School History, Heritage and Ethos
St Patrick’s School traces its rich heritage to its Lasallian roots, shaped by decades of dedication to faith, service, and learning. Its history reflects a tradition of nurturing character and excellence, forming generations of Patricians grounded in integrity and compassion. This enduring ethos continues to guide the school’s mission and community today.
A Lasallian School
‘We are One, but we are Many’
St Patrick’s School is a Lasallian school of the Catholic tradition under the care of the De La Salle Brothers (Brothers of the Christian Schools). St Patrick’s is one of seven schools in a Lasallian network of educational centres in Singapore. We uphold the universally held Lasallian values of Faith, Service and Community.
In the school, the sense of community is upheld as each person is considered a brother or sister. The relationship between the teacher and the student as well as between the teacher and his or her colleagues is of a fraternal nature; the teacher being the elder brother or elder sister to the student. Hence, the Founder wanted the Brothers to be addressed as Brothers and not as school masters so as to emphasize the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of every human person. The dignity of each human person in the Lasallian family is respected as we are all children of one Father, God.
Rich in History and Heritage
The school was founded in 1933 as a temporary branch school of Saint Joseph's Institution, another Catholic boys' school in Singapore. It was built on land acquired by the La Salle Brothers in 1898 which was originally intended for building a resort bungalow. Brother Stephen Buckley saw the population growth in eastern Singapore and petitioned the La Salle Brothers to build a school on that piece of land. The main school building was completed in 1932 and Saint Patrick's became a school in its own right in 1933.
During World War II, the school was used by the British as a hospital and later by the Japanese as an administrative building. It was returned to the La Salle Brothers in 1946.
In 1957, the primary section of the school was separated and became Saint Stephen's School, a primary school for boys.
In 1969, Saint Patrick's became a co-educational school with the introduction of pre-university classes. However, with the phasing out of such classes in 1978, the school returned to being an all-boys school.
Today, St Patrick’s School remains proud institution with more than 85 years of history and heritage. Even as we remain rooted in our traditions, values and beliefs, we are committed to constantly evolving in order to best meet the needs of our students.
Our Catholic Ethos
Being a Catholic school, St Patrick’s is proud of its Catholic heritage with its religious programme which also includes Morning Prayers, Angelus, Reflections, Masses and Catholic societies. Being a government-aided school under the Ministry of Education, St Patrick’s seeks to contribute to nation-building and achieve the same national objectives for all the students in our care.