Buying Near a Primary School? From 2027, 2km May Matter as Much as 1km

On 10 September 2026, the Ministry of Education announced changes to the Primary One registration framework, taking effect from the 2027 registration exercise. One of them rewrites a rule that Singapore home buyers have priced into their decisions for years: at twelve of the most heavily subscribed primary schools, Phase 2C will no longer rank applicants by how close to the school they live — only by which side of the 2km line they sit on.

What follows is our own summary of the announcement and our view of what it means for anyone choosing a home with a school in mind. The announcement is public and worth reading in the original: MOE's press release is here.

What changes at the twelve schools

From the 2027 exercise, Phase 2C at twelve selected schools runs on a two-track system:

• Track 1 — within 2km of the school.
• Track 2 — more than 2km from the school.

Phase 2C places at these schools are split equally between the two tracks, and if one track has fewer applicants than places, the spare places flow to the other. The line that matters for buyers: there is no home-school distance priority within each track. A home 500m from the gate and a home 1.8km away are treated identically in the within-2km track. If a track is oversubscribed, it goes to ballot.

The twelve schools

Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) · Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) · CHIJ (Katong) Primary · Methodist Girls' School (Primary) · Nanyang Primary School · Ngee Ann Primary School · Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School · Raffles Girls' Primary School · Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School · St. Margaret's School (Primary) · Tanjong Katong Primary School · Tao Nan School.

These are schools in areas with less public housing nearby — largely around the Bukit Timah–Novena and Katong–Marine Parade belts — where the within-1km catchment has long carried a property premium.

Also changing: more places reserved for Phase 2C

Separately, the number of places reserved for Phase 2C — the phase for children with no prior connection to the school — rises from 40 to 60 at all primary schools from 2027, except schools with Primary One intakes below 180 places, which keep 40.

What this means if you are buying

For years, the search brief near these schools has been "within 1km, whatever it costs". From 2027, for Phase 2C at these twelve schools, that logic loosens:

• The searchable radius widens. A well-chosen home at 1.5km or 1.8km carries the same Phase 2C distance standing as one at 400m. That opens up streets, projects and price points the 1km rule used to exclude.
• Proximity premiums may matter less — for this purpose. Paying a large premium purely to be inside 1km no longer buys an advantage in Phase 2C at these schools. It may still buy convenience — the school run is real.
• Beyond 2km is no longer a lockout. Half the Phase 2C places at these schools are reserved for families living more than 2km away — a track that did not exist before.

Three honest caveats. First, this applies to Phase 2C at these twelve schools only — every other school, and the earlier phases, keep the existing rules, where living within 1km still carries priority when balloting happens. Second, being in the right track gets you into the ballot, not into the school: these are heavily subscribed schools, and balloting within the 2km track is likely. Third, registration rules can and do change — check MOE's current framework before you commit to anything.

Sources

Primary source. Ministry of Education, "Refinements to the Primary One Registration Exercise", announced 10 September 2026 by Education Minister Desmond Lee — read it on moe.gov.sg. Additional reporting by Mothership and AsiaOne. Everything above is our independent summary and commentary; this article is not published by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the Ministry of Education. School admission is never guaranteed.

Looking near one of these schools?

We market 180+ homes across Singapore, including the landed and condominium belts around these twelve schools — every one openly priced, with the price per square foot worked out. Browse what we are marketing, or talk to us about a 2km-radius search around your preferred school.