SINGAPORE – Twenty-nine primary schools will conduct balloting for places in Phase 2B, the latest stage in the Primary 1 registration process in 2025.

These 29 schools are among 33 that are oversubscribed, meaning they received more applications than there were vacancies.

Tao Nan School in Marine Parade is the most oversubscribed in Phase 2B, with 63 applicants vying for 20 spots.

This is followed by Ai Tong School in Bishan, which has 62 applicants, and Nanyang Primary School in Bukit Timah, which has 53 applicants. Both schools are each offering 20 spots .

The Ministry of Education (MOE) updated the latest registration figures on its website on July 24 for Phase 2B, which ended on July 22 at 4.30pm. Results for this phase will be out on July 28.

MOE said that 81.6 per cent of its schools will not be conducting balloting.

Phase 2B is for parent volunteers at the school, parents endorsed by the church or clan directly connected to the school, or those endorsed as active community leaders.

At this point of the exercise in 2024, 26 schools conducted ballots.

Of the 29 schools going through a ballot this year, 26 will do so for children who are Singapore citizens residing within 1km of the school.

Maha Bodhi School and Admiralty Primary School will be conducting balloting for children who are Singaporean citizens residing between 1km and 2km of the school.

Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) will be holding a ballot for children who are Singaporean citizens residing outside 2km of the school.

The remaining four schools that are also oversubscribed will not be holding a ballot because there are enough vacancies for all applicants up to a certain priority category.

These schools are St Joseph’s Institution Junior, Frontier Primary School, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, and Wellington Primary School.

In oversubscribed schools, priority admission is given to children in this order:

Singapore citizen children living within 1km of the school

Singapore citizen children living between 1km and 2km from the school

Singapore citizen children living more than 2km from the school

Permanent resident (PR) children living within 1km of the school

PR children living between 1km and 2km from the school

PR children living more than 2km from the school

Phase 2B has 20 reserved spots at each school, while the next phase, 2C, has 40 reserved spots.

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These places are reserved for children with no sibling currently in the school, or with no prior connection to the school.

There will be vacancies in all 179 schools in Phase 2C.

From 2022, MOE has reserved 60 places for Phases 2B and 2C at the start of the Primary 1 registration exercise to ensure schools remain accessible to as many children as possible.

If there are vacancies left from earlier phases, one-third will be allocated to Phase 2B and two-thirds to Phase 2C.

MOE also noted there is a cap on the intake of PR children in a few schools during Phase 2C and 2C Supplementary.

There are 182 primary schools in Singapore, with 179 open for registration in 2025. 

Kranji Primary School will not be admitting Primary 1 pupils from 2024 to 2026, ahead of its planned move to Tengah in 2028.

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Townsville Primary School and Damai Primary School will also stop Primary 1 admissions from 2025 to 2027, as they prepare to relocate in 2029 to Sembawang and Tampines North, respectively.

Registration for Phase 2C, which is open to children with no prior links to the schools, will open at 9am on July 29, and close at 4.30pm on July 31. Results for this phase will be out on Aug 12.