Choosing and Evaluating Primary Schools

[Bwain]

Hi All,


Need some advise, planning for my boy’s primary registration for next year. We will be within 1 km of Marie Stella and wife is alumni for Ai Tong, conflicted on which to choose. Some of our consideration are:
- Probability of getting into the school
- Academic stress
- Benefit one has over the other

Appreciate your advice and experience. Thanks in advance.

[ChiefKiasu]

Bwain\" post_id=\"2065327\" time=\"1650867013\" user_id=\"197934:

Hi All,

Need some advise, planning for my boy's primary registration for next year. We will be within 1 km of Marie Stella and wife is alumni for Ai Tong, conflicted on which to choose. Some of our consideration are:
- Probability of getting into the school
- Academic stress
- Benefit one has over the other

Appreciate your advice and experience. Thanks in advance.

I would think your choice would be simple. Just take advantage of your wife's status and go for Ai Tong.
Ai Tong may require balloting in Phase 2A. In the rare chance that you might get balloted out, you can try for Maris Stella in Phase 2C.
If you have asked this question a year ago, I would recommend that you do PV in Ai Tong to get to know the school better and get a chance for Phase 2B. But it is too late now for that since you will be bidding in June this year.

[Mom222]

Anyone knows about St Joseph Junior please?

[Bwain]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2065331\" time=\"1650869601\" user_id=\"3:

I would think your choice would be simple. Just take advantage of your wife's status and go for Ai Tong.
Ai Tong may require balloting in Phase 2A. In the rare chance that you might get balloted out, you can try for Maris Stella in Phase 2C.
If you have asked this question a year ago, I would recommend that you do PV in Ai Tong to get to know the school better and get a chance for Phase 2B. But it is too late now for that since you will be bidding in June this year.

Thank you!

[ChiefKiasu]

Mom222\" post_id=\"2065342\" time=\"1650874162\" user_id=\"197937:

Anyone knows about St Joseph Junior please?

What do you want to know about SJI?

[Jenn11]

Hi parents who have boys and girls, I need to conduct a poll here.


I am staying in Novena and I have a boy and a girl.

Based on alumni, we can apply Pei Chun. The downside is there is no school bus. I am not sure about the culture, school performance. Any idea why it is so popular? Is it because of densely populated Toa Payoh?

If we apply SCGS for our girl, it is within 1-2km and we have to volunteer. And for our boy, if we apply SJI, it is within 1km and likely we have to volunteer. This means we have to volunteer for 4 years.

Would you take the risk and try single gender school? Thanks!

[floppy]

Jenn11\" post_id=\"2065445\" time=\"1650959660\" user_id=\"197948:

Hi parents I need to conduct a poll here.

I am staying in Novena and I have a boy and girl.

Based on alumni, we can apply Pei Chun. The downside is there is no school bus.

If we apply SCGS for our girl, it is within 1-2km but we have to volunteer. And for our boy, we will have to volunteer to apply for SJI but it is within 1km. But if we don’t get in, I don’t know what is the backup plan..

Which option would you choose and why?

Phase 2B for SCGS has been balloting in recent years, albeit for SC > 2km. Assuming that you get through the PV selection, which is by no means a guarantee, you will have to pray / hope that the balloting situation doesn't change.

Also, SJIJ does not accept PV. Hence, your current plan for the boy won't work. You can only bang your hope on Phase 2C for the boy.

Therefore, the logical option is Pei Chun. As for school buses, you can always https://peichunpublic.moe.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/School-Bus-Reg-Form-20-August-2020.pdf (assuming that you haven't done so).

[Clarelee]

If I were u, I will definitely apply directly for peichun, volunteering for the other two schs with consequences of not getting in and no back up plan is not exactly worth it.

Also, peichun is a decent sch in terms of academics .

[zac's mum]

I agree with the above 2 opinions. The most straightforward way is to go for Pei Chun (confirmed seat) and settle transport (much easier to settle IMO). Consider the highly subsidized “schoolbus” #57 from opposite Novena Church, only 8 stops to Pei Chun.


SCGS only takes a tiny number of PVs, while SJIJ takes none. The only way to get into 2B for both is the GRL route, for which u may be too late (depending on the age of your eldest child).

Save your time and uncertainty & just go for the alma mater.

[gunners11]

Hi all, trying to scour the pages for information on the selection of primary schools in the north - Yishun.

I know most will ask me to try Chong Fu but the more I read about Chong Fu, I do have some reservations such as the amount of homework, and the school has 10 full classes of Primary 1 classes.

I want to keep my option open for other schools in the vicinity.

Anyone has experience or advice to share?? Will love to hear all