Primary Schools in Punggol: Which is the Best?
Submitted by KiasuEditor
Living in the Punggol neighbourhood, and wondering how to choose the best primary school in Punggol for your child?
In recent years, Punggol has become known as Singapore’s green and affordable waterfront town—that’s also why it’s attracted many young couples and families to live there. In fact, we know that in 2020, Punggol had the highest proportion of children aged below five years old! And if you’ve read about the supply-demand mismatch for preschools in Punggol, you might worry about facing a similar situation for P1 registration as well.
But first, you will need to decide if you should limit yourself to choosing primary schools in (or near) Punggol. Should you completely rule out the more-established ‘brand name’ schools in Singapore, which tend to be located closer to the city centre?
We do know of parents who live in less-accessible heartland neighbourhoods such as Boon Lay or Pasir Ris, and still send their children to centrally located popular schools. Some of them have alumni advantage, while others took a chance and balloted — although you might not want to do this at Phase 2C.
Even if your child secures a slot at a popular school, the commute can be challenging if you don’t own a car, or don’t have support to ferry your child to and from school. Of course, your child could take the school bus, but that will be subject to whether a school bus service is available for your location, and if the school bus fares are sustainable for you.
On this matter, you can visit the Ministry of Education’s School Bus Service page, to see if your school of interest is listed. Once you have selected a school, you will be able to see the school’s current bus vendor, as well as a list of estimated fares, according to distance. You can then contact the school bus vendor directly, to enquire if they serve your location and check on the fare.
Is it worthwhile to choose a school that is further away? You are the best person to answer this question, but here are some points to consider:
- Primary schools with strong alumni networks tend to have a family-like atmosphere, where parents are active volunteers.
- About 20% of Singapore’s primary schools have an affiliated secondary school, and many of these primary schools are well-known and considered popular. Having an affiliation safety net does make the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) less stressful.
- What is your definition of a ‘good’ school? Now that primary schools are tight-lipped about their PSLE performance, they can no longer be ranked by their academic showing. Therefore, to assess a school, you need to look at factors such as school facilities, co-curricular activities, and the principal’s experience.
Think life will be better for your child if you choose a primary school that is nearby, i.e. within the Punggol neighbourhood? Read on as we share what we know!
What’s the Demand for Primary Schools in Punggol?
Currently, there are 11 primary schools in Punggol, and you can get more information on these schools on the MOE’s SchoolFinder website.
For the most accurate and updated information on P1 vacancies in Punggol’s primary schools, check the MOE’s School Vacancies page. You can select the neighbourhood that you are interested in (i.e. Punggol), to view a list of relevant schools and whether they are oversubscribed at each phase of the P1 registration process.
For Phase 2A of the 2022 P1 Registration, we see that four out of the 11 primary schools in Punggol are oversubscribed, compared to three in 2021, and two in 2020. These are:
- Horizon Primary School (88 applicants for 79 vacancies, or 111% subscription rate)
- Oasis Primary School (66 applicants for 54 vacancies, or 122% subscription rate)
- Punggol Green Primary School (95 applicants for 68 vacancies, or 140% subscription rate)
- Punggol View Primary School (74 applicants for 65 vacancies, or 114% subscription rate)
Just for fun, you can compare the actual Phase 2A results for Punggol to the projections made by our Chief Kiasu in April 2022! His analysis was spot-on—other than Waterway Primary, the schools that he highlighted as ‘schools to watch’ will require balloting for Phase 2A this year.
For a sense of the balloting risk in Punggol primary schools for Phase 2B, 2C, and 2C(S), refer to our 2022 P1 Registration Risk article.
Is Punggol Green Primary School Good?
Going by KSP’s projections, Punggol Green Primary School is the likeliest school in the neighbourhood to require balloting within 1km at Phase 2C. It also appears that there’s some positive buzz about this particular school — but why?
Here is our Chief Kiasu’s take on this:
“It’s probably a combination of location and good feedback. Punggol Green started in 2012 and it took them only three years before it required those that stayed <1km away to ballot! It has been requiring balloting in Phase 2C for <1km since 2015.”
You can use the School Query service to assess the location for yourself. Curious to find out what our KSP members think about Punggol Green Primary School? Join the conversation here!
What Subjects & CCAs do Primary Schools in Punggol Offer?
Rather than basing your school choice on parent feedback alone, a fairer way to compare the different primary schools in Punggol is by subjects and CCAs offered, and how your child’s needs can be met.
For instance, if your child is keen on a particular sport, you might want to narrow your list of potential schools to only those offering the sport. (Note: If your child is naturally athletic but hasn’t discovered a sport of interest, a ‘modular’ sports CCA might provide good exposure.) Similarly, if you want your child to take a Higher Mother Tongue Language, you should ensure that your selected school provides that option.
Such information is typically available on the official school websites, but for easier reference, we’ve linked to the MOE’s SchoolFinder page instead. If you have a pressing question about a school in Punggol, please call them directly for a quick answer!
|
Primary School |
Higher Mother Tongue Subjects |
Foundation Subjects |
CCA Offerings |
|
Edgefield Primary School (co-ed) |
|
|
|
|
Greendale Primary School (co-ed) |
|
Not listed |
|
|
Horizon Primary School (co-ed) |
|
|
|
|
Mee Toh School (co-ed, affiliated to Manjusri Secondary School) |
|
|
|
|
Northshore Primary School (co-ed school) |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|
Oasis Primary School (co-ed school) |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|
Punggol Cove Primary School (co-ed school) |
|
|
|
|
Punggol Green Primary School (co-ed school) |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|
Punggol View Primary School (co-ed school) |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|
|
Valour Primary School (co-ed school) |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|
Waterway Primary School (co-ed school) |
|
|
|
Want to chat with other parents to find out about the best primary schools in Punggol? Join our discussion thread!
