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Primary school open houses, used well

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An open house is the best free research tool you have before P1 registration, if you go with the right questions. Here's when they happen, where to find the dates, and how to read a school beyond the showcase.

Last reviewed against official sources: 5 July 2026

When they happen, and how to find them

Most primary schools hold open houses between May and July, timed ahead of the P1 registration exercise that begins at the end of June. The best starting point is MOE's own roundup: Schoolbag's annual open house listing, which compiles dates and venues for every primary school and is refreshed each year.

Treat it as the map, not the ticket: it's accurate as of its update date, and each school still announces final details and registration links on its own website and social pages. The workable routine: build a shortlist first (our choosing a school guide walks through how), check the dates for your shortlisted schools in the table below, then follow those schools' Facebook or Instagram pages from around April. Most schools ask you to register in advance, and slots at popular schools go quickly.

Open house dates by school: 2024, 2025 and 2026

Every primary school in MOE's roundup, with its listed open house details for the last three years. Many of the most in-demand schools also have a fact-profile (programmes, affiliation and how competitive P1 registration really is), linked from the school's card below where available.

Past years are a useful guide: many schools keep a similar slot from year to year, so one that ran its open house in early May in both 2024 and 2025 often does something similar the next year, though this is never guaranteed and you should always confirm on the school's own channels. Where a year is blank, the school had no date in that year's roundup, which usually means it announced details through its own website and social pages instead.

Tip: pin a school, then add another to compare.

Showing all 181 schools

Sources: MOE Schoolbag's open house roundups for 2026 (as at 4 Jul 2026, updated by MOE through the year), 2025 and 2024 (archived editions). Dates are shown as MOE listed them. Always confirm timing and registration on the school's own website before travelling.

What actually happens at one

Expect some mix of: a principal's briefing on the school's philosophy and programmes, guided tours of classrooms and facilities (often led by student ambassadors, who are worth chatting to), and showcases of CCAs and signature programmes. Some schools also run virtual sessions if you can't attend in person.

The showcase is the school on its best day, that's fine, every school does it. The useful information is in the unscripted parts: how staff talk to children, how senior pupils carry themselves, what the notice boards celebrate, whether the canteen and toilets look cared for.

What to ask while you're there

Learning & workload

How do teachers handle different abilities in one class? What does homework look like in P1-P2? What support exists for a child who struggles, or one who's ahead?

Wellbeing & culture

How does the school handle friendship problems and bullying? How do shy children get helped to settle? What does the school genuinely celebrate, look at the walls, not the brochure.

CCAs & programmes

What CCAs can lower-primary children join, and when do they start? What are the school's signature programmes (ALP/LLP), and does your child's interest area actually exist here?

The practical stuff

School hours and dismissal flow, canteen food and prices, how the school communicates with parents, and whether there's a school-based student care centre, and how long its waitlist runs.

Tailor the list to your child, a question about how the school supports an anxious child, or stretches a restless one, will tell you more than any general query. If your child has developmental or learning needs, ask specifically what SEN support the school runs; our EIPIC and special needs guide covers what to listen for.

The thing to be clear-eyed about

Attending an open house has no effect on your registration chances. No attendance list feeds into balloting, and enthusiasm doesn't earn a place. Priority in P1 registration comes entirely from the phase system, sibling and alumni connections, the volunteer route with its own early deadlines, and home-school distance, all explained in our registration guide.

That's liberating, not disappointing: the open house is purely for you. Use it to decide whether you'd be happy for your child to spend six years there, then let the registration strategy be its own, separate exercise.

Common questions

When do primary school open houses happen? +

Mostly between May and July, in the run-up to the P1 registration exercise that starts end-June. Some schools hold events earlier in the year, some run more than one session, and formats range from full open days to smaller guided tours.

Is there one place to see all the open house dates? +

Yes, two: our table above lists every school with its dates for 2024, 2025 and 2026, compiled from MOE Schoolbag's annual open house roundup, which is the official source and refreshed each year. Both are snapshots as of their update date, so for last-minute changes and registration links, confirm on each school's own website and social pages (Facebook and Instagram are where schools post first). Parents in our cohort WhatsApp groups also share dates as they're announced.

Do we need to sign up in advance? +

Usually yes for physical open houses and guided tours, slots are limited and popular schools fill up. Registration details are in the school's announcement, typically a Google Form or FormSG link.

We missed the open house. Can we still see the school? +

Often, yes. Call or email the general office and ask whether a visit or a chat with staff can be arranged. Schools have strict visitor procedures (appointment first, register at the guard post), so don't just show up, but a polite request is normal and usually accommodated.

Does attending an open house improve our P1 chances? +

No. Attendance is not recorded against registration and carries zero weight in any phase. Priority comes only from the phase system: siblings, alumni and school connections, the volunteer route (with its 40-hour requirement and early deadlines), and home-school distance in balloting. The open house is for your decision, not the school's.

Should we bring our child along? +

If you can, yes, especially to schools on your shortlist. How your child reacts to the environment tells you something no briefing will, and familiarity genuinely helps come orientation and the first day. Just don't read too much into a tired five-year-old's mood on one Saturday morning.

You're not doing this alone

Find your child's group

Every cohort has its own WhatsApp group of parents going through the exact same year, real-time registration updates, school reviews, balloting news and answers from people one step ahead of you. Pick the year your child starts Primary 1.

Browse all cohort groups by school and area →

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