Raffles Girls' School (RGS) is an independent girls' secondary school located in Braddell, Singapore. Established in 1879, it is one of the oldest schools in Singapore. RGS, together with its affiliated school Raffles Institution, offers a six-year Raffles Programme, which allows students to skip the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examinations and proceed to take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examinations at the end of Year 6.
The school was recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2006 by being awarded the School Excellence Award (recognising schools with 'exemplary school processes and practices'), among other awards.
It was a member of Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia.
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History
Before RGS became a school in its own right, it existed as a section of Raffles Institution (RI).
The precursor to RGS opened in the RI campus of Bras Basah Road on 4 March 1844 with 11 students, five day-scholars and six boarders, who were clothed, fed and instructed by the RI management. The demand for education grew and in 1847, the school moved to RI's eastern wing, extending towards Bras Basah Road. Edmund Augustus Blundell, the Governor of the Straits Settlement, described the school as "a female school designed for the education and religious training of the children of poor Protestant parents" in 1855. In 1871, the school moved into a house, the George Family's Old Mansion at the corner of Bras Basah Road. In 1879, the school separated from RI and M. Nelson was appointed the school's first headmistress. Together with three assistants, she ran the school which had an enrolment of 77. Since then, 1879 has been officially regarded as the year of the founding of RGS.
On 21 October 2019, RGS moved from Anderson Road, where it had been located since 1959, to its new campus at Braddell Rise, located opposite RI.
Uniform
The school's uniform is usually a deep blue boat-necked pinafore and a white collared blouse, which should not be confused with that of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools. For this reason, a tie/badge is also occasionally worn.
Awards and accolades
A group of four students from RGS emerged Champion at the Kids' Lit Quiz 2018, and represented Singapore in New Zealand in July that year.
Joseph Toh Kim Leng won the Teaching Award in 2016, which honours outstanding teachers of English language, English literature and General Paper in Singapore.
Jodie Lai, a 2015 Optimist World Championships Under-15 champion, was conferred the title of Best Sportsgirl for sailing at the 46th Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Colours Awards in 2016.
Students from the school have won the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition.
Notable alumnae
Iris Koh, Singaporean anti-vaccination activist
Annabel Chong, former pornographic actress
Ang Swee Chai, orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians
Kit Chan, singer and actress
Beatrice Chia, actress and director
Chua Sock Koong, former SingTel group chief executive officer
Joanna Dong, singer, actress and television host
Faizah Jamal, legal academic and former nominated member of parliament
Intan Azura Mokhtar, former member of parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Amy Khor, former member of parliament for Hong Kah North SMC
Stella Kon, playwright best known for her play "Emily of Emerald Hill"
Lee Choo Neo, first female medical practitioner in Singapore
Jane Lee, first woman from Southeast Asia to scale the Seven Summits
Lee Tzu Pheng, award-winning poet
Lim Hwee Hua, first female Cabinet minister in Singapore
Corrinne May, singer-songwriter
Denise Phua, member of parliament for Jalan Besar GRC