Our Heritage

Our Heritage

Our History

The Early Days 1979-1989

Two flagpoles stand in front of a multi-story Mayflower Primary School building surrounded by greenery.

Mayflower Primary School was established on 2 January 1979 with 56 classes, 77 teachers and 2,395 students. It was then located at 20 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and named after the old Mayflower Estate that once stood there. The school functioned in two sessions, sharing its premises with Ang Mo Kio Primary School. In July 1980 the school was officially opened by Mr Yeo Toon Chia, then Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio.

Under Madam Chua Soo Huang (1979-1984), the school crest and uniform were designed. With the help of Mr Seah Lye Huat, a PE Inspector, and Mr Leong Yoon Pin from CCAC (Co-Curricular Activities Centre), the words and lyrics for the school song were written.

Mr George Goh Yong Chua (1984-1988) did much to foster camaraderie amongst his staff and under his tenure, staff developed a strong sense of belonging to Mayflower Primary School. Through Mr Goh’s four and half years of active and dedicated leadership, he has left a symbolic spirit for the staff and students to emulate. Much credit is owed to these two pioneer principals for establishing the school in her initial years.

Expansion 1989-1999

Three-story yellow-green institutional building surrounded by trees with a flagpole in front on a cloudy day.

Mrs Mary Lim took over as principal in 1989 and remained at the helm until 1996. In 1993 , Mayflower Primary School took over the entire building that it had up till then shared with Ang Mo Kio Primary School, dissolved its two-session structure and became a single session school. However, this change was short lived as enrollment increased dramatically shortly after the move, driving the school to once again offer two sessions.

Mayflower Today 2000-to date

Multi-story school building lit in pink and purple lights at night with palm trees in front.

On 11 March 2000, Mayflower Primary School moved to a brand new school at 200 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, its present location. Deputy Prime Minister, Brigadier-General Lee Hsien Loong, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio, officially opened the school on 17 July 2000. Mayflower Primary School’s move to its current locale was the first to be implemented under the Ministry of Education’s Programme for the Rebuilding and Improvement of Existing Schools (PRIME). The new school was by all accounts a major improvement from the old school. Built upwards to maximize space, the new school comprised classrooms and facilities spread out over several floors divided into three blocks.

Over the decades, the school has not only grown in size, but its students were becoming accomplished in their own fields of study. In 2003, Mayflower Primary School celebrated its 24th anniversary by staging a variety show involving many of its talented students and staff. In 2010, the school celebrated its 31st anniversary in conjunction with the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics Games that was held in Singapore. An original batik painting was co-created by students and staff for the Games, depicting all the different participating nations. 

In 2015, Mayflower Primary School was accorded the Learning for Life Programme in the “Development of Character, Citizenship and 21-century Competencies in and through the Arts”. The programme builds on the strengths of the school in providing quality arts education for all students, and in developing their interests and talents in visual arts and drama through its vibrant curricular and co-curricular activities.

On 15 December 2015, Mrs Lim-Chua Siow Ling was appointed the Principal of Mayflower Primary School. She would be the 8th officially appointed Principal of the school.

In 2018, Mayflower Primary School became the first designated mainstream primary school in Singapore for students with Hearing Loss (HL) who use sign language as the main mode of communication to access the national curriculum. The co-teaching model, which supports an inclusive education where students with HL learn alongside their hearing classmates, is adopted in our school.

The Traits of MFPS students – Empowered Learners and Empathetic Leaders – was first introduced to the school community in 2018. The Traits of MFPS Students represent the collective hopes and aspirations stakeholders have of all our students. They delineate the distinctive attributes we want our students to be endowed with and support our vision of our students who are “Exemplary Citizens of Tomorrow”. They help us and our students understand what it means to live up to the vision of the school.

In November 2019, STEM@MFPS was approved as an Applied Learning Programme. This is a customised 4-year enrichment programme that focuses on the principles of STEM. In this programme, our students innovate through solving real world problems and creating prototypes. Students are taught basic programming, computational and design thinking skills and learn through exploration by engaging in direct application of these skills, theories and models in an inter-disciplinary environment. Through such opportunities and engagement, we hope to lay a foundation for our students to be equipped with the broad pre-requisites for the future, namely innovation and creativity.

To mark the school’s 40th Anniversary on 16 November 2019, the school was also presented with a certificate from the Singapore Book of Records for the “Largest Ship Sculpture with Handpainted Sails”. The 7 sails on the lifesize model ship was made of 1040 fabric patches created by staff, students, alumni, parents, SAC members and partners of the school. The patchwork art covered a total area of 30 square metres.

Mayflower Primary School underwent PERI upgrading from 2019 to March 2022 and finally moved back to the original site at the end of May 2022. The Ministry of Education Kindergarten @ Mayflower started operations in 2021. With upgraded facilities, the school will continue to thrive – nurturing future-ready students who will grow into exemplary citizens of tomorrow, passionate lifelong learners and positive change agents.

Principals: Past and Present

Madam Chua Soo Huang (1979-1983)

Madam Chua Soo Huang was the pioneering principal of Mayflower Primary School. She was responsible for forming much of the school’s identity. The school uniform, crest, motto and song were put together during her tenure.

Mr George Goh Yong Chua (1984-1988)

Mr Goh became Principal when Madam Chua stepped down at the end of 1983. Under Mr Goh, the school developed a science room and science garden which became models for other schools.

Membership of the School Advisory Committee increased during Mr Goh’s tenure and an annual Games Day was initiated. Upon leaving Mayflower Primary School, he moved on to head two other schools including Anglo-Chinese School (Primary).

He served at the Ministry of Education as Group Senior Principal, Inspector of Schools and School Superintendent for 10 years before his retirement in 2001. Mr Goh also fostered camaraderie and a strong sense of belonging among staff, leaving a lasting legacy.

Mrs Mary Lim (1988-1996)

In June 1988, Mrs Mary Lim assumed the principalship of the school when Mr Goh was appointed Inspector of Schools. During her tenure as principal, Information Technology was introduced to the school, and all teachers were sent for computer training. Speech and Drama classes in both English and Chinese were initiated. Computer classes were organised for the students during school holidays and abacus classes were introduced.

In 1991, a fundraising event was organized to raise funds for school improvement projects such as installing air-conditioning in the special rooms. The school uniform also adopted its present design during Mrs Lim’s time. She is Mayflower Primary School’s longest serving principal to date. Mayflower Primary School underwent significant changes, under the leadership of Mrs Mary Lim from 1989 to 1996.

Mrs Mary Teo (1997)

Mrs Mary Lim was transferred to Woodlands Primary School in December 1996, and Mrs Mary Teo took over the helm for one year. Before coming to Mayflower Primary School, Mrs Teo was principal of Junyuan Primary School and upon leaving Mayflower Primary School, she was posted to the Ministry of Education Special Schools Unit as an Inspector.

When she eventually retired in 2001 from public service, she headed a special school for special needs children and oversaw the implementation of various well-received programs.

Ms Ngeow Ah Cheng (1998-2003)

At the end of 1997, Mrs Mary Teo was succeeded by Ms Ngeow Ah Cheng. She built on the school’s strengths in the performing arts and staff development to spur the school to greater heights. In addition, she spearheaded several innovative teaching strategies such as the use of Multiple Intelligences and Cooperative Learning.

Prior to joining Mayflower Primary School, Ms Ngeow was appointed Specialist Inspector of English before being made Vice Principal of Xin Ming Secondary School. She retired from the education service in Dec 2003.

Mr Zainal Bin Sapari (2004-2009)

Mr Zainal became principal on 1 January 2004. He started his career in education in 1991 as a teacher in Tampines Secondary School. In June 2001, he became Vice Principal of East Spring Primary School, before joining Mayflower Primary School.

During his tenure as the school's principal, the School Heritage Gallery was set up for our students to discover things about our school history, community and nation to instill a sense of identity and rootedness.

Mrs Valarie Wilson (2010-2015)

Mrs Valarie Wilson was appointed Principal of Mayflower Primary school on 15 December 2009. Mrs Wilson received her tertiary education from King's College, University of London, on a Singapore Government Scholarship.

Prior to joining MFPS, Mrs Wilson served as Vice-Principal at Anglo-Chinese Junior College, School of the Arts, Singapore and Bukit Batok Secondary School. Mrs Wilson completed her Leaders in Education Programme at the National Institute of Education in 2009 where she was awarded the Dr. Ruth Wong Gold Medal.

Under her leadership, MFPS further developed the Arts-enhanced and Arts-integrated curriculum and innovative pedagogies aimed at developing 21st century competencies in our students, equipping them to be future-ready.

Mrs Lim-Chua Siow Ling (2016-2021)

Mrs Lim-Chua Siow Ling was posted as Principal to MFPS on 15 December 2015. She is a proponent of inclusive education and believed that MFPS students can be nurtured to be Empowered Learners and Empathetic Leaders.

In 2018, MFPS became the designate primary school for students with Hearing Loss who sign and successfully integrated its first cohort of 6 students into mainstream education using a co-teaching model. The relocation of the school to a holding site in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2 (the old Kebun Baru Primary School) in 2019 while the original site underwent PERI upgrading and the set-up of MK@Mayflower in 2021 took place under her leadership.

During her time in MFPS she focused not just on academic results, but also advocated for Formative Assessment to be part of daily feedback and the inculcation of learning dispositions as part of students’ holistic development.

Ms Cecilia Lim (15 Dec 2021 to Present)

Ms Cecilia Lim was posted to the school as Principal on 15 December 2021. An experienced Principal who oversaw the upgrading of 2 of her previous schools – CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace and Marymount Convent School, she was instrumental in completing MFPS’ PERI upgrading project and moving the school back to the original site enabling the 2022 P6 cohort a chance to experience the upgraded premises before they graduated.

Under her leadership the MK Hearing Loss (Signing) Programme started in 2022. Ms Lim’s philosophy and emphasis has always been on the holistic development of students. Hence, to better meet student’s different learning needs. she ensured the teachers were trained in Differentiated Instruction so that they could better engage students in their learning.

Name of Vice Principals

1. Mrs Santhi Ravindran (2024-Present)
2. Mrs Noelle Chow (2020-2024)
3. Mr Kwok Keng Lian (2020-Present)
4. Mrs Winefrede Loo (2018-Present)
5. Ms Chee Yeung Wai (2015 – 2018)
6. Mdm Thilagamani Sivanandam (2014 – 2020)
7. Miss Cheong Sau Peng (2003 – 2014)
8. Mr See Kok Kiong (2011 – 2013)
9. Madam Agnes Lee Ling Ling
10. Mr Lim Yap Seng
11. Mrs Suzanna Jeyanthi Ramos
12. Mr Wong Kong Chiew
13. Mr Thiru
14. Mr Lock Hong Fai
15. Mrs Sally Thio
16. Miss Nellie Choo