{"id":84321,"date":"2026-09-12T12:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T04:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84321"},"modified":"2026-09-12T12:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T04:12:00","slug":"new-rules-for-p1-registration-could-widen-home-search-for-parents-eyeing-popular-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84321","title":{"rendered":"New rules for P1 registration could widen home search for parents eyeing popular schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"text-primary article-summary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE &#8211; <!-- -->Parents hoping to get their children into 12 sought-after primary schools might now cast their property search wider, following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/parenting-education\/more-primary-1-places-for-phase-2c-12-schools-to-reserve-spots-for-children-living-further-away?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">new rules that will set aside spots for children<\/span><\/a> who live more than 2km away from the school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">But property analysts do not expect demand for homes near these schools to drop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Many of the 12 schools are located in prime districts \u2013 such as Bukit Timah and Marine Parade \u2013 that remain popular among buyers for reasons beyond their proximity to schools, said Eugene Lim, key executive officer of property agency ERA Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at property firm Realion (OrangeTee &amp; ETC) Group, added that demand within 2km of these schools may remain firm, as parents may perceive that they face less competition in this pool, compared with the islandwide pool for those living farther away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHowever, the robust demand is not likely to cause prices to escalate, as parents will not need to live as close to the school as possible now,\u201d Sun said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">From the 2027 Primary 1 registration exercise, 12 schools will adopt a two-track system under Phase 2C,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/parenting-education\/primary-1-changes-could-improve-diversity-in-popular-schools-but-increase-competition-say-observers?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\"> with 30 places reserved for children living within 2km of the school and another 30 for those living farther away.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">These schools were picked because public housing makes up less than 40 per cent of homes within a 2km radius from the school, with the aim to widen access to schools and improve social mixing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"portrait inline-media-wrapper\" style=\"--aspect-article-portrait:960 \/ 1078\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/3657764b47bc2440e5955d38e3a2ba61711e43367462a68972265c81d87e06e5?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/3657764b47bc2440e5955d38e3a2ba61711e43367462a68972265c81d87e06e5?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px and max-width: 3999px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/3657764b47bc2440e5955d38e3a2ba61711e43367462a68972265c81d87e06e5?w=900\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 4000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/3657764b47bc2440e5955d38e3a2ba61711e43367462a68972265c81d87e06e5\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/3657764b47bc2440e5955d38e3a2ba61711e43367462a68972265c81d87e06e5\" alt=\"\" class=\"aspect-portrait flex items-start shrink-0 portrait article-portrait object-contain mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Phase 2C is for children without prior ties to the school and where the distance between the child\u2019s home and school plays a role in admission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">However, for the 12 selected schools, home-school distance will not be considered within each track, meaning that a child living within 1km of the school will have no priority over another living between 1km and 2km.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For almost all schools \u2013 except those with smaller intakes \u2013 the number of places reserved for Phase 2C will increase from 40 to 60. Any vacancies left from earlier phases will also be added to Phase 2C.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Wong Siew Ying, head of research and content at property agency PropNex, felt it is too early to tell how these changes will affect the property market, but said there may be a \u201cslight moderation or redistribution of school-driven demand\u201d around the 12 schools.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It could reduce the incentive for some families to pay a premium to live within the immediate 1km or 2km radius for registration purposes, she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The 12 schools are: Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) (Junior); ACS Primary; CHIJ (Katong) Primary; Methodist Girls\u2019 School (Primary); Nanyang Primary School; Ngee Ann Primary School; Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School; Raffles Girls\u2019 Primary School; Singapore Chinese Girls\u2019 Primary School; St Margaret\u2019s School (Primary); Tanjong Katong Primary School; and Tao Nan School.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at real estate agency Huttons Asia, said the new system could widen the geographical area for those looking to buy a home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cThe demand for homes near popular schools will remain but it will widen to a bigger radius,\u201d he said. \u201cThe ideal distance may be between 3km and 4km, which translates to a travelling time of 10 to 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Lee identified several HDB towns about 2km to 4km from the 12 schools that could become practical housing alternatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For ACS (Junior), these include Toa Payoh, Kallang\/Whampoa and Bukit Merah, while families eyeing Nanyang Primary School could look at Queenstown, said Lee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The four popular schools in the east could potentially draw families living in Bedok and Marine Parade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">But Wong noted that once an applicant lives beyond 2km of one of the 12 schools, the home location does not provide an advantage under the new track.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe would not describe any particular HDB town as a direct beneficiary of this change,\u201d said Wong.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"portrait inline-media-wrapper\" style=\"--aspect-article-portrait:1080 \/ 1440\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/9e8a14676455c145c183871e8c277a0a208b623b494f860ac6126785515591ef?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/9e8a14676455c145c183871e8c277a0a208b623b494f860ac6126785515591ef?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px and max-width: 3999px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/9e8a14676455c145c183871e8c277a0a208b623b494f860ac6126785515591ef?w=900\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 4000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/9e8a14676455c145c183871e8c277a0a208b623b494f860ac6126785515591ef\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/9e8a14676455c145c183871e8c277a0a208b623b494f860ac6126785515591ef\" alt=\"\" class=\"aspect-portrait flex items-start shrink-0 portrait article-portrait object-contain mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Still, the change could give families a wider range of housing options, depending on how far they are prepared to live from one of the 12 schools.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHDB flats could remain the more economical choice, as their median prices are notably lower than those of comparable-sized condominium units in the same area,\u201d said Lim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For example, the median resale price of a condominium of between 900 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft in Marine Parade is $2.13 million, compared with the median resale price of a four-room HDB flat at $632,500 in 2026, ERA data showed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In Bedok, it was $1.43 million for a resale condo, compared with $600,000 for a resale four-room flat. For Toa Payoh, the median resale price of a four-room HDB flat is half the price of a resale condo between 900 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">These are townwide medians, and do not represent the prices of flats at specific distances from the 12 schools.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">A Realion Research study of resale condominiums found some condos near popular schools saw a higher price increment compared with their district average. This means their prices appreciated more than their counterparts in the vicinity, said Sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For example, prices of units within 1km of Nanyang Primary School rose 18.2 per cent between the first half of 2022 and the first half of 2026, compared with a 12.4 per cent rise for the wider District 10 (Tanglin, Holland, and Bukit Timah).<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The fastest growth was observed for resale condos near Rosyth School, which grew 46.8 per cent. Prices of resale condos near Nan Chiau Primary School, Maris Stella High School and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School grew by over 30 per cent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Only one of these schools \u2013 Pei Hwa Presbyterian \u2013 is in the list of 12.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Looking ahead, Sun said new growth areas with many new Build-To-Order flats could also benefit from the Phase 2C changes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For instance, families in Mount Pleasant could consider schools such as Raffles Girls\u2019 Primary and Singapore Chinese Girls\u2019 Primary. Those in Bayshore could apply for Tao Nan School, said Sun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/housing\/new-rules-for-p1-registration-could-widen-home-search-for-parents-eyeing-popular-schools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE &#8211; Parents hoping to get their children into 12 sought-after primary schools might now cast their property search wider, following new rules that will&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/84322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=84321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=84321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}