It’s that time of the year again when parents of six-year-olds gear themselves up to register their kids for Primary 1 the following year. Finding the right school that best suits the needs of your child can be a challenging task especially when parents are not part of an alumni or have not prepped for the whole process in advance. We’ve outlined all that you need to know about the registration process and key dates to take note of this year to ensure that all is smooth-sailing, and you won’t be faced with any surprises.
Like last year, the whole process takes place online this year meaning there won’t be any in-person registrations at schools. Registration will be conducted over several phases for Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents. Primary school education is compulsory for all Singapore citizens and is also applicable to Permanent Residents (PR) and international students. If your child is an international student, the registration process is different. Find out more here.
Who is eligible for this year’s Primary 1 Registration?
If your child is born between January 2, 2015, and January 1, 2016 (including both dates), you can register him/her this year.
How do I prepare for registration?
Select your school of choice
Before registering your child, you should already have an idea of which school you would like to apply to. Location is key and it’s advised that you select a school that is relatively closer to home to minimise travelling time. You can search for schools within your vicinity with the MOE’s SchoolFinder tool.
Do note that you can only register your child in one school at any phase. Multiple applications will not be accepted.
Still not too sure how to go about choosing a suitable primary school? Visit MOE’s website for more information.
Gather required documents
You will need the relevant documents containing the following information for the online application:
- Child’s full name
- Child’s birth certificate number
- Child’s date of birth
- Address used for registration
- Contact details
You may be requested to upload copies of your original documents during registration. Schools may also contact you directly to request for additional documents so do have them all on-hand.
Other things to note:
You may need to upload the soft copy of the back of both parents’ NRICs and/or the court order setting out the custody arrangement for your child during registration.
The address used registration should be your official residential address as reflected on both parents’ NRICs. This address will be used to determine the home-school distance category, where required for consideration of priority admission. After the Primary 1 Registration Exercise, you will also be required to produce your child’s immunisation records (which is downloadable from the Health Promotion Board website) to the school on the reporting day.
What are the Primary 1 Registration Phases And Key Dates?
Phase 1
Your child has older siblings currently enrolled in the selected school of choice.
Registration begins at 9am on Wednesday, 30 June 2021 and will end at 4.30 pm on Thursday, 1 July, 2021.
Phase 2A(1)
You are a former student of the selected school and have joined as an alumni member not later than 30 June, 2020. Also if you are a member of the Advisory or Management Committee of your chosen school.
Registration opens from 9am to 4.30 pm on 7 July, 2021. Results will be released on July 13, 2021.
Phase 2A(2)
You have studied in the selected school or have another child who had previously studied in the school. You can also be a staff member at the school, or have children in the MOE kindergarten in the purview or located in the selected primary school.
Registration opens at 9am on July 14 and closes at 4.30 pm on July 15, 2021. Results will be released on July 23, 2021.
Phase 2B
You have volunteered at the school and joined not later than 1 July, 2020 and completing at least 40 hours of service by 30 June, 2021. You have been endorsed by the church or clan that’s directly connected to the school or endorsed as an active community leader.
Registration opens at 9am on July 26, 2021 and closes at 4.30 pm on July 27, 2021. Results will be released on August 2, 2021.
Phase 2C
Your child is eligible for Primary 1 but has not registered for a primary school.
Registration opens at 9am on August 3, 2021 and closes at 4.30 pm on August 5, 2021. Results will be released on August 17, 2021.
Phase 2C (Supplementary)
Your child is eligible for Primary 1 but has not registered for a primary school after Phase 2C.
Registrations opens at 9am on August 19, 2021 and closes at 4.30 pm on August 20, 2021. Results will be released on August 31, 2021.
What happens when the selected school is oversubscribed during the registration process?
Several schools will be oversubscribed during the Primary 1 Registration Process mainly because these are popular schools and the number of registrants exceeds the school vacancies. This can can happen in any phase from 2A(1) to 2C Supplementary. When this occurs, balloting will be conducted.
You can check the list of primary schools that require balloting at the end of the phase to see if your child needs to ballot for a place in your selected school. Computerised balloting will be conducted centrally by MOE Headquarters. Rest assured, as MOE says that those who are required to ballot will have an equal chance for admission into the school.
Priority admission to a Primary 1 place in a school will be given to children in this order:
- Singapore Citizens (SC) living within 1km of the school.
- SC living between 1km and 2km of the school.
- SC living outside 2km of the school.
- Permanent Residents (PR) living within 1km of the school.
- PR living between 1km and 2km of the school.
- PR living outside 2km of the school.
What about Permanent Residents (PR)? Is there a cap on the intake into local schools?
MOE introduced the 25% to 30% cap on the intake of PR children since last year and is applied in Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary only. MOE says that this is to “provide a more conducive environment to encourage interaction between Singapore Citizen (SC) children and PR children, and to facilitate the integration of PR children into Singapore.”
For 2021, these are the schools that will implement a PR cap:
- Bukit Timah Primary School
- Changkat Primary School
- Marymount Convent School
- North Spring Primary School
- Opera Estate Primary School
- Tanjong Katong Primary School
- Park View Primary School
- Clementi Primary School
At the beginning of Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary registration, MOE will publish the maximum number of vacancies available to PR children for the 8 schools above on the vacancies and balloting page.
What happens after my child is registered?
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will notify you of the results via SMS. If you do not receive any notification, you may contact the school directly in the afternoon. If balloting is required, you will also be notified through SMS on the results announcement day. If your application is unsuccessful in Phase 2C Supplementary, your child will be posted to a school with available vacancy and you’ll be informed of the outcome on the results announcement day through SMS.
Are international students eligible for Primary 1 registration?
You are required to complete an “indication of interest” online, which will only be live from 9am on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 to 4.30pm on Monday, 7 June, 2021, otherwise you will not be able to register in Phase 3 of the Primary 1 Registration. More information on MOE’s website here.
Once your child is all set, do look out for circulars by the school. Primary schools require you and your child to attend a school orientation to familiarise yourselves with the school facilities, activities and procedures. During orientation, you can inquire about after school care services as well as school bus arrangements.
Transitioning to primary school is a big step and will be filled with changes. You can help your child transition well by sharing with them what primary school is like and what to expect. For example, to boost their confidence when purchasing food from the canteen, you can conduct role play activities at home where they get to handle money and calculate their expenditure. Setting up a regular schedule and routine will also help with the transition process. Once they are better prepared, they will definitely enjoy their primary school experience.
Main Reference: https://www.moe.gov.sg/primary/p1-registration
