This article was contributed by Aaron Goh.
Buying a house in Singapore is anything but a walk in the park. There’s more to think about than just picking a place – including considering factors like lease length and access to public transport.
And if you’re a young parent hoping to enroll your child into a top primary school, there’s one more thing to keep in mind: being within 1km of good primary schools.
Living closer to the school increases your chances of successful registration. In Singapore’s competitive environment, parents often carefully choose a home to boost their child’s school prospects.
Thinking about your child’s upcoming primary school journey? Here’s what you need to know about buying near a top primary school in Singapore.
Getting your child into a top primary school in Singapore
How can you get your child into your preferred school? To answer the question, you must first understand how Singapore’s primary school admissions work.
Primary school admission in Singapore is divided across the following phases:
Starting from 2022, Phase 2C, which is for those without any prior connection to the school, has seen an increase in the number of available seats from 20 to 40.
If your desired school has more applicants than available spots, priority admission is based on your child’s citizenship and the Home-School Distance category. Essentially, this means that living closer to the school increases your chances of securing a spot.
Priority admission follows this order:
- Singapore Citizens (SC) residing within 1km of the school
- SC residing between 1km and 2km of the school
- SC residing outside 2km of the school
- Permanent Residents (PR) residing within 1km of the school
- PR residing between 1km and 2km of the school
- PR residing outside 2km of the school
However, due to the high demand, even living within the 1km to 2km radius may not guarantee admission. Many parents aiming for a top primary school in Singapore often ensure they reside within a 1km radius to maximise their chances.
To check if you’re within the 1km radius of your preferred primary school, you can use the MOE primary school distance calculator.
Properties within 1km of top primary schools are in high demand
It’s no surprise that properties near the top primary schools in Singapore are in high demand. According to The Straits Times, condos within 1km of Princess Elizabeth Primary School (District 23), the most oversubscribed school in 2023, saw their median resale prices soar by 51%.
The same article also reported significant appreciation in other condos surrounding top schools such as Rosyth Primary and Pei Hwa Presbyterian. And if the property is within the 1km radius of not one, but two top primary schools, demand skyrockets.
For instance, AMO residence in District 20 that is currently under development (TOP 2026), is close to both CHIJ and Ai Tong Primary School and got sold out despite its high price.
Silversea in District 15 is another example of how proximity to top schools can influence prices. Within the project, only Block 50 of the project falls within the 1km radius of Tao Nan Primary School. In 2022 and 2023, Block 50 had an average PSF of $1,904.5. Meanwhile, blocks that sat outside the 1km radius, such as Block 46, had an average PSF of $1,860.2 in the same period.
While parents may feel disheartened by these differences, for potential investors, buying near a top school could mean higher appreciation and rent rates.
However, it is important to note that the current property market is in many ways an anomaly. The country has seen never-before rent rates as the economy freed up during a post-COVID boom. New housing projects were announced and people, from long term visitors to expatriates, started streaming into the island. 2022 was also the first full year of the revised Phase 2C that MOE launched for primary school registration. However, do note that the trend might change depending on external factors as well as any cooling measures by the government.
Tips for purchasing a home within the 1km radius
While properties near top schools in Singapore are pricier, this can be seen as an investment in your child’s education, and perhaps your retirement too. With such high stakes on the table, it’s important that you go through this home-buying process carefully and thoroughly.
Here are some tips on how to do so:
1) Plan in advance
As simple as this might sound, planning in advance is the best thing you can do to identify a good house and increase your child’s chances of success. Once you’ve identified the ideal school, you have options: buy within the 1km radius or rent with a lease of six months to two years to improve your priority access.
Here are some new properties near top primary schools in Singapore’s 1km radius that you might consider:
- The Reserve Residences (District 21): Near Pei Hwa Presbyterian and Methodist Girls’
- Bartley Vue (District 19): Near Maris Stella and Cedar Girls’
- K Suites (District 15): Near Tao Nan, Haig Girls’, and CHIJ (Katong)
2) Understand what you’re getting into
You might think that buying a house near a top school guarantees better appreciation, but it’s not always the case.
Take a closer look at condominiums within 1km of Princess Elizabeth Primary School, like Parc Oasis, The Mayfair, The Jade, and Le Quest. Despite what was mentioned in The Straits Times article, the appreciation rates aren’t significantly different from condos outside the 1km radius. In fact, despite a notable decline in sales in 2021, Le Quest in District 23 only experienced a 37 percent increase from 2022 to 2023.
However, this doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with buying near a top school. It can still provide decent rental income if you decide to rent it out in the future. But appreciation rates aren’t solely determined by proximity to schools. That’s why it’s essential to consider all the other important factors when buying or renting a house and find a solution that works best for you.
3) Targeting less dense regions
Another approach could be to consider schools in less densely populated areas.
This might boost your child’s chances of admission without the need to overspend on a home within the 1km radius of a top school, only to still face tough competition during the balloting phase.
Before buying or renting a house, analyse the subscription rates of the school. This data can give you an indication of the school’s popularity and the local population. Additionally, you can use tools like the Population Dashboard provided by the Singapore Land Authority and Department of Statistics to gain further insights into the population trends.
4) Popularity alone does not dictate primary school registration rates
According to multiple private ranking systems, Princess Elizabeth Primary School was not the most popular option in Singapore – so what made it the most subscribed school in 2023?
One possibility is the opening of new housing developments in the area. Take Le Quest, for instance, which was completed in 2020 and falls within the 1km radius of Princess Elizabeth Primary School. The influx of new families moving into the neighbourhood could have driven up school registrations.
But does this also mean property prices in the area have soared? Comparing the prices of houses in Le Quest with older properties like Parc Oasis reveals a significant increase in value. However, this rapid appreciation may not solely stem from parents seeking homes near the popular primary school; it could also be due to Singapore’s overall demand for quality housing.
One thing we can be sure of is that school popularity and subscription rates will fluctuate over time, especially with the introduction of new Phase 2C rules. This might prompt parents to explore different primary school options.
A study from 2017 found that most parents had positive experiences with their child’s school, regardless of its prestige. This suggests that parents eventually come to appreciate their child’s school, whether it’s considered prestigious or a typical neighbourhood school.
Securing a spot in a top primary school isn’t guaranteed, which is why the period from July to August can be stressful for many parents awaiting their child’s school allocation results. The only proactive step parents can take to improve their chances is to live within the 1km radius of the school – a strategy that many have employed, though not all have succeeded.
Wrapping up
When you’re trying to boost your child’s chances of getting into a top primary school, buying or renting a house can get tricky. How do you make this process smooth, especially if you’ve bought a new property for this very reason?
Planning ahead and doing thorough research are key.
If you need guidance, we’re here to help you navigate the complexities of the property market.
Aaron Goh
With over a decade of experience in the industry, Aaron has assisted many clients in optimising their real estate portfolios, be it buying, selling, or renting.
He has experience dealing with a variety of properties, from HDB, Private Landed and Private Non-landed to commercial and industrial properties.
He believes in delivering quality service and creates a seamless and excellent real estate journey for his clients by providing up-to-date market information and analysis.
A father of one, Aaron is also on a similar journey of getting his son into their school of choice.
This article was contributed by Aaron Goh. You may reach out to him at +65 9022 7055.
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