When a new private development lands within 1km of one of Singapore's most competitive primary schools, parents notice. The Lorong Puntong / Sin Ming Avenue site in Bishan is exactly that: a small 99-year leasehold parcel right beside Bright Hill MRT, in a neighbourhood that has been supply-constrained for years, and firmly within the Ai Tong School 1km catchment. I have had more conversations about this site since the Government Land Sales tender closed in September 2026 than about almost any other launch, and a large share of those calls start the same way: "Annabeth, can this actually help us get into Ai Tong?"
The honest answer is: yes, but with important caveats. Let me walk you through how the school priority system actually works, what the evidence says about Ai Tong's balloting intensity, and how buying here fits into a realistic multi-year plan.
Why Ai Tong School Is So Heavily Contested
Ai Tong is a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) primary school in Bishan. SAP schools teach both English and Mandarin at a high level and have a strong tradition of academic and co-curricular excellence. Within that already selective category, Ai Tong consistently ranks among the roughly ten most competitively balloted primary schools in Singapore. In both 2024 and 2025, it was oversubscribed before Phase 2C even closed, meaning families with no alumni or volunteer ties, and no connection through siblings, were competing in a straight ballot purely on distance.
That point deserves emphasis. Ai Tong did not clear in Phase 2B in either of those years. If you are a typical family, without a parent who attended Ai Tong and without a sibling already enrolled, Phase 2C is where your child's registration lands. And in Phase 2C, the only tiebreaker the Ministry of Education uses is distance: children living within 1km of the school are balloted first, ahead of those living within 1 to 2km, who are in turn ahead of those living beyond 2km.
In a school that ballots through Phase 2C, living within 1km is not a preference. In practice, it is close to a prerequisite for a realistic admission chance.
How the P1 Registration Phases and 1km Priority Actually Work
Here is a plain summary of the phases that matter most for parents without special ties to Ai Tong:
- Phase 2A: Children of former students (alumni) and parent volunteers who have served at least 40 hours. Distance is used as a tiebreaker only if this phase is oversubscribed.
- Phase 2B: Children of parents with community or grassroots connections, active staff, and a few other categories. Again, distance breaks ties.
- Phase 2C: Open to all Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who have not yet secured a place. This is where most families end up. Within Phase 2C, priority goes first to children living within 1km, then 1 to 2km, then beyond 2km. If a phase is still oversubscribed within a distance band, a computerised ballot decides.
Because Ai Tong fills up in Phase 2C, the 1km band is the critical one. Families in the 1 to 2km band have faced genuine risk of not getting a place in recent years. For a deeper breakdown of how these phases interact with your specific situation, my P1 registration guide for Singapore parents covers the full process and common planning mistakes.
The Sin Ming Avenue New Launch: What We Know So Far
The tender for the Lorong Puntong site closed on 15 September 2026 and drew seven bids, which analysts noted was within the expected range of four to eight for a site of this type. The winner was Eco World Development (S) Pte Ltd, the Singapore arm of Malaysian public-listed developer Eco World Development Group Berhad. Their top bid of S$208.1 million, translating to S$1,612 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr), was Eco World's first GLS tender win in Singapore and came in roughly 11.1% above the second-highest bid from a Hong Leong Holdings and TID joint venture at S$1,451 psf ppr.
CBRE's Tricia Song noted that S$1,612 psf ppr set a new record for a pure residential RCR plot, surpassing the previous benchmark of S$1,515 psf ppr set at Berlayar Drive in August 2026. Analysts including StackedHomes have estimated that the land cost implies an eventual launch price of around S$3,000 to S$3,100 psf, though pricing is an estimate until the developer confirms it at launch. The site spans approximately 46,103 square feet with a maximum gross floor area of around 129,093 square feet, with roughly 140 private units expected. The project has no official name yet; the developer will confirm the project name, unit mix, pricing and launch date closer to launch, which analysts estimate may fall around 2027.
You can find the latest updates I am tracking on the Sin Ming Avenue new launch page, which I update as the developer releases details.
Why the Location Works for an Ai Tong Admission Plan
The practical challenge with using a home purchase to support P1 registration is timing. MOE requires the child to be living at the registered address at the point of application. For a new launch, the relevant question is whether the project will be completed and the family can be in residence before the child's registration year.
With an estimated launch around 2027 and a typical construction timeline of three to four years for a development of this scale, a reasonable TOP estimate might fall around 2030 to 2031. That window works well for parents with children who are currently infants or toddlers. A family with a child born in 2027, for instance, would register for Primary 1 in 2033, well after a likely TOP.
Here is a simplified planning table to illustrate how birth year maps to registration year:
| Child's Birth Year | P1 Registration Year | Estimated Project Status (TOP ~2030-31) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2031 | Likely completed; check exact TOP |
| 2026 | 2032 | Completed |
| 2027 | 2033 | Completed |
| 2028 | 2034 | Completed |
This is why I often tell clients that buying off-plan near a sought-after school is not a short-term play. It requires lining up the child's age, the project's completion timeline, and the registration year with some margin. For a child born in 2024 or earlier, the math may be tighter, and renting within the 1km zone while waiting for the project to complete may be a more reliable strategy to hold the catchment address in the interim.
The Bishan Supply Picture and Why Timing Matters Financially Too
Beyond school planning, the market context here is worth understanding clearly. Bishan has seen no significant new condo launch since 2021. Jadescape, which launched in 2018 at around S$1,700 psf and obtained TOP in 2023, now trades at approximately S$2,300 psf on the resale market, a gain of roughly 67% since launch. Sky Vue sits in a similar range at around S$2,250 to S$2,350 psf. The Bishan median resale price runs around S$1,950 psf, with older 1990s stock lower and newer projects at S$2,300 psf and above.
The other large launch in the broader corridor is Thomson Reserve, a much larger development of approximately 1,240 to 1,268 units on the former Thomson View site, expected to complete around 2030. That project serves a different buyer profile given its scale and location. The Sin Ming Avenue site, with only around 140 units expected, is a much smaller and more intimate development, which typically means lower collective inventory risk and potentially stronger resale scarcity value over time.
On the transit side, Bright Hill MRT is currently on the Thomson-East Coast Line. When the Cross Island Line Phase 1 opens, targeted for around 2030, Bright Hill becomes an interchange connecting Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Tampines and Pasir Ris. That upgrade meaningfully improves the location's connectivity from what has historically been a relatively transit-light part of the central region despite its geography.
For buyers thinking about investment fundamentals alongside the school plan, Bishan gross rental yields run at roughly 2.9 to 3.8% with occupancy generally above 90%, drawing expat and family tenants who value the greenery, the Upper Thomson food scene, and the proximity to international schools. My RCR condo investment guide covers how to think about yield, capital appreciation and liquidity across the Rest of Central Region over a five to ten year hold.
Practical Checklist Before You Commit
If you are seriously considering buying here with Ai Tong admission in mind, here is what I walk every client through:
- Confirm the 1km boundary. MOE measures straight-line distance from the school to your registered home address. Verify this for any specific unit you are considering using the MOE SchoolFinder tool.
- Map your child's birth year to the P1 registration year. Then map that against an estimated TOP of around 2030 to 2031 and check whether you will have genuine residency at that address, not just ownership.
- Understand the ballot is never guaranteed. Living within 1km gives priority in Phase 2C, but if the 1km band itself is oversubscribed, a computerised ballot still applies. Ai Tong is competitive enough that this has happened.
- Account for your full stamp duty position. If you own an HDB flat or another private property, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) applies. For Singapore citizens buying a second property, ABSD is currently 20%. For Permanent Residents buying a second property, it is 30%. These are significant costs that affect the overall financial case.
- Consider a bridging rental strategy. If your child's registration year is close, renting within the 1km zone now while this project completes may be more reliable than stretching the timeline.
A Realistic Picture, Not a Sales Pitch
I am not going to tell you that buying near Ai Tong School guarantees admission. It does not. What I can tell you, based on how the system has worked in 2024 and 2025, is that in a school that ballots through Phase 2C, the 1km address is the most meaningful lever a family without alumni ties can use. The Sin Ming Avenue new launch is one of very few new private developments that will sit within that catchment, in a supply-constrained town, beside an upcoming MRT interchange, from a developer making its Singapore debut with a record-setting land bid. Whether that combination is the right fit depends entirely on your family's specific timeline, finances and priorities.
If you would like to talk through whether the numbers and timing work for your situation, I am happy to have that conversation without any pressure. Drop me a message or register your interest through the Sin Ming Avenue new launch page and I will reach out with the latest updates as Eco World releases them.