Singapore’s upcoming changes to Primary 1 registration could reshape how some families approach home-buying, particularly those considering properties near highly sought-after primary schools.
From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, 12 popular schools will adopt a new two-track system for Phase 2C. Instead of giving greater priority to families living within 1km of the school, the system will divide places between children living within 2km and those living more than 2km away. There will be no further distance priority within either group.
The 12 schools are Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), CHIJ (Katong) Primary, Methodist Girls’ School (Primary), Nanyang Primary, Ngee Ann Primary, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary, Raffles Girls’ Primary, Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary, St Margaret’s School (Primary), Tanjong Katong Primary and Tao Nan School.
The change is designed for schools where public housing accounts for less than 40 per cent of homes within 2km. The Ministry of Education said the existing distance-based system may not sufficiently broaden access at schools in such areas, prompting the new arrangement.
For these 12 schools, Phase 2C places will be split equally between the two distance groups. If demand exceeds the available places within either group, balloting will be conducted. Singapore citizens will continue to receive priority over permanent residents.
The broader Phase 2C framework is also changing. Most primary schools will reserve 60 places for Phase 2C, up from 40, although schools with fewer than 180 Primary 1 places will continue reserving 40. The additional places will come from earlier registration phases, while the 20 places reserved for Phase 2B will remain unchanged.
For property buyers, the practical effect is that the traditional appeal of being extremely close to a popular school may become less straightforward.
Under the previous system, living within 1km could provide an additional distance advantage during balloting. Under the new two-track arrangement at the 12 selected schools, a family living 500m away will be in the same distance group as another family living 1.8km away.
That could give some families a wider geographic area to consider when looking for a home.
Property analysts cited in recent market assessments said demand for homes near the affected schools is unlikely to disappear because families may still value shorter commutes and the neighbourhoods themselves. Some of the schools are located in established and relatively sought-after areas where housing demand is driven by factors beyond school access.
The change could nevertheless reduce the incentive for some buyers to pay a premium specifically to get inside the 1km radius. Property analysts have described the likely effect as a possible redistribution of school-driven housing demand rather than the disappearance of that demand altogether.
The difference in housing costs can be substantial. Recent market data cited for 2026 showed a median resale price of about $2.13 million for 900-to-1,000 sq ft condominiums in Marine Parade, compared with $632,500 for a four-room HDB resale flat in the same town. In Bedok, the comparable figures were about $1.43 million for a resale condominium and $600,000 for a four-room HDB flat.
However, these figures are townwide medians and do not indicate the price of homes at a particular distance from an individual school.
The new rules could also affect the way families think about location. Instead of focusing exclusively on a narrow 1km circle, some buyers may consider properties farther away while balancing school access against price, transport connections, home size and other neighbourhood amenities.
For families considering a property primarily because of P1 registration, however, there remains an important uncertainty: admission is not guaranteed simply because a child lives within the relevant distance category. If applications exceed available places, balloting can still determine the outcome.
The changes therefore do not eliminate the connection between school registration and housing decisions. Instead, they alter how distance affects priority for the 12 selected schools while increasing the number of Phase 2C places available more broadly.
For Singapore’s property market, the longer-term question is how buyers and sellers respond once the new system is actually used. Families may broaden their searches, while homeowners who previously benefited from being extremely close to a popular school could see the registration advantage associated with that location change.
The new P1 rules are consequently becoming another factor for families to consider when weighing where to live — but school admission remains dependent on the registration phase, available places and, where necessary, balloting rather than property location alone.
