St Anthony's Primary School

Image Gallery

The old school building has been identified for conservation. In the grounds was the Angsana tree around which, the boys would carry out most of their outdoor activities (1951).

The entire school community in the 1950s - staff and students – gathered in front of St Joseph's Church (Victoria Street) next to the school then known as St Anna's School.

School assemblies were usually held under the Angsana tree or at the school canteen depending on whether it was for the morning or afternoon session.

A period which every Anthonian looked forward to - Recess! There were perpetual long queues during recess at this particular stall selling delicious Char Kway Teow! (1960s)

School History

St. Anthony’s Primary School was originally called St Anna’s School. Funded by the Catholic Portuguese Mission of Singapore, the school started in a small rented house on Middle Road on 1 August 1879. Father Jose Pedro Sta Anna de Cunha started the school to provide free tuition to poor boys and girls who could not afford an education even though the school fees then were very low.

On 23 February 1886, the school moved to a new school building and was renamed St. Anthony’s Boys’ and Girls’ School. In November 1893, the school split into two schools: St. Anthony’s Boys’ School and St. Anthony’s Girls’ School. The boys’ school occupied two old shophouses behind the Parochial House on Middle Road. In 1924, the Portuguese Mission and the colonial government agreed to share the cost of building a new school. In June 1926, a reinforced concrete three-storey building was completed with a bronze statue of St. Anthony at the top. This building is still standing today and has been gazetted for conservation.

On 11 October 1938, an agreement was signed between the Vicar General of the Portuguese Mission and the Visitor of the Christian Brothers in Malaya for the school to be managed by the Christian Brothers of St John Baptist de La Salle. In January 1939, the full school became one of the six LaSalle schools in Singapore.

During the Japanese Occupation, the school continued to function as part of the Japanese educational system and resumed as an English-medium school after the war.

In 1954, it was felt that the school could not provide adequate laboratory and other special facilities. Some of the St. Anthony’s Boys’ School secondary classes were then transferred to St. Joseph’s Institution. In 1961, all the secondary classes were transferred to St. Joseph’s Institution, and St. Anthony’s Boys’ School became solely a primary school.

The school was relocated to Bukit Batok in May 1992 and became a co-educational school. It was renamed St. Anthony’s Primary School.

In 2013, the school was temporarily relocated to enable the Bukit Batok campus to undergo extensive redevelopment works under PRIME upgrading. New facilities included an indoor sports hall and two additional levels of classrooms at the existing blocks. This enabled the school to operate as a single-session school from 2015. The school celebrated its 135th anniversary on 4 July 2015.

Principal (St Anna’s School):
- Ms J. McIntyre (1884–1885)

Principals (St Anthony’s Boys’ and Girls’ School):
- C.M.E. Buccannam (1886–1887)
- Ms J. Tolley (1888–1889)
- Brother Christopher (1946–1948)
- Brother Philip (1948–1951)
- Brother Bernard (1952)
- Brother William (1953–1954)
- Brother Thomas (1955–1956)
- Brother Finan (1956–1957)
- Brother Gabriel (1958–1960)
- Brother Sebastian (1960)

Principals (St Anthony’s Boys’ School):
- Mr Teo Kim Song (1961–1965)
- Mr Leong Hong Hee (1965–1968)
- Mr Kenneth D’Rozario (1968 to 1976)
- Mr Tan Hye San (1976–1992)

Principals (St Anthony’s Primary School):
- Mr Michael Yong Shao Chih (1992–1999)
- Ms Bernadette Lim Bee Hiong (1999–2003)
- Mr Thomas Koh (2003–2010)
- Ms Christina Teo (2010–2017)
- Ms Cecilia Lim (2017–2021)
- Mrs Esther Choo (2022 - present)

Key Milestones

School Motto

Crescit Eundo
Growing as we advance.

School Crest

The school crest was designed by Father Jose Pedro Sta Anna de Cunha, the founder of the school in 1879. The little shield in the centre is part of the National Flag of Portugal. In the 13th century, Alphonso Henriquel I, King of Portugal, made a flag with five sacred wounds as a centrepiece. After bringing order to Portugal, he organised the Seven Towers flanking the centre shield. This reminds the school that it draws all its spiritual strength from the Five Precious Wounds of Christ. All these graces are given to the school by means of the seven Sacraments. They are the Seven Towers of Strength.

Above the centrepiece is a phoenix, the mythical bird that rose from its ashes as a new bird, endowed with new life and vigour. Everlasting, young and active, it always instills in students the great principles that never die. The school motto in Latin is underneath.

School Song

Attention Anthonians, your motto still bearing
Promptly respond to your duty’s sweet call;
Harken you all,
For the trumpet is sounding,
Your mater’s proclaiming her watch word to all!

Chorus
Forward her children dear,
Ever with hearts sincere.
Render with joy to your mater her due!
All that is vile reject,
Heaven will e’ver protect,
Students of Saint Anthony’s
Valiant and true!

Onward and upward in life’s earnest battle,
Joyously bearing the brunt of the fight;
Nobly forgiving,
For aught that may pain you,
And bravely defending the cause of the right!
Chorus