Primary school
Day one of P1 to the Sec 1 posting. The school day, the exams, the extras, and picking a secondary school.
P1 to P6, at a glance
Six years, one stage each. Tap a year to see what’s due.
Settling in
Admin
- Go to orientationBus, uniforms, books and student care, in one session.
- Test the journey at 7amNot on a Sunday.
Childcare
- Lock in student careBefore January. School places run out.
School
- No tests, no examsNot in P1 or P2.
Health
- Protect sleepMost P1s crash by 8pm in month one.
Money
- Edusave: $230 a yearUse it. Lots goes unspent.
Find the rhythm
School
- Still no exams
- Read lotsThe library’s free.
Health
- Get outdoorsIt protects their eyes.
The first fork
School
- Grades startAchievement Bands 1–4.
- High-ability checkReplaced the GEP tests.
Childcare
- CCAs usually beginFree. Counts for DSA.
Banding year
School
- Year-end exams set P5 levelsThe school recommends.
- You return an option formStandard, Foundation or a mix.
Childcare
- Tuition starts making senseIf a subject slips.
Subject levels
School
- Standard or FoundationReviewed at year end.
- Grades become ALs1 to 8.
- Decide on DSAP5 and P6 results count.
Health
- Boosters at schoolSign the consent form.
PSLE and posting
School
- DSA in May–JuneUp to three schools.
- PSLE, results late NovemberPapers end early October.
- Six school picks in a weekRight after results.
- Posting in DecemberThen the Secondary guide.
School life
The day, and the gap after it
7.30am to 1.30pm
Roughly. A snack break, not lunch. Afternoons fill up from P3–P4.
School student care
Cheapest, easiest
No bus, no transfer. Limited places; working parents first. Apply early.
Centre student care
Picks up at dismissal. Costs more, flexes more. The usual backup.
Grandparents
Still the most common setup. Agree the rules, and the holidays, early.
Booked through the school
$100–200 a month
Ask the route order. First pickup can be 40 minutes before school.
The gap everyone forgets
Holiday care fills fast and costs extra. Book June and year-end early.
Live within 1km? Walking or the public bus is often faster than the school bus, and free.
Exams, year by year
How they’re assessed
| Level | What happens | Reported as |
|---|---|---|
| P1–P2 | No tests or exams. | Exceeding, Meeting or Approaching expectations |
| P3–P4 | Termly reviews and a year-end exam. No mid-year exams at any level. | Achievement Bands 1–4 |
| P5 | Each subject at Standard or Foundation. | ALs 1–8; A–C for Foundation |
| P6 | Prelims, then the PSLE. Written papers end early October. | PSLE Score 4–32. Lower is better. |
Subject banding, end of P4
School recommends, you choose
Pass 3+ subjects: all four at Standard (Higher Mother Tongue if strong). Pass 2 or fewer: any mix of Standard and Foundation.
Reviewed once, then set
Checked at the end of P5. The P6 mix is what they sit at PSLE. Foundation isn’t a downgrade — it’s a base.
GEP is ending
No switching schools
No more moving to one of nine GEP schools.
One check, not two tests
A single P3 exercise from Aug 2026. More chances each semester in P4–P5.
Stretch at school, or nearby
About 1 in 10 get extension work. Some go to a 2-hour weekly module at one of 15 centres.
How the PSLE is scored
Each subject gets an AL from 1 to 8. Add four. Best score: 4.
| AL | Raw mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | 90+ |
| 2 | 85–89 |
| 3 | 80–84 |
| 4 | 75–79 |
| 5 | 65–74 |
| 6 | 45–64 |
| 7 | 20–44 |
| 8 | Below 20 |
Foundation grades A–C count as AL 6–8. It’s your child’s own marks — no bell curve against classmates.
Enrichment
Academic
Support classes
Free
Offered a place? Take it before you pay for anything.
Maths and science tuition
Group $120–240/mo · private $200–400/mo
Groups of 6–10 are the sweet spot. Prices jump from P5.
Abacus, Olympiad maths
Varies · trials free
Great for kids who like drills. Wasted on those who don’t.
Mother Tongue
Varies
The most-booked extra. Drama-style classes beat worksheets early on.
The library
Free
27 branches. Reading more beats any English course.
Coding and robotics
$150–250/mo
Scratch from P1, Python from P4. Many schools run their own.
Sport, arts, outdoors
CCAs
Free
Usually from P3. Easy, and they count for DSA.
SwimSafer
$25–60/mo
National, six stages. Worth it on an island.
ActiveSG academies
$50–100/mo
Fraction of private prices. Fixed sign-up windows.
Instruments
$120–250/mo
Graded exams suit some kids and kill music for others.
Speech and drama
$120–200/mo
Does more for a shy kid than most tuition.
Scouts, Brownies, NParks
Mostly free
Free walks and water play do the job. See Explore.
Health & money
Two boosters
Tdap and polio. Nothing to book — sign the consent form.
Get them outside
Daylight is the best guard against short-sightedness.
The cheapest grades going
P1 in bed by 8. P6 by 10.
No school fees for citizens
Just small monthly misc fees. PRs pay $305 a month.
$230 a year
For approved extras and school charges. Check the balance.
MOE Financial Assistance
Fees, books, uniforms, transport, meals. Ask the school.
Picking a secondary school
P5 to posting day
- P5
Visit open houses. Decide on DSA.
- May – June, P6
Apply for DSA
Up to 3 schools. 6 May – 2 Jun in 2026.
- By end August
DSA results
Offer, waitlist or no.
- Mid October
Pick one DSA school
If you hold offers.
- Sep – Oct
PSLE written papers
Orals come first.
- Late November
Results, then six school picks within a week
25 Nov – 1 Dec in 2025.
- December
Posting results
19 Dec in 2025.
Posting groups
4 – 20
Starts subjects at G3.
21 – 24
Starts at G2. AL5 or better → G3 in that subject.
25 – 30
Starts at G1. Good ALs → G2 or G3. 26–30 needs AL7+ in English and Maths.
Before you choose
List your real order
Same score, last seat? Citizenship, then your choice order, then a ballot.
A DSA offer locks you in
No posting exercise after. Only accept a school you’d pick over any result.
Last year’s range is a guide
It moves every year.