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Tao Nan School

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Tao Nan School is a government-aided SAP primary school in Marine Parade, founded in 1906 by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. It is one of a small number of primary schools that host the Gifted Education Programme.

Last reviewed against official sources: 5 July 2026

Stage 1 · before you register

Is this school right for us?

Type

Government-aided SAP primary school (co-educational)

Location

49 Marine Crescent (Marine Parade)

Affiliated secondary

None

High-ability

Gifted Education Programme centre

Official school website

What Tao Nan is known for

A Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school since 1990, teaching both English and Chinese at a high level with a strong bilingual and bicultural focus.

A Gifted Education Programme centre since 1996, hosting the GEP for identified pupils from Primary 4 onwards.

Applied Learning Programme in STEM, built around game design and computational thinking through its C3@TNS framework.

Learning for Life Programme in Sports and Outdoor Education, known as ENRICH@TNS.

Is it a fit for your family? What to weigh

Especially if you have no older child here to go on, these are the things worth checking before you put the school down.
Daily travel and distance
At 49 Marine Crescent (Marine Parade). Living within 1km both shortens the daily commute and, if a phase goes to a ballot, puts you in the top priority tier, so check your home-to-school distance on MOE's locator before you commit.
A head start into secondary school
None. Tao Nan has no affiliated secondary school, so a place here gives no advantage in the later Secondary 1 posting.
Teaching identity
Government-aided SAP primary school (co-educational).
High-ability learners
Gifted Education Programme centre. High-ability children are identified through MOE's separate national screening, which is open to pupils at any school.

Stage 2 · during registration

What are our real chances?

Year PHASE 12A2A(2)2B2C2C(S)3 Total
2026live 162162/270116116/108–--/20--/40–– 162of 330-30
2025 179179/300122156/122SC>2 (54/20)–2063/20SC<1 (57/20)4581/45SC<1 (79/45)00/000/0 366of 360
2024 119119/300148148/181–3162/31SC<1 (58/31)6686/66SC<1 (78/66)00/000/0 364of 360
2023 183183/300117138/117SC>2–2068/20SC<14195/41SC<100/000/0 361of 360
2022 164164/300127127/136–2361/23SC<14799/47SC<100/000/0 361of 360
2021 174174/320119119/1462731/27SC>22057/20SC<12348/23SC<100/000/0 363of 360
2020 171171/320109109/1504141/412053/20SC<12175/21SC<100/000/0 362of 360
2019 159159/320110110/1612424/513536/353662/36SC<100/000/0 364of 360
Phases
  • 1 — a sibling already in the school
  • 2A — parent/sibling is an ex-pupil, or parent is staff
  • 2B — volunteer, church/clan, or community leader
  • 2C — open to all, no prior link
  • 2C(S) / 3 — supplementary / non-citizen
Distance groups (ballot priority order)
  • 1. SC<1 — Singapore Citizen within 1km
  • 2. SC 1-2 — within 1 to 2km
  • 3. SC>2 — beyond 2km
  • 4. PR<1 — Permanent Resident within 1km
  • 5. PR 1-2 — within 1 to 2km
  • 6. PR>2 — beyond 2km

Each cell: the big number is places taken; below it, applicants / vacancies. A red cell went to a ballot, with the group and its ratio, e.g. SC 1-2 (6/5).

Tao Nan is one of the most heavily oversubscribed primary schools in the east. In the 2025 Primary 1 exercise, Phase 2C was balloted, with 81 applicants competing for 45 vacancies, and Phase 2B was also balloted at 63 applicants for 20 places. Our registration guide explains how the phases work.

If you are weighing your odds against distance and citizenship, our choosing a school guide walks through how to read a school's balloting history before you commit.

How a P1 place is decided
Places are offered phase by phase, in this order. Only the phases still open when you register apply to you:
Phase 1 — a sibling is already studying in the school
Phase 2A — a parent or sibling is a former pupil, or a parent is staff or a School Advisory/Management Committee member
Phase 2B — a parent is a school volunteer, an active member of a church or clan connected to the school, or a community leader
Phase 2C — open to everyone; the main phase for families with no prior link
Phase 2C Supplementary & Phase 3 — any places still left, and non-citizen applicants
When a phase has more applicants than places, priority (and the ballot, if one is needed) follows this order:
1. Singapore Citizens living within 1km of the school
2. Singapore Citizens living between 1km and 2km
3. Singapore Citizens living beyond 2km
4. Permanent Residents living within 1km
5. Permanent Residents living between 1km and 2km
6. Permanent Residents living beyond 2km
Distance and citizenship are the levers most within your control. Our registration guide walks through every phase and the key dates in full.

Stage 3 · after you're in

We're in. What happens now?

Visiting

Tao Nan does not appear in the usual MOE open-house roundups, so contact the school through its website to arrange any visit or enquiry.

Common questions

Is Tao Nan School affiliated to a secondary school? +

No. Despite sharing Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan roots with Dunman High and Chung Cheng High, Tao Nan has no affiliated secondary school and gives no secondary-level admission priority.

Does Tao Nan School offer the Gifted Education Programme? +

Yes. Tao Nan has been a GEP centre since 1996 and hosts the programme for pupils who are identified through the national GEP screening from Primary 4.

How hard is it to get a place at Tao Nan School? +

Very competitive. In the 2025 Primary 1 exercise both Phase 2B and Phase 2C were balloted, with Phase 2C drawing 81 applicants for 45 vacancies.

All primary schools in Marine Parade

Places taken by phase, with applicants / vacancies beneath. Ranked by how competitive the open phases were in 2025 (2C first). This school is highlighted; pick a year, or search to pin schools and compare them. Tap any school for its full ballot history.

Tip: pick a school to pin it, then add another to compare side by side.

School Phase 12A2A(2)2B2C2C(S)3 Total
Tao Nan 179179/300122156/122SC>2 (54/20)–2063/20SC<1 (57/20)4581/45SC<1 (79/45)00/000/0 366of 360
Tanjong Katong 8181/14059104/59SC>2 (32/2)–99/205383/53SC 1-2 (23/13)00/000/0 202of 200
Ngee Ann 8686/1802727/94–22/42127148/127PR<1 (16/5)00/000/0 242of 240
Full Marine Parade area page → All schools, live 2026 → 2026 by area →
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