School History

Chung Cheng High School was founded in 1939 as an all-boys’ school at 60 Kim Yam Road. The school was guided by its philosophy “Excellence in Education for All” and admitted students from different strata of society. With the Japanese invasion of Singapore in 1942, the school was forced to cease operation. The school resumed in 1945 after the Second World War and began to enrol female students.

The school achieved top honours among Singapore schools in the first National Examination in 1947. To accommodate the increase in student population, a 14-acre plot of land at Goodman Road was purchased for a new campus. This new campus became home to Chung Cheng High School (Main) while the original campus at Kim Yam Road housed Chung Cheng High School (Branch).

In 1979, the school was selected as one of the nine Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools, offering both English and Chinese as first languages to students. This helped the school to strengthen its emphasis on bilingualism and serve as a catalyst to nurture bilingual and bicultural students for the nation.

In 1996, the school achieved Autonomous School status, giving the school the flexibility to innovate and enhance its school curriculum for its students. In 2005, the school was selected as the East Zone Centre of Excellence for Chinese to promote an appreciation and understanding of the Chinese history and culture through active sharing of resources and exchanges of expertise among practitioners.

Between 2010 and 2012, the school embarked on the MOE Programme for Rebuilding and Improving Existing Schools (PRIME) project. This saw an expansion of the school facilities which now support the school’s vibrant student population.

In 2014, the school celebrated its 75th school anniversary. In the same year, the school’s Entrance Arch and Administration Building (Zhulin Building) were gazetted as national monuments and officiated at a ceremony by then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

In 2019 , the school celebrated her 80th anniversary with a series of homecoming events. A new 中正人 statue was also unveiled by the school lake in a ceremony officiated by Minister for Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung, on 13 April 2019.

In 2023 , the school embarked on an upgrading project for the Administration Building (Zhulin Building) and Grand Auditorium.

In 2024 , the school celebrated her 85th anniversary with the broader Chung Cheng Family. Together with Chung Cheng High School (Yishun), and joined by Nanyang Junior College, we reaffirmed our shared heritage and collectively set our sights on Soaring to Greater Heights Together. The key events included:

• Homecoming Lunch, attended by 1000 alumni and guests with Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing as Guest of Honour

• Speech Day, as we affirmed the contributions and celebrated the achievements of our staff, students and partners

• Bazaar by the Lake, where students organised food stalls and activity booths to raise funds for the schools’ upgrading projects

• Combined Schools Concert, where our distinguished alumni Gao Meigui and Jarrell Ng joined our Performing Arts Groups for a night of reverie celebrating the sch

In 2025, the school's iconic administrative building (Zhulin Building) upgrading project was successfully completed after much anticipation, with the Grand Auditorium taking on a refreshed new appearance following its refurbishment. This upgrading project was overseen and guided by the "Grand Auditorium Upgrading Project" Executive Committee, led by then Vice-Chairman Dr Jimmy Koh.

The Chung Cheng High School Zhulin Building Grand Auditorium Reopening Ceremony and CCHS-NYJC Combined Anniversary Celebrations were jointly organised by the School Management Committee and the three schools, held on Saturday morning, 5 July 2025, under the theme "Honouring our Roots, Soaring into the Future". The ceremony invited the newly appointed Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, as the Guest of Honour, who joined nearly 2,000 students, parents and alumni on this momentous occasion to commemorate the shared memories and pride of generations of Chung Cheng students whilst looking forward to future aspirations.

Principals

School Milestones