School Heritage

School History

Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School (PHPPS) was founded by preacher Joseph Koh in 1889 with the purpose of providing free education to the children from the villages around Bukit Timah. It was originally known as Road End Free School, and the medium of instruction then was Teochew.  In 1918, it became a Chinese-medium school. In 1922, it was renamed as Pei Hwa School. In 1941, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the school was closed temporarily from 1941 to 1945. Pei Hwa School reopened after the war in 1945, and the first School Management Board was formed.

In 1992, the new building was officially opened at Pei Wah Avenue, and the school was accorded the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) status. In 1995, it was renamed Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School to reflect its affiliation with Glory Presbyterian Church. In 2000, the school celebrated its 111th anniversary. 

During the PRIME upgrading, the school moved to a holding site in 2002. It returned to its upgraded site in 2004. An official opening ceremony was held the following year. In 2009, the school celebrated its 120th anniversary and started its flagship Chinese Arts Programme (CAP). The school commemorated its 125th anniversary in 2014.

2019 was a significant milestone for us as we celebrated our 130th Anniversary. It was a joyous celebration by generations of staff and students alike, in living out and upholding the values of our founders while staying current. The school’s vision and mission were refreshed to reflect the current educational focus and efforts. In 2024, Pei Hwa celebrated its 135th Anniversary with the theme, “Rooted and Fruitful – by God’s grace for His glory. We celebrated with the 135th Anniversary Dinner as one family in the company of guests, parents, alumni, students and staff, to express gratitude to God for His goodness and to reconnect with one another. ‘Anchored in God’s Wisdom and Zestful in Learning ’ guided our focus throughout 2025. The school endeavours to develop students of character with a zest to learn and a heart to serve (乐学乐善,以德为先) and seeks to realise its mission to nurture bilingual students in a caring, bicultural environment, to serve God and nation.

Appreciation for the Chinese language and culture

As an SAP school, the school also capitalises on its distinctiveness in its promotion and inculcation of the Chinese values, culture and tradition. The school has designed the Chinese Arts Programme (CAP) and Bi-Cultural Enrichment Programme to deepen students’ appreciation of Chinese Language, culture and values. Students are offered a spread of culturally rich arts programmes, activities and learning experiences such as Chinese folk art and songs to Chinese musical instruments like Kuai Ban.  Every level has an anchor programme to further reinforce and extend what students have learnt in the curriculum.  CAP is also integrated into Modular CCAs such as Chinese Dance and Chinese Drum. Another highlight would be the cultural camp which is specially organised for the students to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the Chinese Culture as bilingual students in a bicultural environment.

Key Milestones

1889: Founding of school as Road End Free School.
1918: Became Chinese-medium school.
1922: Renaming of school as Pei Hwa School.
1941: Closure of school due to Second World War.
1945: Reopening of school after Second World War.
1992: Official opening of new school building; accorded the Special Assistance Plan status.
1995: Renaming of school as Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School.
2002: School moved to holding site for PRIME upgrading.
2009: Celebrated 120th Anniversary; started the flagship Chinese Arts Programme.
2014: Celebrated 125th Anniversary.
2019: Celebrated 130th Anniversary.
2022: School transited to a single-session school with morning and afternoon sessions coming together as one Pei Hwa family. Pei Hwa is the last primary school to transit to a single-session school. To commemorate this special year, a wall mural is installed to showcase white plum blossoms that represent values of resilience and perseverance and 133 acrylic fishes to express our thanks to God for the 133 years of bountiful blessings to the school. The wall mural is recorded in the Singapore Book of Records for having the greatest number of laser-cut pieces in Singapore.
2024: Celebrated the school's 135th Anniversary with the theme Rooted & Fruitful – By His Grace, For His Glory. To commemorate this milestone, the school achieved a Singapore Book of Records title for the Most Number of People Eating Tangyuan Together, with over 600 participants. The shared tangyuan symbolised family reunion, unity, and togetherness, reflecting the strong bonds of the Pei Hwa family and giving thanks to God for 135 years of His faithfulness and blessings.