Top 11 Primary Schools in Singapore and Properties in the Area

Getting a good head start is very important, especially for Singapore parents who only want the best for their children, i.e. playing classical music to the little embryo, purchasing toys marketed for brain development and going to great lengths to get their kid into a good primary school.

You’re not the only one who’s toying with the idea of moving house just to be near your kids’ preferred primary school. Mr Andrew Nair, Associate Division Director at ERA Realty Network, notes that this is a growing trend typically caused by two situations — when families need to be near the school to get a better chance of scoring a place, and families that need to reduce commute time for the child.

That’s right. One hack to get your child into a good primary school — especially one with high competition — is to make sure you are living nearby (the closer the better; even better if you are an alumnus to boot).

This is not some random rumour but a fact. According to the Ministry of Education, “priority is given to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who live closer to the preferred school when balloting”.

Priority admission is given in this order:

1. Singapore Citizens (SC) living within 1km of the school.
2. SCs living between 1km and 2km of the school.
3. SCs living outside 2km of the school.
4. Permanent Residents (PR) living within 1km of the school.
5. PRs living between 1km and 2km of the school.
6. PRs living outside 2km of the school.

Source: MOE

If you’re planning for kids or if your little one is barely out of the womb, it’s time to start strategising and to find a property closest to your preferred school(s). 

 Top 11 Primary Schools in Singapore

Here is a list of the ‘top 11 primary schools in Singapore’ and some of the projects closest (by distance) to them — all within 1km of course, to increase your chances of snagging a place in the school.

By all means, this is not a definitive list. This list is based on general popularity and compiled from other lists online; schools are listed in alphabetical order.

 Ai Tong School

Ai Tong School, located in the Bishan area, is both centrally located and a well-established school (started in 1912). The co-ed government-aided Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school is extremely close to Bishan Point condo, but you’re also well within walking distance (literally just 5 minutes’ walk) in the surrounding HDB estate at 441 Sin Ming Avenue and the landed housing area at Fulton Hill.

Projects within 1km:

• Bishan Point (98m)
• Fulton Hill (145m)
• HDB 441 Sin Ming Avenue (177m)

 Bishan Point

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2005
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $1,100,000 ~ $1,800,000 (last transacted: $1.10M in Apr 2018)
• Nearby MRT Stations: Marymount (Circle Line), Bright Hill (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line), Upper Thomson (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at Bishan Point now.

 Fulton Hill

• Type of project: Terraced House, freehold
• TOP: 1970
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $3,900,000 (last transacted: $2.78M in Mar 2019)
• Nearby MRT Stations: Marymount (Circle Line), Bright Hill (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line), Upper Thomson (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at Fulton Hill now.

 HDB 441 Sin Ming Avenue

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1988
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: S$ 1,050,000 (last transacted: $570k in Dec 2020)
• Nearby MRT Stations: Marymount (Circle Line), Bright Hill (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line), Upper Thomson (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at 441 Sin Ming Avenue now.

 Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)

Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) — not to be mixed up with Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) — is located in the Central area, near Newton MRT at Winstedt Road. The government-aided boys’ primary school is close to projects such as Cavenagh Court apartments, as well as the upcoming Kopar At Newton and The Atelier condos. Not to mention, it’s also walking distance to the famous Newton Food Centre.

Projects within 1km:

• Cavenagh Court (202m)
• Kopar At Newton (256m)
• The Atelier (272m)

 Cavenagh Court

• Type of project: Apartment, freehold
• TOP: 1971
• District: Orchard / River Valley (D09)
• Price: $3,200,000 (last transacted: $3M in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Cavenagh Court now.

 Kopar At Newton

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2023 (upcoming)
• District: Orchard / River Valley (D09)
• Price: $966,000 ~ $7,980,000 (last transacted: $1.29M in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Kopar At Newton now.

 The Atelier

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 2024 (upcoming)
• District: Orchard / River Valley (D09)
• Price: $1,399,000 ~ $4,380,000 (last transacted: N/A)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at The Atelier now.

 Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) — not to be mixed up with Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) — is located in the Bukit Timah area, at Barker Road. The government-aided boys’ primary school is close to projects such as the Five Chancery landed housing estate, Chancery Park condo and Balmoral Gate condo — all freehold properties.

Projects within 1km:

• Five Chancery (140m)
• Chancery Park (172m)
• Balmoral Gate (187m)

 Five Chancery

• Type of project: Cluster House, freehold
• TOP: 2013
• District: Newton / Novena (D11)
• Price: $5,750,000 ~ $7,880,000 (last transacted: N/A)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Five Chancery now.

 Chancery Park

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 1991
• District: Newton / Novena (D11)
• Price: $3,180,000 (last transacted: $2.83M in Dec 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Chancery Park now.

 Balmoral Gate

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 1994
• District: Tanglin / Holland / Bukit Timah (D10)
• Price: $2,950,000 ~ $3,350,000 (last transacted: $2.14M in Jul 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Newton (North-South Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Balmoral Gate now.

Catholic High School (Primary)

Catholic High School (Primary) is a government-aided SAP boy’s school in the Bishan area. The secondary school is just next door, so it’s a good choice for continued education in the same area (if you have a son). Just a hop and a skip away are a slew of HDB flats, but if you want more privacy, the terrace houses at Coral Park and the condo at Seasons View are also less than 500m away.

Projects within 1km:

• HDB 291 Bishan Street 24 (68m)
• Coral Park (381m)
• Seasons View (486m)

 HDB 291 Bishan Street 24

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1996
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $579,888 ~ $880,000 (last transacted: $560k in Dec 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Bishan (North-South Line, Circle Line)

Find a unit at HDB 291 Bishan Street 24 now.

 Coral Park

• Type of project: Terraced House, freehold
• TOP: 1981
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $5,250,000 (last transacted: $3.78M in Dec 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Bishan (North-South Line, Circle Line)

Find a unit at Coral Park now.

Seasons View

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2000
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $1,080,000 ~ $3,100,000 (last transacted: $1.05M in Jul 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Marymount (Circle Line)

Find a unit at Seasons View now.

CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School (Primary)

CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School (Primary) is a government-aided SAP school located in Ang Mo Kio. This girls’ school needs no introduction — the blue pinafores are extremely iconic. Close by are the aptly named Saint Nicholas View and Wellington Park terrace houses, as well as The Panorama condo. As this is the centrally located Ang Mo Kio, you’ll also be sure to find lots of HDBs for sale listings in the area as well.

Projects within 1km:

• Saint Nicholas View (158m)
• Wellington Park (192m)
• The Panorama (212m)

 Saint Nicholas View

• Type of project: Terraced House, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2000
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $1,829,994 ~ $3,500,000 (last transacted: $1.78M in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Yio Chu Kang (North-South Line), Mayflower (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at Saint Nicholas View now.

Wellington Park

• Type of project: Terraced House, freehold
• TOP: 1985
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $3,200,000 (last transacted: $2.88M in Mar 2018)
• Nearby MRT Station: Yio Chu Kang (North-South Line), Mayflower (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at Wellington Park now.

The Panorama

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2019
• District: Ang Mo Kio / Bishan / Thomson (D20)
• Price: $699,000 ~ $2,590,000 (last transacted: $700,888 in Jan 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Yio Chu Kang (North-South Line), Mayflower (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at The Panorama now.

 Nan Hua Primary School

Nan Hua Primary School, this time in the west of Singapore (finally, we’re deviating from the central area), is a government-aided SAP mixed school in Clementi. While not in the same compound (actually a bus ride away), it’s in the same HDB estate as its secondary school counterpart, Nan Hua High School. To increase your chances of snagging a spot at Nan Hua Primary School, consider projects such as The Trilinq condo, Faber Hills Estate semi-Ds, or one of the many resale HDB flats in the area.

Projects within 1km:

• The Trilinq (131m)
• Faber Hills Estate (187m)
• HDB 206 Clementi Avenue 6 (247m)

 The Trilinq

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2017
• District: Buona Vista / West Coast / Clementi New Town (D05)
• Price: $855,000 ~ $5,330,000 (last transacted: $800k in Jan 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Clementi (East-West Line)

Find a unit at The Trilinq now.

 Faber Hills Estate

• Type of project: Semi-Detached House, freehold
• TOP: 1977
• District: Buona Vista / West Coast / Clementi New Town (D05)
• Price: $6,000,000 ~ $7,880,000 (last transacted: N/A)
• Nearby MRT Station: Clementi (East-West Line)

Find a unit at Faber Hills Estate now.

 HDB 206 Clementi Avenue 6

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1984
• District: Buona Vista / West Coast / Clementi New Town (D05)
• Price: $890,000 (last transacted: $775k in Jan 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Clementi (East-West Line)

Find a unit at HDB 206 Clementi Avenue 6 now.

 Nanyang Primary School

Nanyang Primary School takes us back to the Bukit Timah area. This government-aided SAP mixed school is part of the Nanyang Family, which includes Nanyang Girls’ High and Nanyang Kindergarten. Close by are The Asana condo, the Coronation Gardens semi-Ds, and the HDB flats at Queens Road.

Projects within 1km:

• The Asana (199m)
• Coronation Gardens (262m)
• HDB 4 Queen’s Road (267m)

 The Asana

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 2019
• District: Tanglin / Holland / Bukit Timah (D10)
• Price: $1,000,000 ~ $2,550,000 (last transacted: $1.6M in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Botanic Gardens (Circle Line, Downtown Line)

Find a unit at The Asana now.

 Coronation Gardens

• Type of project: Semi-Detached House, 999-year leasehold
• TOP: 1970
• District: Tanglin / Holland / Bukit Timah (D10)
• Price: $5,880,000 ~  $13,900,000 (last transacted: N/A)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tan Kah Kee (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Coronation Gardens now.

 HDB 4 Queen’s Road

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1973
• District: Tanglin / Holland / Bukit Timah (D10)
• Price: $420,000 ~ $500,000 (last transacted: $415k in Jan 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Farrer Road (Circle Line)

Find a unit at HDB 4 Queen’s Road now.

 Raffles Girls’ Primary School

Raffles Girls’ Primary School is another popular Bukit Timah primary school. The government school was established in 1844 and is within the cluster of other well-known schools such as National Junior College, Nanyang Girls’ High and Hwa Chong Institution. Projects within 1km include Hillcrest Villa, Watten Residences and Hillcrest Arcadia condo.

Projects within 1km:

• Hillcrest Villa (214m)
• Watten Residences (283m)
• Hillcrest Arcadia (497m)

 Hillcrest Villa

• Type of project: Cluster House, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2010
• District: Newton / Novena (D11)
• Price: $2,980,000 ~ $3,300,000 (last transacted: $2.87M in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tan Kah Kee MRT (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Hillcrest Villa now.

 Watten Residences

• Type of project: Cluster House, freehold
• TOP: 2012
• District: Newton / Novena (D11)
• Price: $3,700,000 ~ $4,800,000 (last transacted: $3.68M in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tan Kah Kee MRT (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Watten Residences now.

 Hillcrest Arcadia

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1980
• District: Newton / Novena (D11)
• Price: $695,000 ~ $3,200,000 (last transacted: $1.05M in Dec 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tan Kah Kee MRT (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Hillcrest Arcadia now.

 Rosyth School

Rosyth School, which offers the Gifted Education Programme, is located in the Serangoon area, more accurately, Serangoon North. The government co-ed primary school is surrounded by lots of HDB flats, and you can also opt for other types of property at the Hundred Palms Residences EC and Regentville condo project.

Projects within 1km:

• HDB 507 Serangoon North Avenue 4 (119m)
• Hundred Palms Residences (337m)
• Regentville (433m)

 HDB 507 Serangoon North Avenue 4

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1995
• District: Hougang / Punggol / Sengkang (D19)
• Price: $620,000 (last transacted: $400k in Jun 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Kovan (North-East Line)

Find a unit at HDB 507 Serangoon North Avenue 4 now.

 Hundred Palms Residences

• Type of project: Executive Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2020
• District: Hougang / Punggol / Sengkang (D19)
• Price: $1,000,000 ~ $1,300,000 (last transacted: $776,300 in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Kovan (North-East Line)

Find a unit at Hundred Palms Residences now.

 Regentville

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2000
• District: Hougang / Punggol / Sengkang (D19)
• Price: $810,000 ~ $1,350,000 (last transacted: $848k in Jan 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Hougang (North-East Line)

Find a unit at Regentville now.

 St Hilda’s Primary School

St Hilda’s Primary School takes us to Tampines, in the east of Singapore. The government-aided mixed school was founded in 1934 and was the first private school to be reopened in 1945, after the Second World War. To partake in the school’s history, increase your chances by getting a unit at properties within 1km, such as the HDB blocks at Tampines Street 82, the Arc at Tampines EC or The Tapestry condo (TOP this year).

Projects within 1km:

• HDB 832 Tampines Street 82 (74m)
• Arc at Tampines (700m)
• The Tapestry (943m)

 HDB 832 Tampines Street 82

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1984
• District: Pasir Ris / Tampines (D18)
• Price: $420,000 (last transacted: $360k in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tampines West (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at HDB 832 Tampines Street 82 now.

 Arc at Tampines

• Type of project: Executive Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2014
• District: Pasir Ris / Tampines (D18)
• Price: $830,000 ~ $1,500,000 (last transacted: $725k in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tampines West (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at Arc at Tampines now.

The Tapestry

• Type of project: Condominium, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 2021
• District: Pasir Ris / Tampines (D18)
• Price: $750,000 ~ $2,500,000 (last transacted: $1.45M in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Tampines West (Downtown Line)

Find a unit at The Tapestry now.

 Tao Nan School

Tao Nan School is a government-aided SAP mixed school also located in the east of Singapore, in the Marine Parade area. Although the Marine Parade area is known for pricey landed homes, you’ll also find HDB resale units at Marine Crescent, in addition to the relatively new D’Ecosia and Villa Martia freehold condos.

Projects within 1km:

• HDB 30 Marine Crescent (74m)
• D’Ecosia (187m)
• Villa Martia (241m)

 HDB 30 Marine Crescent

• Type of project: HDB flat, 99-year leasehold
• TOP: 1974
• District: East Coast / Marine Parade (D15)
• Price: $390,000 ~ $430,000 (last transacted: $420k in Nov 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Kembangan (East-West Line), Marine Parade (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at HDB 30 Marine Crescent now.

 D’Ecosia

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 2003
• District: East Coast / Marine Parade (D15)
• Price: $1,150,000 ~ $2,500,000 (last transacted: $1.82M in Feb 2021)
• Nearby MRT Station: Kembangan (East-West Line), Marine Parade (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at D’Ecosia now.

 Villa Martia

• Type of project: Condominium, freehold
• TOP: 2000
• District: East Coast / Marine Parade (D15)
• Price: $1,525,000 ~ $1,850,000 (last transacted: $1.6M in Oct 2020)
• Nearby MRT Station: Kembangan (East-West Line), Marine Parade (upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line)

Find a unit at Villa Martia now.

 Don’t See Your Preferred Primary School or Property In This List?

These listed properties were chosen for their proximity to popular primary schools, uniqueness of the project and even current availability of units for sale.

You may be looking for a primary school — whether for a specific CCA or perhaps it is your alma-mater. Did you know that you can easily search for properties close to your preferred primary school on the PropertyGuru site?

Here’s how:

1. Head to the PropertyGuru Property for Sale page
2. Input the school name in the search bar, i.e. Tao Nan School
3. Input the postal code of the property you’re interested in into the MOE Distance tool to generate a list of schools in the area (tip: you should be searching for a more specific address, not just the development name else the search on the MOE website may fail)

Final note: Moving is a major decision, so do consider carefully!

Moving to live near your preferred school seems a strategic move, but do consider carefully as buying a new property and moving house are big life events that require much time, money and effort. In addition, staying close to your preferred primary school does not automatically guarantee your child a place in it.

Mr Nair shares: “We had a family that recently sold their property, which was, in our opinion, in a fantastic location. They decided to purchase a unit near their school of choice — not only to get a better chance of entering the school, but due to high school bus fares and long travel distance and travel time from their current home.”

He adds: “Unfortunately, they did not get into the school of choice. Now they are stuck in a property they don’t like, and will have to wait a few years to sell it (because of Additional Seller Stamp Duty). The location is also not convenient and not practical for the rest of the family.”

Ms Vivian Chua, Associate Group Director at PropNex Realty, agrees. She notes that many of her clients ask her if purchasing the property will ensure their child’s position in the school. She says: “Many empty their life savings just to make sure that their children get into these schools. I will always advise them to study the trends of the past years’ [enrolment] of the school to determine [their chances] first.”

Ultimately, the decision is yours. All the best!

For more property news, resources and useful content like this article, check out PropertyGuru’s guides section. 

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This article was written by Mary Wu, who hopes to share what she’s learnt from her home-buying and renovation journey with PropertyGuru readers. When she’s not writing, she’s usually baking up a storm or checking out a new cafe in town.