The Integrated Programme (IP) was introduced by the Singapore Ministry of Education in 2004 to provide academically strong students with an enriched curriculum beyond academic content.

The distinct feature is that it allows students to proceed to junior colleges (sixth-form college equivalent) without taking the GCE ‘O’ Level Examinations at Secondary 4 (age 16). Schools offering the IP will optimise the time freed up from preparing for the GCE ‘O’ Levels to stretch pupils and provide greater breadth in the academic and non-academic curricula. 

Students can choose to enter the IP after their primary education for a six-year programme or at Secondary 3 (age 15) for a four-year programme.  IP students graduate with A-levels or International Baccalaureate. 

While there will be school-based assessments, students will not have the ‘O’ level results that some UK universities are asking for. It is important to note, however, that the selection criteria for the IP is very rigorous. As such, universities should be assured that students on the IP would be of high academic calibre.      

With the start of school in January, here are some of the changes for 2013:   

1.  Five secondary schools will have their first Secondary 1 IP intake.  They are Catholic High School, CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Victoria School and Cedar Girls’ Secondary School. 

2.  A new junior college is expected to be built by 2017 to serve the needs of three of these secondary schools (Catholic High, St Nicholas and Singapore Chinese Girls). 

3.  Victoria Junior College (VJC) will stop accepting Secondary 3 students from 2013 onwards.  It will partner with two of the secondary schools (Victoria and Cedar).  

4.  Temasek Junior College (TJC), which has been admitting students at Secondary 3 from the onset, will also have a Secondary 1 IP intake from this year.  TJC continues to offer two-year A-level programme for O-level students from all secondary schools. 
 
5.  St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) will convert to a 6-year school, with its junior college section offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).  The first cohort of around 80 students will commence in 2013.