Singapore is famous for a lot of things like cleanliness, street food, and ease of doing business. Another thing that Singapore is famous for is the quality of education provided in the country. Singapore's education system is considered amongst the best in the world. It offers a lot of different programs for students and prepares them for their professional lives from a very young age.
Like everywhere else in the world, the first step in the education ladder in Singapore is your "Primary School." There are over 180 schools in Singapore, and they all have their own strengths. The school you choose will lay the foundation for your child's education. So parents are very serious about selecting the right school for their kids.
To help parents make a decision, here is a list of schools that that is the most popular in 2023.
Rank |
Primary School |
Popularity |
1 |
Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School |
255% |
2 |
Gongshang Primary School |
197% |
3 |
Riverside Primary School |
153% |
4 |
Red Swastika School |
147% |
5 |
Punggol Green Primary School |
146% |
6 |
Princess Elizabeth Primary School |
143% |
7 |
Westwood Primary School |
139% |
8 |
Ai Tong School |
133% |
9 |
Frontier Primary School |
131% |
Oasis Primary School |
||
10 |
Methodist Girls’ School (Primary Section) |
129% |
11 |
Temasek Primary School |
127% |
12 |
Punggol View Primary School |
126% |
West Spring Primary School |
||
13 |
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School (Primary Section) |
124% |
14 |
Chongzheng Primary School |
122% |
Pei Chun Public School |
||
South View Primary School |
||
15 |
Rulang Primary School |
119% |
16 |
Holy Innocents’ Primary School |
117% |
17 |
Horizon Primary School |
116% |
18 |
Radin Mas Primary School |
113% |
19 |
Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) |
111% |
20 |
Northland Primary School |
103% |
Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary) |
||
Wellington Primary School |
||
21 |
Yu Neng Primary School |
102% |
22 |
Sengkang Green Primary School |
91% |
23 |
Pasir Ris Primary School |
89% |
24 |
Yangzheng Primary School |
88% |
25 |
Chongfu School |
86% |
26 |
Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) |
85% |
27 |
Admiralty Primary School |
84% |
28 |
Maris Stella High School (Primary Section) |
83% |
Xinmin Primary School |
||
29 |
Keming Primary School |
82% |
30 |
Fern Green Primary School |
79% |
31 |
CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) |
78% |
Dazhong Primary School |
||
32 |
Waterway Primary School |
77% |
33 |
River Valley Primary School |
75% |
Springdale Primary School |
||
34 |
Tampines Primary School |
74% |
35 |
Bukit Panjang Primary School |
69% |
36 |
Kong Hwa School |
68% |
37 |
Valour Primary School |
67% |
38 |
Zhenghua Primary School |
66% |
39 |
Huamin Primary School |
65% |
40 |
Maha Bodhi School |
64% |
Punggol Cove Primary School |
||
41 |
Jing Shan Primary School |
63% |
42 |
Anderson Primary School |
61% |
Fengshan Primary School |
||
43 |
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School |
58% |
Naval Base Primary School |
||
Shuqun Primary School |
||
44 |
St. Andrew’s Junior School |
56% |
45 |
Telok Kurau Primary School |
55% |
West View Primary School |
||
46 |
Jurong Primary School |
53% |
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) |
||
Woodgrove Primary School |
||
47 |
St. Anthony’s Primary School |
52% |
St. Joseph’s Institution Junior |
||
48 |
Tanjong Katong Primary School |
49% |
49 |
Jiemin Primary School |
48% |
Punggol Primary School |
||
50 |
Chua Chu Kang Primary School |
47% |
51 |
Junyuan Primary School |
45% |
52 |
Anchor Green Primary School |
44% |
North Vista Primary School |
||
Woodlands Primary School |
||
53 |
Fuhua Primary School |
41% |
54 |
Casuarina Primary School |
40% |
Fernvale Primary School |
||
55 |
Hong Wen School |
38% |
56 |
Qifa Primary School |
37% |
57 |
Jurong West Primary School |
36% |
Nan Chiau Primary School |
||
58 |
CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel |
35% |
Meridian Primary School |
||
59 |
Kranji Primary School |
34% |
60 |
CHIJ (Katong) Primary |
33% |
St. Gabriel’s Primary School |
||
61 |
Geylang Methodist School (Primary) |
32% |
62 |
Lakeside Primary School |
30% |
Poi Ching School |
||
Rivervale Primary School |
||
St. Margaret’s Primary School |
||
63 |
Ngee Ann Primary School |
29% |
64 |
Mee Toh School |
28% |
Pei Tong Primary School |
||
65 |
Canberra Primary School |
27% |
Concord Primary School |
||
Haig Girls’ School |
||
Mayflower Primary School |
||
Peiying Primary School |
||
Yishun Primary School |
||
66 |
Elias Park Primary School |
25% |
67 |
Zhangde Primary School |
24% |
68 |
Canossa Catholic Primary School |
23% |
Farrer Park Primary School |
||
Greendale Primary School |
||
69 |
Queenstown Primary School |
22% |
70 |
Evergreen Primary School |
21% |
Northshore Primary School |
||
71 |
Woodlands Ring Primary School |
20% |
72 |
CHIJ Our Lady of The Nativity |
18% |
Si Ling Primary School |
||
White Sands Primary School |
||
Yumin Primary School |
||
73 |
De La Salle School |
17% |
East Spring Primary School |
||
Greenridge Primary School |
||
Park View Primary School |
||
Teck Ghee Primary School |
||
74 |
Bedok Green Primary School |
16% |
Edgefield Primary School |
||
Innova Primary School |
||
Qihua Primary School |
||
Xingnan Primary School |
||
Xishan Primary School |
||
75 |
Blangah Rise Primary School |
15% |
Compassvale Primary School |
||
Kheng Cheng School |
||
North View Primary School |
||
Sembawang Primary School |
||
76 |
Alexandra Primary School |
14% |
Cedar Primary School |
||
CHIJ (Kellock) |
||
Montfort Junior School |
||
Opera Estate Primary School |
||
Unity Primary School |
||
West Grove Primary School |
||
77 |
Ang Mo Kio Primary School |
13% |
Marsiling Primary School |
||
St. Stephen’s School |
||
Tampines North Primary School |
||
78 |
Angsana Primary School |
12% |
Changkat Primary School |
||
Clementi Primary School |
||
Fuchun Primary School |
||
Hougang Primary School |
||
Townsville Primary School |
||
Yuhua Primary School |
||
79 |
Palm View Primary School |
10% |
Teck Whye Primary School |
||
Zhonghua Primary School |
||
80 |
Beacon Primary School |
9% |
81 |
Bukit Timah Primary School |
8% |
First Toa Payoh Primary School |
||
North Spring Primary School |
||
82 |
Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School |
7% |
Bukit View Primary School |
||
Endeavour Primary School |
||
Greenwood Primary School |
||
83 |
Bendemeer Primary School |
6% |
Boon Lay Garden Primary School |
||
Corporation Primary School |
||
Damai Primary School |
||
Lianhua Primary School |
||
St. Anthony’s Canossian Primary School |
||
Xinghua Primary School |
||
Yio Chu Kang Primary School |
||
84 |
CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace |
5% |
Marymount Convent School |
||
Yew Tee Primary School |
||
85 |
Gan Eng Seng Primary School |
4% |
Northoaks Primary School |
||
Seng Kang Primary School |
||
86 |
Cantonment Primary School |
3% |
New Town Primary School |
School Rankings in Singapore
The Ministry of Education in Singapore doesn't release an official ranking for the schools. So it is up to the parents to think and choose which school would be the best for their kids. They look at factors like the academic performance, infrastructure, and teaching methodology of different schools in order to select the right one for their child.
Some parents also tend to go for popularity as they believe the more popular the school, the better it is for their kids. However, the elementary school tutor and writer for PapersOwl argues that many popular schools do not provide children with the necessary level of knowledge, and as a result, most student get personal tutors or go to additional classes. Schools usually get their popularity because of high academic results, so it seems like an excellent option to go for the more popular schools in the city-state. However, this isn't always true. Parents should always look at different factors and then see which school resonates with their child's personality and interests and then choose that school.
There are many different factors that parents consider when it comes to choosing the right school for their child. Let's take a look at some of those factors.
Parents all over the world can relate to this. When you put your kid in a popular school, then you expect good results from them. Therefore, the popularity of the school is a significant deciding factor. The problem with going to the more popular school is that it often tends to be very crowded, and teachers may not be able to emphasize individual growth.
Another factor that parents consider is the facilities provided by the school. This includes things like their computer labs, their library, quality food, etc. The facilities available at the school affect your child's learning experience and outside growth as well.
One thing that's very important for gifted kids is to encourage their special skills. So schools with GEP programs are more popular among parents. This is because the schools give extra attention to students with a high level of intelligence and help them develop it further. In addition, these schools usually have smaller class sizes, so the student gets more individual attention from the teachers.
Considering if you should enroll your child in GEP, we have some advice for you in this article.
A special assistance plan helps children who are not doing well in academics and need more help than the average student. Many schools offer these plans to their students for free or at a discounted price. So if you want your child to receive this kind of special care, then choose a school that offers these kinds of plans to its students.
This is another important factor that parents should know about. Every year, National School Games take place in Singapore, and many schools participate in it. Students from different levels (primary and secondary) take part in it and show their talent at such a young age. This is an important opportunity for these kids to get noticed by the people who matter, so it is better to choose a school which regularly takes part in the event.
Another important factor that parents tend to care about is the availability of co-curricular activities in the school. Co-curricular activity refers to extracurricular activities for students. These are things like sports, dance, music, etc. The more CCA options the school provides, the better it is for your child. Likewise, the more active learning methods they use, the better it is for your kid.
If your kid is interested in arts and crafts, then this is the factor to look for. Every year different schools participate in the Youth Festival Arts Presentation. If your kid wants to have a career in arts, then you can choose a school that performs exceptionally well at this event. This is an important opportunity for parents as they can judge how a certain school will help in the growth and development of your child's skills.
Choosing the best school for your kids in Singapore will not depend on only one factor but a collection of different aspects. We are going to go through some of the important factors that will help you choose the right school for your kids.
When you talk about the best school in Singapore, it is very important to consider one of the most important factors parents usually care about. This factor does not depend upon your child's learning qualities but also on their social skills.
So should parents send their kids to a single-sex school, or should they go to a co-ed school?
Many people believe that it is better for parents to choose a co-ed school for their kids as it can help with their social development and give a boost to their confidence levels. But there are also some parents who believe that single-sex schools will help kids in their future learning and professional development. It usually depends on the culture and traditions in the family.
We have an article on this, read it here.
The distance of the school from your home should also be considered by parents when they are looking for a good school for their child. The more you will have to travel every day, the less time you will spend with your friends and family after school hours. So this is yet another important factor that parents should consider when choosing a school for their kids. If you are planning to find a new home to stay so as to be closer to your desired school, read our article on choosing the best location for schooling purposes.
Every school has its own culture and tradition. Parents should choose a culture that will fit their kid's personality. For example, if you want your child to be an introvert, you should definitely avoid schools with extrovert cultures, as this can cause trouble for them at such a young age. It is very important for parents to choose a school culture that will help their kids' personalities grow.
The affiliation of a primary school with a secondary school is very important because not only does this mean that your child will get quality education from primary school to secondary school, but affiliated schools will help your child in getting admission in the secondary school once they are done with primary school. The admission process can be very difficult for some of the schools. However, if your child's primary school is affiliated with a secondary school, then it would be easy for them to get admission.
You need to teach your child how to cope with their disabilities. So if you have a kid who needs special education help, then you should definitely find the best school in Singapore which provides them with special care. If you fail to give special care to kids with learning disabilities, it can negatively affect their self-esteem and confidence levels. This is why parents need to pick schools that offer special education services according to the disability level of their children. There are many private schools that provide this kind of service, but they also cost more than regular schools.
The primary school in Singapore can be divided into four different categories, which are as follows;
No matter the primary school, your child will always have to take the PSLE to move on to the secondary school
Government schools have a standardized fee structure and provide quality education to children. Singapore's public schools are famous for their quality education. These schools follow a national syllabus.
Different communities and organizations set up these schools with the help of the government. One common example is the government-aided schools that started in partnership with the Christian community, like the Catholics Primary School. So there are many different government-aided schools in Singapore.
These schools are set up by private communities or individuals and not by the government. They have a good fee structure that is usually expensive compared to government schools or aided schools. They also have the liberty to set up their own syllabus and programs. The quality of education in Government schools is so good that many people tend to prefer government schools over independent or private schools.
These schools are especially for children with different kinds of special education needs. These kids require more individualized attention from their teachers, and this is why they require specialized educational institutions where they can learn according to their abilities and disabilities. This is why the specialized independent schools have a good quality of teaching, highly trained teachers, and a unique curriculum to suit their needs.
The fee of the primary school is an important deciding factor. However, even if the school offers high standard education, it does not matter much if you cannot afford to pay their fees. So before selecting a school for your child, make sure that they are affordable for you so that your child gets a quality education without having to worry too much about the expenses.
The fee you are going to pay for school in Singapore is going to depend on the school you choose. Another significant factor that will determine your school fees is going to be your residential status in the city-state. Government schools are usually less expensive than independent schools, and they have a fixed fee set by the government. However, independent schools are allowed to set up their own fee structure, which is why they are usually more expensive.
If you are a Singapore citizen, then you will pay the least amount of money; the school fees are going to be higher for permanent residents and even higher for international students. The difference in fees for the citizens and international students is remarkable, and this happens across the board with all types of schools in Singapore.
A Singaporean citizen does not have to pay monthly fees for primary school education. However, every student will still be charged a monthly miscellaneous fee of $6.5. Meanwhile, permanent residents have to pay $255 per month for primary school in 2023.
An international student must pay between $515 to $875 for primary school, depending on whether they belong to an ASEAN country or not. The standard miscellaneous fees also apply to permanent residents and international students.
Yes, you can get financial support from the government for education in Singapore. It can also depend on your school itself, your residence status, and the type of education you want. There are different financial assistance programs along with merit-based scholarships for children who wish to have a quality education but don't have the means to afford it.
Read more about the edusave scholarship award here.
It is necessary for all Singapore citizens to apply for P1 registration for their kids if they want to enroll their children in a primary school in this country. This registration is mandatory unless your kid has been exempted in special circumstances or received a deferment.
Permanent residents and international students can also apply for P1, but registration is not compulsory for them. The process will register your kid for getting admission to mainstream primary schools in Singapore in the coming year.
Remember you must choose a primary school for your kid before registering for P1. The process will be conducted in different phases, so you must know their dates.
It is no secret that primary school for your child in Singapore will begin when they turn seven. This is why the P1 registration process for your kid will begin a half year before. So if you had a kid between 2nd January 2017 to 1st January 2018, you could register them this year to start their primary school in 2024.
The best thing is that the government has made it easier to check eligibility for registration through an eligibility checker. You can insert the correct birthdate of your child to know whether they can enter primary school in 2024 or not.
There is not much time left for the beginning of the P1 registration exercise this year. The process will start on 4th July 2023, and end on 18th August 2023. You can apply for different phases of registration during this period.
Remember you must meet at least one requirement of the specific registration phase before applying. If you don't meet the eligibility requirements, you cannot register your kid to start primary school in 2024.
The main feature of each phase is that you can only apply for one primary school. Here are the various phases of P1 registration and their key dates:
This phase is mainly for a kid with a sibling who is currently studying in a primary school in Singapore. If your young one has older siblings who are studying in this country, you can register your kid in this phase. All eligible applicants in this stage will be offered a place in a primary school.
The registration process for this phase begins on 4th July 2023 at 9 am. You must apply before 4:30 pm on 5th July 2023 to ensure your kid is registered in this stage. The results for this phase will be uploaded on the online portal one week later, on 11th July 2023.
The 2A phase for students meeting various eligibility requirements. If a kid has a parent or sibling who studied in a specific primary school, they can register in this phase. Children with siblings or a parent in the alumni association of that school are also eligible for this phase.
You can also register your child in this phase if you're a School Advisory or Management Committee member. Kids with a parent who is a staff member of a primary school are also covered by Phase 2A.
The registration process for 2A will begin on 12th July 2023 at 9 am. It will end on 14th July 2023 at 4:30 pm. The results for this stage will be released on 21st July 2023.
Phase 2B is mainly for three types of eligible kids. If you joined the relevant primary school as a parent volunteer before 1st July 2022 (the year before Primary 1 registration) and have at least 40 hours of voluntary service in that school, you can register your kid in this phase. Remember you must complete these hours before 30th June 2023 (the year of registration).
Children with parents who are endorsed by a clan or church that is directly affiliated with the specific primary school are also eligible for Phase 2B. The final type of kid who can register for this phase is one with a parent with an active community leader status.
However, you can only register your kid in schools that are within 2 kilometers of your house if they’re eligible because of your leader status. It is also necessary to stay at that address for 30 months from the beginning of the exercise to prevent your child from being transferred to another institute.
You can register your kid for Phase 2B on 24th July 2023 at 9 am. The registration process will end on 25th July 2023 at 4:30 pm. Results will be available on 31st July 2023.
Another thing you must note is that the government will reserve 20 places in every mainstream primary school for this phase. So there is tough competition for your kid to get into the school of your choice through this phase due to limited seats.
Phase 2C is only for kids who have not been registered in a primary school yet. Children who do not meet the requirements of the earlier phases can register in this stage. Every primary school in Singapore will have 40 seats for students registered in Phase 2C.
Permanent residents can apply at this stage, but there will be a capacity limit for these students in various schools. This is to ensure that there will be enough seats for the country's citizens.
The registration process for this phase will begin on 1st August 2023 at 9 am. It will finish on 3rd August 2023 at 4:30 pm. The results will be announced on 15th August.
This is an optional phase that is mainly for students who have not been admitted into a primary school after the 2C stage. Permanent residents will again face a restriction on intake capacity to prevent a high concentration of such kids in a specific primary school.
You can register your child for this phase starting from 17th August 2023 to 18th August 2023. The portal will be open from 9 am to 4:30 pm between these dates. Remember, the waiting time for results is greater for this phase.
The results will be announced on 29th August 2023 for the 2C supplementary phase.
Every parent wants their kid to go to a reputable institute, which is why you may have only specific schools in mind. However, it is not always possible to get admission into a school of your choice. Balloting mainly occurs when the number of registration applications is greater than the number of empty seats in primary schools.
This mainly happens between when Phase 2A to 2C. A computerized system is used for balloting to offer every child an equal chance of getting into a specific primary school. Admissions are prioritized in a specific order.
Singapore citizens who live within one kilometer of that school are the first choice during the process. Then, citizens who live within 2 kilometers of the school are prioritized. Singapore citizens outside the 2-kilometer radius are the main choice after the earlier students.
Once the country’s citizens are done, permanent residents are offered admission in the same distance order.
You are allowed to change the preferred primary school for your kid, but it will require you to delete the first registration. This will allow you to submit a new application to a different school. Remember, this is only possible if the registration portal is still open.
Once you have submitted your registration and the phase has ended, you cannot change the school.
All parents are allowed to apply for different phases of P1 registration if their child meets the requirements. However, you cannot apply for a different phase if you have gotten a place in a primary school in an earlier phase unless you delete the previous registration.
This means if your child got admission to a school in the 2A phase, but you want them to go to a different school through the 2B phase, you will have to withdraw their admission through the P1 portal successfully.
Singapore citizens and permanent residents can apply for phases one and two of the P1 registration process for admission. International citizens are prioritized at the end of Phase 3.
Phase 3 is a separate two-step process in which you have to fill out an online form for your interested school that will allow you to register later. You will be notified through email in October about whether you have been admitted into a school or not.
The submissions of the online form for Phase 3 have already taken place from 30th May 2023 to 5th June 2023. If you didn’t submit a form for your child during this period, you cannot register for Phase 3.
The quality of education in Singapore is remarkably high; however, the tricky part is selecting the right school for your child. With so many different schools in the city-state (and all offering quality education), it can be challenging to identify the right school for your child. However, these factors can help you choose the right school for your child that resonates with their personality and one that can help them grow both personally and academically.