The word “Crescent” came from the name of the road, Prince Charles Crescent, where the school was situated.

1960s

Building Identity

Development gained momentum in the 1960s as the school embarked on the pathway to progress. 

In 1967, the Brass Band, under the baton of the band instructor, Mr Lee Seck Chiang, staged its first Musical Evening at the Singapore Conference Hall. By 1969, the Brass Band was one of the Top Three brass bands among secondary schools.

1970s

Education beyond academic pursuits was the key motivating factor as Crescent entered a new phase of development in the 1970s.

In 1978, a total of 543 girls, the largest number of candidates in the school’s history, sat for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O Level Examination.

In 1979, the junior & senior hockey teams and junior softball team were the National Champions. The National Cadet Corps also aced the NCC Annual Drill Competition. The Band converted from a Brass Band to a Symphonic Band.

1980s

Growing Community

Crescent became more than a school — it became a lifelong community of mentorship, friendship and shared purpose.

In 1980, the Crescent Girls’ School Alumnae Association was established. In 1986, the first Parents-Teachers Day was held to establish closer rapport with parents.

1990s

Renewal & Transformation

To facilitate rebuilding of the current school, Crescent moved to temporary premises at Queensway in December 1991.

On 5 December 1993, past and present Crescentians were out in full force in the MEGA-MOVE as Crescent returned to the new school building at Tanglin Road.

The official opening of the new and bigger premises with Dr and Mrs Wee Kim Wee as the distinguished Guests-of-Honour. A Time Capsule was sealed on 21 July 1995 with plans to open it 25 years later.

In 1996, Crescent was conferred the ‘Autonomous School’ status by the Ministry of Education and given additional funds for innovative enrichment programmes.

Information Technology (IT) became a cornerstone in the school’s development from the mid-1990s. Crescent was one of the IT Demo schools and was also selected as a FastTrack school.

2000s

Pioneers of Innovation

Crescent was affirmed as a leader in its innovative use of IT and made an indelible mark on the education landscape.

In 2003, Crescent was recognised as the Centre of Excellence for IT and Creative Arts. Crescent grew to be a leading arts education hub in the ASEAN region through innovative pedagogy and collaborative outreach.

On 31 July 2004, the Mobile-Learning@Crescent was launched by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, then acting Minister for Education. Crescent was also awarded the Incubator School status for its role at the forefront of IT and research.

In 2007, Crescent was selected as a pioneer school in the FutureSchools@Singapore programme and a Mentor School in Microsoft Corporation’s Innovative Schools Programme – a testament to the school’s innovative use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning. Innovations in curriculum were introduced, with Secondary 1, 2 and 3 Integrated Curriculum rolled out to students to help them see connections across different subjects, and with the real world.

2010s

Nurturing Talents

Holistic education continued to define the Crescentian experience, with strong emphasis on character development and community service. Crescent also gained regional and global recognition for leveraging technology to design learning experiences that nurture students’ 21st century competencies.

The launch of Music Elective Programme (MEP) in 2010 deepened Crescent’s commitment to arts literacy.

In 2011, Crescent celebrated its 55th anniversary with the launch of CrADLe – Crescent Academy for Digital-age Learning – by then Director-General of Education, Miss Ho Peng.

In 2015, Crescent initiated the National Cyber Wellness Advocacy Challenge (NCAC) with the support of the Inter‑Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee.

In 2017, in partnership with Terra SG, Crescent launched the National Youth Upcycling Movement (NYUM), a pioneering youth‑led sustainability initiative that nurtured advocacy, entrepreneurship and eco‑stewardship.

2020 and Beyond

Crescent continues to strengthen her commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving, technology-driven world with emphasis on 21st century competencies, values and well-being.

In 2022, National Digital Explorer (NDE) was launched in partnership with ICDL Asia to equip students with digital workplace skills.

In 2024, Crescent admitted its first batch of students taking mainly G2 subjects as part of MOE’s Full Subject Based Banding journey.

'Roots for Change' was officially launched on 18 October 2024 by alumna Ms Tin Pei Ling. 'Roots for Change', a mini forest project in partnership with Target15SG, signified the school’s enduring commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. About 2,000 trees across 68 species were planted in the school.

On 4 August 2025, Crescent joined the Global AI Nexus of Schools (Gains), a new global network of schools supported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments that study the use of AI in education.