All You Need To Know About Secondary 1 Posting

Transitioning from primary to secondary school is a big step for children. Students have to sit for the PSLE, which then determines the secondary schools they have been granted admission. However, the S1 posting is a change that has been newly implemented by the MOE in 2021.

Here is your complete guide to S1 posting so that you can help make this transition easier for your child.

 

How The PSLE School Posting System Works

Before you start this process, you need to comprehend how it works thoroughly. Firstly, your child will have to indicate at least six different secondary schools' choices in order of preference.

If two students have indicated the same school as their priority, then the student that has the higher PSLE aggregate will be given preference. The other student will instead be considered for the second choice in his preference list.

So, all students will be posted in schools, depending on their order of preference. The posting depends on the seats in the school as well. If there are no vacancies, the student will be considered for the next option on the list.

Before you enter your 6 choices, check out the Secondary School Rankings here.

 

Changes In The Secondary 1 Posting System

As 2021 starts, new changes will be implemented in the S1 posting system. The citizenship consideration will remain the same. The first priority will remain of Singaporeans, the second priority will be permanent residents, and then international students.

On the other hand, if two or more students have the same citizenship status, then the order of preference will be used as a tie-breaker. That means that the student who ranks a specific school high on his preference list will be given the spot.

For example, students A and B are both Singapore Citizens, and they want to get into School Y. However, student A put school Y as his second choice, and student B put school Y as his third choice. Naturally, student A will be given the spot. 

Before this change was implemented, the outcome of posting was determined through the use of computerized balloting. The new change also states that if the citizenship status and order of preference are the same, then the outcome will be determined using computerized balloting.

So, in short, the new system emphasizes the order of preference, as that plays a significant role in your child's S1 posting. The recent change is implemented so that parents can be encouraged to look at more than just the school's cut-off points. The MOE wants parents to consider other things such as the environment, programs, and the culture of the school.

 

The Secondary 1 Posting Exercise

The secondary school posting is a significant task and is known as a posting exercise. The exercise takes place in 3 phases. Here is everything you need to know about each phase:

Phase 1: The Option Phase

The first and most crucial step is to submit the list of your secondary school options in order of preference. The submission is to be made after the PSLE results have been released to the public.

Primary 6 students eligible for transition to secondary school will receive their PSLE results along with an S1 option form and eligibility letter. The S1 option form will include a unique password that you can use to submit the schools' list via the S1-IS (S1 internet system).

You will only be allowed to submit six names of schools in order of preference on your list. You will also be given an eligibility letter with the form. It will provide you with a list of eligibilities that your child is eligible for. It includes:

- Express / Normal Academic course or Normal (Academic) / Normal (Technical) course

- Third Language (CSP), Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese

You may submit a list of your eligibilities during the option phase. Once everything is done, you need to access the S1-IS and retain a copy of the verification slip once you have submitted your options list. If you don't get the slip, then that means you have not submitted the list correctly. Try again and make sure you have the slip.

 

Phase 2: School Posting

The second phase is all about school posting. It takes into account three things before allocating a spot to your child in a specific school. That includes:

- The PSLE results

- Your order of preference

- Vacancies available in the school

The students are posted based on their merit and their preference. If your child has a better aggregate score, he will be considered first for admission to his preferred school.

That is why it is essential to thoroughly think about the secondary school choices and then add them to your list.

 

Phase 3: Secondary School Posting Results Release

In this phase, your wait will be over. You will finally be told the school your child has been allocated to. The results of the postings are usually posted in the middle of December.

Once the results have been posted, the students need to report to their allocated secondary school posting on the next working day. Children need to wear their primary school uniform, they need to have their PSLE result slip, and they need to bring their report book on the first day.

There are three ways you can check the posting result. These include:

1. The S1-IS
2. SMS
3. The primary school of your child

Once your child's posting has been done, you can contact the school or the MOE for further details on what you need to do as the rules keep on changing.

 

How To Decide A Secondary School For Your Preference List

During all these phases, the hardest decision is to make your preference list and come up with a list of secondary school options for your child. The list and PSLE results are given the highest importance, so you need to ensure you have the right school on it.

Here are the various things you can take into account to make your decision:

#1. Learning Environment Of The School

Every student learns differently. If you want to maximize your child's learning journey, you need to take into account the teaching style of the schools on your list. Not all schools are good at teaching everything.

Some may be stronger in the area of sciences, while others may be teaching humanities better. It would be best if you considered what your child wants to study and what his/her learning style is. Doing this will give you a better list of choices that suit your needs.

#2. Programs Offered

If you want to make an informed decision, you need to research the school's website and check the courses and programs. It would help if you also researched the co-curricular activities (CCAs) being offered.

Not every school offers table tennis, orchestra, swimming, and Chinese even though they are the most sought-after. To make the best decision for your child, you need to take into account both CCAs and subjects offered by the school.

There are also special programmes such the MEP - Music and Art Elective Programme which only a handful of schools offer them

Some schools don't even offer certain subject combinations, so be sure to check that out too before making a decision.

#3. School Culture

The culture of the school can make or break the experience of your child in secondary school. Every school has a different culture and set of values that you need to research beforehand.

The best way to approach this is to ask people who have already sent their kids to the school.

They will provide you with first-hand knowledge of what the culture is like. That way, you can decide if it is the best environment you want your child to be around or not.

#4. Affiliation With JCs

The affiliation factor is something many parents miss while making their decision. Remember, after secondary school, your child will go to a JC. Of course, you will want them to get into a good JC as well.

That is why it is essential to research the affiliations the secondary school has with JCs.

Doing this can help you choose the secondary school for your child that is affiliated with your preferred JC.

The affiliated JCs will allow the students of the secondary school to minus two points to their L1R5. Only parents that look at the bigger picture take the affiliations into account. So, if you want to map out a road for your child filled with excellent schools, then you need to make your current decisions by taking into account future considerations as well.

 

Final Words

That was your complete guide to the S1 posting for your child. The process is simple and easy, and you have to go through these three phases to ensure that your child gets into their preferred secondary school.

Of course, the decision is never easy, and that is why you need to take into account the considerations mentioned above before you make your preference list. Once you do and your child's PSLE score is excellent, they will have no problem getting into the school of their dreams.

 

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Helping your child transition from primary to secondary school