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Riverside Secondary School

Science

Students explore science through hands-on inquiry, real-world tasks, and competitions. Discover how the Science department builds critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Last updated 6 August 2026

Aims and approach:

The Science department aims to develop scientific literacy by engaging students in the Practices of Science to foster interest, deepen understanding of concepts and disciplinary ideas, and instill values in science. We nurture students to recognise and apply the scientific method to critically evaluate information and make sense of daily experiences.

An inquiry-based approach is adopted for teaching and learning science. Starting with questions, teachers guide students to construct knowledge through investigations, analysing information, making predictions, and drawing conclusions. Students discover that science is all-encompassing and intricately woven into daily lives, influencing everything from technology to the air we breathe. This approach is captured in the three practices of the revised Science Curriculum Framework.

  1. Demonstrating Ways of Thinking and Doing in Science (WOTD)

  2. Understanding the Nature of Scientific Knowledge (NOS)

  3. Relating Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE)

Key programmes:

Crime Scene Investigation (C.S.I)

Students work collaboratively to solve a criminal case by applying scientific and mathematical concepts. Through this, they learn to apply classroom skills to real-world tasks while honing their teamwork, analytical and communication skills.

Students in the science laboratory discussing evidence at a bench during the investigation activity.
Crime Scene Investigation: “Let me analyse…”

Competitions and Enrichment Activities

Selected students participate in various competitions and enrichment activities, including visiting the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair, attending the Ignite Challenge competition, submitting research projects for the Singapore Youth STEM Fair Competition, and taking part in the Science Olympiad Competitions to deepen their understanding of science.

A student explaining the team’s research poster to a visitor at their exhibition booth.
Proud Riversidians presenting their research to a keen visitor

Highlights and achievements:

Singapore Youth STEM Fair 2025

Accomplished Award for the project “Comparison between oils produced from different plants and algae”.

  1. Lim Jia Yueh, Sia Chow Yang, Terence Teo Ngee Hern

Singapore Junior Chemistry Olympiad 2025

  1. Bronze: Ng Kai Ning

Singapore Junior Biology Olympiad 2025

  1. Bronze: Pyae Sone, Tan Xuan Yi Caleb

  2. Honourable Mention: Swa Jin Hung, Thazhath Valappil Sivakiran, Lai Jia Ying

Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad 2025

  1. Bronze: Nicholas Yap Han Yuan

A student receiving his award on stage in front of a slide naming the school’s research project.

Student’s Voice: Lim Jia Yueh receiving his award

Singapore Science Youth Fair 2025 has been an eye-opener, providing incredible opportunities to unleash creativity while remaining realistic as we brainstormed and experimented with various ideas. This competition built my resilience as I overcame challenges like time constraints, learning to adapt to unfavourable situations. We learnt to stay composed and confident whilst presenting to curious members of the public. Winning an award was truly an honour, but the true triumphs lay in valuable lessons and personal growth. This transformative experience allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and better myself.
— Lim Jia Yueh
The 2025 Science teachers seated together in the school library.