Our History

Bendemeer Secondary School was first located along the busy Serangoon Road for over 20 years before it moved to its current location at 1 St Wilfred Road.

Formerly, the land was owned by Mr Hoo Ah Kay, better known as ‘Whampoa’. There was a famous garden on this land – the Whampoa Gardens – a popular place of interest for residents. Upon Whampoa’s death in 1880, the property was bought by Mr Seah Liang Seah. It was upon this very land that Bendemeer Secondary School was built on.

The school was established on 3rd January 1977. It operated in Beng Wan Primary School for three months before it moved to its new building on 7th March. The school was then officially declared open by the Member of Parliament for Kolam Ayer, Mr Sidek Saniff, on 5th April 1979.

The school population was only 500 in 1977, but averaged 1800 by 1980, making it one of the biggest secondary schools in Singapore. It was also a Pre-University centre, providing commercial subjects to an average of 400 Pre-U students from 1980 to 1995.

Prior to 1998, the school merged with Whampoa Secondary. The Whampoa school building was demolished and Bendemeer Secondary was built on the former site of Whampoa Secondary School at Saint Wilfred Road. The new premises were officially handed over on 23rd May 1998. In 1998, during the June holidays, the entire school, carrying plaques of our School Vision, School Mission, Our Shared Values and The Bendemeerian Code, walked from the old school site to the new site, marking a new chapter in Bendemeer’s history. The School was officially opened at its site on 9th Sept 1999 by Minister for Manpower, Dr Lee Boon Yang.

In 2010, work was underway in the construction of an indoor Sports Hall. The ISH was completed in 2011 and officially opened on 8th Sept 2011. In July 2011, the grass in the school field was replaced with synthetic turf. It helped to provide a better playing surface during sports activities.

Every year, each new batch of students are taken on a tour around the newly-minted heritage gallery as part of their orientation programme to learn about the rich history, culture and heritage of our school. Till today, we strive to fulfill our vision to be a school that builds character, nurtures learners and serves the community.

Our School Leaders