Anglo Chinese School (Primary)

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Founder of Anglo-Chinese School, Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham.

The Anglo-Chinese School began with humble beginnings at 70 Amoy Street when Rev Oldham started a class of 13 boys who were sons of local businessmen (c.1880s).

ACS grew rapidly and moved to 1 Canning Rise (1887 - 1950s).

ACS has a great tradition in competitive swimming with its own Olympic-size swimming pool in 1970 which was rebuilt in 2002.

School History

Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) is one of seven schools of the ACS Family, the others being ACS (Junior), ACS (Barker Road), ACS (Independent), Anglo-Chinese Junior College, ACS (International) and ACS Jakarta.  

ACS was founded by Reverend William Fitzjames Oldham when he started a class of 13 boys in a shophouse at 70 Amoy Street on 1 March 1886. Enrolment grew quickly to 104 in the first year. By 1887, it had moved to 1 Canning Rise. ACS also served as a boarding school, attracting many students from neighbouring countries. By 1896, ACS had become the largest school in the Straits Settlements.

ACS was operating as a full school with both primary and secondary levels, and the building soon became inadequate for the burgeoning student population. Therefore, a new school was built in 1928 at 126 Cairnhill Road to house the secondary school.

Anglo-Chinese Primary School, as ACS (Primary) was known then, remained at Canning Rise. The school had both the morning and afternoon sessions. By the 1950s, the building could no longer meet the needs of the expanding school population. Thus, it was torn down to make way for a new building in 1959, which still stands today repurposed as the National Archives of Singapore.

In 1994, Anglo-Chinese Primary School vacated 1 Canning Rise and moved to Barker Road to become the primary school section of ACS (Barker Road), a full school that accepted its first cohort of Secondary One boys. In 1998, the primary section of ACS (Barker Road) separated from the school, and was rechristened ACS (Primary). In 2002, it began operating as a single-session school.

ACS (Primary) has been offering the Gifted Education Programme since 1984.

Principals:

• Rev William Fitzjames Oldham (1886 – 1990)
  

• Ms Dorothy Moreton (1949 – 1950)*
  

• Mr Leong Siew Tai (1951 – 1952)
  

• Mr Chan Siew Jiang (1952 – 1958)
  

• Mr Then Fay Chin (1958 – 1959)
  

• Mr Lau Hee Boon (1959 – 1965)
  

• Mr Khoo Boo Gay (1966 – 1973)
  

• Mrs Lim Chew Swee (1974 – 1983)
  

• Mr Lim Keng Boon (1984 – 1991)
  

• Mr George Goh (1991 – 1993)
  

• Mr Ng Chee Kheong (1995)
  

• Mr Ng Eng Chin (1994, 1996 – 1998)
  

• Mrs Daisy Ong (1999 – 2004)
  

• Mr Richard Lim (2005 – 2013)
  

• Mr Arene Koh (2014 – 2018)
  

• Dr Irene Ng (2019 – present)

* Prior to 1949, what is now ACS (Primary) consisted then of a primary and a middle school.

Key Milestones

School Motto

The Best Is Yet to Be

The school motto was incorporated into the school crest by Mr T W Hinch (Principal, 1929 – 1947)

School Crest

The upper section of the crest comprises a mythical creature with a lion’s head, an eagle’s wings and a dragon’s body with claws. They represent the founding of ACS in a British colony (lion) by the American Methodist Mission (eagle) during the time of China’s Manchu dynasty (dragon). The lower section comprises the letters ‘ACS’ in red – signifying life as it bridges heaven and earth, which are represented by the two halves of blue and gold. The shield shape represents the knightly virtues of chivalry, honour, loyalty, valour and manliness.

The crest was designed by Mr Yap Pheng Geck when he was a teacher in ACS, inspired by the words of the school anthem.

School Song

In days of yore from western shores
Oldham – Dauntless Hero came
And planted a Beacon of Truth and Light

in this Island of the Main.
Here may it stand from year to year,
Emblem of grand endeavor.
The regions round echo the sound
of A.C.S. forever.

(Chorus)
Sing A.C.S. forever more,
Our A.C.S. forever.
God save our Land and Heaven bless
our A.C.S. forever.
Our students hail from China's plains,
and the Land of Rising Sun.

We have many sons from India's strand,
and the Islands of the Main.
Our hearts, our hopes, our aims are one;
No discord e'er will sever.
We'll stand together for the cause
of A.C.S. forever.

(Repeat the Chorus)
Sing A.C.S. forever more,
our A.C.S. forever.
God save our land and heaven bless
our A.C.S. forever Heritage