GEAR UP

Discover how GEAR-UP equips Whitley Secondary School students with life skills, creativity, and confidence through engaging after-school programmes.

Last updated 27 August 2026

Smiling teenage girl in white school uniform with striped tie, seated near a boy with glasses in a classroom.

GEAR-UP

For 2021, Whitley Secondary School “GEARed-UP” with many activities designed to arm our students with better social and emotional competencies, provide them with engaging after-school support and equip them with higher levels of motivation and study skills. We aim to provide a caring culture and safe environment to develop our students to be gracious citizens and disciplined leaders.

CABIN

The CABIN is a safe retreat for our students to relax, think, and bond with each other through unstructured and self-directed play. Ready to welcome students every day after school till 5 pm, the CABIN is managed with the help of student volunteers alongside dedicated school teachers. You will find our teaching staff taking care of the CABIN on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and by volunteers from the Singapore Childrens’ Society on Wednesdays and Fridays. It was established to provide meaningful after-school engagement and support for our students with diverse interests and needs. Any student who needs a safe and welcoming place to play, socialise or to unwind will find the CABIN a great place. The CABIN also offers students many activities such as console gaming, board and table games, as well as jamming with musical instruments too.

The CABIN allows the students to develop good communication, social, and thinking skills through active learning. To develop our students to be self-directed individuals who will spend their time contributing to the school in a disciplined and meaningful way, a selected group of students who frequent the CABIN had the opportunity to undergo on-the-job training for leadership and facility management.

Four photos show youth playing pool on a blue billiard table and one person playing an acoustic guitar on a couch.

Six photos of masked students and teachers playing pool, board games, and video games in a yellow-walled room.

Three photos show children playing chess, a group posing with guitars, and two girls playing Jenga.

Ceramics@Whitley

The Ceramics@Whitley aims to engage students with the mesmerising and therapeutic art of ceramics. When students arrive at the Maker’s Space, they are relaxed and eager to use clay to bring their ideas to life. The students enjoy getting their hands dirty and expressing themselves creatively. With guidance from the teacher and encouragement from the fellow participants, students are not afraid to make mistakes and to persevere in finishing their artefact. The positive environment of the ceramics programme motivates students to push themselves to improve their artistic, design and technical skills through patience, risk-taking and resilience.

Five photos show students in aprons working with clay, cutting shapes, handbuilding mugs and figurines in a pottery studio.

Chefs@Whitley

Chefs@Whitley allows students take on the role of chefs and pick up cooking skills and other important life-skills and values. Rather than learning in a classroom environment, students have an immersive hands-on experience. Their successes come in the form of food creations that they can be proud of.

The chefs learn and develop budgeting and time management skills, and use their knowledge to promote healthy living and eating. The students also have to prepare quality food by learning and demonstrating relevant culinary techniques and skills. Our chefs have to learn how to work closely together as a team and lead by example. Things may not always go according to plan, but they must demonstrate professionalism and adaptability at all times. The young chefs also have the opportunity in experimentation and innovation in food preparation. They also learn and practice personal and kitchen hygiene as part of their safe food handling and storage techniques.

Six photos show masked students and teachers cooking and serving yakitori, curry, prata, mini pizzas, and dinner in a kitchen.

Six photos show masked students in chef attire preparing food including mashed potatoes, sandwiches, and puff pastries.

Six photos of students in chef uniforms baking, decorating cakes, and cooking in a kitchen classroom.

Four-panel collage of student chefs in a kitchen baking and plating food, plus colorful jelly cups and decorated cupcakes.

Two chefs working in a kitchen alongside close-up shots of plated pastries including brownies and a layered tart.

Young chef in white uniform stirring a pot on a gas stove, beside a table displaying various baked goods and cupcakes.

Design Fab

The Design Fab aims to provide students the opportunity to explore their own interests; learn to use tools and materials, both physical and virtual; and develop creative projects.

With the teachers’ guidance and mentoring, students can unleash their creativity and turn their ideas into reality using facilities and equipment provided by Whitley Secondary School Design Fab. There are different stations like the 3D printers, badge-making machine, automated sewing machine, laser-cutting machine and heat-press machine where students get to make a variety of items. Students will be able to make items like 3D printed objects, custom badges, key chains and custom tote bags. Students also learn new hobbies and develop their painting skills through painting miniatures and figurines too. In May 2021, five of our students participated in the Warhammer Alliance Showcase. Our students did well and two of them have achieved second and third place. The rest of the students attained fifth place.

Six photos showing students doing crafts, painted miniature soldiers, a mural, and two girls holding decorated tote bags.

Six photos showing students receiving Warhammer medals, painting figurines, and posing with teachers in a workshop.

Six photos show students making badges and bead crafts with a teacher guiding them in a classroom workshop.

Four photos show students and a teacher using equipment, two girls at a machine, students holding printed tote bags, and a group in a makerspace.

Jamming Club

The Jamming Club works with students who have a strong interest in music. Through their passion for music, teachers will guide students through various activities that aim to instill positive self-esteem, confidence and develop good values such as perseverance, discipline and respect. The Jamming Club also hopes to provide students with a safe space to learn and further hone their instrumental skills beyond curricular hours, encourage students to engage their time meaningfully in the art of creative expression as well as gain autonomy through musical collaboration and decision-making and also develop and nurture their musical talents. Through the music-making processes; from deciding on their choice of instruments to practicing active listening in order to resolve issues in their performances, our students eventually learn how to become better musicians, team players, and leaders.

Sports@Whitley

Sports@Whitley is an after school engagement program (ASE) that helps students to learn self-discipline and self-regulation and build a more positive self-image through personal fitness training and activities. PE Teachers will guide students in using gym equipment, instruct students on fitness strategies and teach them gym etiquette.

Four gym scenes: boxing a punching bag, running on treadmills, using a rowing machine, and stepping off a treadmill.

Four gym scenes showing students using cable machines, boxing a punching bag, bench pressing, and using a lat pulldown machine.