Expanded Sped school to be housed at former Hong Kah Secondary School site

Rebuilt site will include training hub for Grace Orchard's special needs graduates

- Elisha Tushara

The site of the former Hong Kah Secondary School in Jurong West will be rebuilt to house the expanded Grace Orchard School, a special education (Sped) school for students aged seven to 18 with autism or mild intellectual disabilities.

Housed at a holding site at the former Clementi Woods Secondary School in West Coast Road since 2021, Grace Orchard School will be able to grow its capacity from 450 students to 600 when it moves by end-2028.

The number of students in Sped schools increased from 5,410 in 2009 to 7,818 in 2023. This was largely due to an increase in students reported with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The expansion of Grace Orchard School was announced in 2021, with the Ministry of Education saying it would be "built to updated building specifications to improve students' learning experiences".

Upgrades will include larger classrooms and more spaces to cater to those with ASD. There will also be facilities such as sheltered playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas.

When Hong Kah Secondary School was merged with Jurongville Secondary School in 2019, the school site was left vacant, and later used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.