Have a Singaporean or PR child who is registering for Primary 1 soon? Wondering where you should send your kids to school? Is there anything you can do to increase your chances of getting into your dream school? We break it all down in this blog post for you.
If your child is born between 2 January 2018 and 1 January 2019, the 2024 Primary 1 Registration Exercise is for you.
What you will need for Primary 1 Registration Exercise
The Primary 1 Registration Exercise is conducted through an online portal that you can log in through SingPass during your eligible phase (see below). Only one parent will be required to register on behalf of your child. If you don’t see your child’s name on the P1 Registration Portal, don’t panic just yet. Check if your child’s details are reflected on the portal in the other parent’s account. Otherwise, you may also submit your P1 Registration through an online form on the same portal.
How does balloting work?
Where you stay might affect your little one’s admission into certain schools! Balloting is a process that kicks in when the number of applicants exceeds the number of vacancies in a school. Priority is given in the following order:
- Singapore Citizens (SC) living within 1 km
- SC living 1-2 km
- SC living more than 2 km
- Permanent Residents (PR) living < 1 km
- PR living 1-2 km
- PR living > 2 km
Depending on the number of applicants in each category, in a case where the total number of applicants exceeds the number of vacancies, centralised balloting will be conducted for all the applicants in the particular category.
Phase 1
For a child who has a sibling studying in the primary school.
Registration
From: 9am on Tuesday, 2 July 2024
To: 4.30pm on Thursday, 4 July 2024
Result
Wednesday, 10 July 2024
All eligible Phase 1 applicants will be offered a place.
Phase 2A
Eligibility:
- Parent or sibling is a former student of the primary school, including those who have joined the alumni association of the primary school as a member.
- Parent is a member of the School Advisory or Management Committee.
- Parent is a staff member of the primary school.
- From the MOE Kindergarten under the purview of and located within the primary school.
Registration
From: 9am on Thursday, 11 July 2024
To: 4.30pm on Friday, 12 July 2024
Result
Friday, 19 July 2024
Phase 2B
20 places are reserved in each primary school for this phase.
Eligibility:
- Whose parent has joined the primary school as a parent volunteer not later than 1 July of the year before P1 registration and has given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school by 30 June of the year of P1 registration.
- Whose parent is a member endorsed by the church or clan directly connected with the primary school.
- Whose parent is endorsed as an active community leader.
Registration
From: 9am on Monday, 22 July 2024
To: 4.30pm on Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Result
Monday, 29 July 2024
Phase 2C
40 places in each primary school are reserved for Phase 2C. For a child who is not yet registered in a primary school.
Registration
From: 9am on Tuesday, 30 July 2024
To: 4.30pm on Thursday, 1 August 2024
Result
Tuesday, 13 August 2024
Phase 2C Supplementary
For a child who is not yet registered in a primary school after Phase 2C.
Registration
From: 9am on Thursday, 15 August 2024
To: 4.30pm on Friday, 16 August 2024
Result
Tuesday, 27 August 2024
For Phase 2C and 2CS, there will be a cap on the intake of PR applicants in a few schools which will be released at the start of Phase 2C and 2CS. At this point of the 2024 P1 Registration Exercise, there is a PR cap for the following schools:
- Bukit Timah Primary School
- Cantonment Primary School
- Opera Estate Primary School
Phase 3
International students who are gunning for a place in local MOE schools, take note! You will need to submit an online interest form from 9am on Tuesday, 28 May 2024 to 4.30pm on Monday, 3 June 2024.
When submitting the online interest form, you will need:
- Child’s birth certificate (an English translated copy is required if it is in another language).
- Child’s passport bio-data page. This is the page that shows the child’s particulars, photo, and passport details.
- Parents’ NRIC front and back, for Singapore Citizen parent.
- Parents’ marriage certificate, where applicable.
Results of an offer of a P1 place and how to register at the designated school will be sent to you in October.
How to pick a primary school
Choosing the right school for your little one might feel daunting and anxiety-inducing, especially with the uncertainty that comes along with the P1 Registration balloting. This is why you must do your research ahead of time.
The right primary school is the one that suits your kid and your family, especially if you have more than more than 1 child. On top of the school’s academic results and past track records (which you can usually find out from other parents or on forums), you may also want to consider other factors that will affect your child’s primary school life.
Location
Choosing a school within proximity to your home will give your kid ample time to rest and play. You may also need to consider transport arrangements such as school bus.
Culture
Some schools tend to be more English-speaking while others lean toward the Chinese culture (especially some of the Special Assistance Plan schools). Additionally, suss out from other parents on how competitive the school is as well as the workload. You know your child best!
Extra-curricular activities
The school years are the best years for your child to grow into his/her own person. On top of academic results, certain schools provide additional extra-curricular activities as well as CCAs that will broaden your child’s perspectives.
All the best in this year’s Primary 1 School Registration! Looking for a community of like-minded parents to share math resources and Primary School related news? (We won’t bite, I promise!)
Primary 1 Readiness Skills – Number Sense
Getting ready for Primary School begins here. Stretch your child’s numeracy and number sense through our Calculation Supermarket worksheets!
