Bukit Timah is one of Singapore’s most coveted education belts, and this Bukit Timah Prime District Schools and Education Guide helps you understand which schools are nearby, how to choose the right cluster of schools, and how this ties into District 10 property decisions and landed living.
Drawing on verified MOE data and Homejourney’s on-the-ground insights, we’ll walk through key primary, secondary and international schools, realistic travel times from major MRT stations, and practical tips if you are buying or renting in Bukit Timah primarily for school access.[1][7]
How Bukit Timah Became Singapore’s Prime School District
If you speak to long-time residents around Bukit Timah Road, Sixth Avenue, or Watten Estate, you’ll hear the same thing: families moved here first for schools, then stayed for the lifestyle.
In District 10, Bukit Timah’s low-rise landed enclaves sit side-by-side with some of the most competitive good schools in Singapore, including Raffles Girls’ Primary School, Nanyang Primary, Henry Park Primary, Methodist Girls’ School (Primary and Secondary), Hwa Chong Institution, and National Junior College.[1][2][4]
The area is served mainly by the Downtown Line (DTL), with key education-belt stations such as Bukit Timah MRT (DT11), Tan Kah Kee (DT8), Sixth Avenue (DT7) and King Albert Park (DT6), all of which place students within short bus or car rides of multiple top schools.[1][2]
This cluster article supports the broader Bukit Timah living overview in Bukit Timah Prime District Guide: District 10 Living | Homejourney Bukit Timah Prime District Guide: District 10 Living | Homejourney and the pricing-focused piece Bukit Timah District 10 Prices & Rental Guide | Homejourney Bukit Timah District 10 Prices & Rental Guide | Homejourney . Read those together with this schools guide for a full decision framework.
Overview & Quick Facts: Bukit Timah as an Education Belt
Core education belt area: Around Bukit Timah Road, Dunearn Road, Sixth Avenue, Tan Kah Kee, Watten Estate and Greenwood Avenue.[1][2][4]
- Key MRT stations: Bukit Timah (DT11), Tan Kah Kee (DT8), Sixth Avenue (DT7), King Albert Park (DT6) – all on the Downtown Line.
- Typical MRT operating hours: First train around 5.30–6.00am and last train around midnight on the Downtown Line (check LTA/SMRT for updated timings before school starts).
- Station features: All these DTL stations are barrier-free with lifts, escalators and tactile paving; bicycle parking is available at many ground-level station entrances.
- Peak school traffic: 6.45–7.30am towards city / key schools, and 1.30–3.00pm after classes.
Which exits for top schools (by MRT):
- Bukit Timah MRT (DT11): Exit A for Bukit Timah Road side and fastest access towards Bukit Timah Primary School (approx. 5–7 minutes’ walk), Raffles Girls’ Primary School (about 10 minutes’ walk via Bukit Timah Road).[1][5]
- Tan Kah Kee MRT (DT8): Exits A/B place you within a 5–10 minute walk of Hwa Chong Institution and Nanyang Girls’ High School (via HCI campus), with sheltered walkways most of the way.
- Sixth Avenue MRT (DT7): Use Exit A for the Bukit Timah Road side, then a short bus/drive (5–7 minutes) to Henry Park Primary School and surrounding landed estates.[1][2]
- King Albert Park MRT (DT6): Exits A/C provide quick access (8–10 minute walk or 3–5 minute bus) to Methodist Girls’ School (Primary & Secondary) and the Bukit Timah Plaza/KAP Mall cluster.[1]
Because Bukit Timah is hilly in parts, walking times can feel slightly longer in the afternoon heat. Many local parents use a mix of short bus rides, school buses and drop-offs by car.
Top Primary Schools in Bukit Timah (District 10 Focus)
Families often anchor their Bukit Timah property search around a 1–2km radius of their preferred primary school for P1 registration priority.[1] Homejourney strongly recommends cross-checking the latest MOE school information, including P1 registration phases and vacancies, before committing to a long-term purchase.
Raffles Girls’ Primary School (RGPS)
Type: Girls’ school, government-aided | Location: Along Bukit Timah Road | Nearest MRT: Bukit Timah MRT (DT11)
From Exit A of Bukit Timah MRT, it is roughly a 10-minute walk to RGPS along Bukit Timah Road, with traffic crossings but generally wide pavements.[1][4]
RGPS is consistently one of the most competitive good schools in Singapore for P1 balloting, with strong Phase 1 and 2A take-up according to recent MOE data and published balloting trends.[1] Many families purchase or rent in nearby landed estates and low-rise apartments to fall within the 1km radius.
Insider tip: Morning traffic queues along Bukit Timah Road are heavy. Parents commonly drop off slightly earlier (around 7.00am) or use the MRT walking route to avoid a 15–20 minute jam for the last 500m.
Nanyang Primary School (NPS)
Type: Co-ed, government-aided | Location: Coronation / Bukit Timah area | Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee (DT8), about 8–10 minutes’ drive or short bus ride.[1][4]
Nanyang Primary is renowned for strong bilingual standards and a holistic curriculum. The school is in high demand, with large total vacancies but significant P1 registration competition.[1][2]
Families who live in the Watten Estate and Coronation Road West landed zones benefit from very short morning commutes by car, and some students even cycle within the neighbourhood.
Henry Park Primary School
Type: Co-ed, government-aided | Location: Along Holland Grove / Mount Sinai vicinity | Nearest MRT: Sixth Avenue (DT7) and Dover (EWL) via short bus ride.
Although technically closer to the Holland/Singapore Polytechnic end, Henry Park is part of the broader Bukit Timah education belt and very popular with District 10 landed home owners around Mount Sinai, Holland Grove, and Moonbeam Walk.[1][2]
Recent P1 registration phases show very high demand, with strong Phase 1 and Phase 2A occupancies.[1] If you are specifically targeting Henry Park, you will need to factor in both alumni affiliation and address planning early.
Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) – Primary
Type: Girls, government-aided | Location: Blackmore Drive | Nearest MRT: King Albert Park (DT6)
From King Albert Park MRT, MGS is about 8–10 minutes on foot or a very short bus hop along Bukit Timah Road.[1]
MGS offers a strong Christian ethos and a well-regarded through-train culture with its secondary section. It sits just off the main road, with a relatively calm drop-off area compared to Bukit Timah Road proper.
Bukit Timah Primary School (BTPS)
Type: Co-ed, government | Address: 144 Bukit Timah Road | Nearest MRT: Bukit Timah (DT11), about 5 minutes’ walk from Exit A via a straightforward route.[1][5]
BTPS is often described by local parents as a “neighbourhood gem” – less intense than the ‘brand name’ schools, yet with a caring environment and solid academic outcomes.[1][5]
In recent years, all Phase 1 applicants were successfully placed, making it an attractive back-up or first-choice for parents who value a more balanced school culture.[1]
Secondary & Junior College Options in the Bukit Timah Belt
Many parents look at Bukit Timah as a full education pipeline – from primary through IP secondary and JC, often within a 10–15 minute drive. This is where the district’s value really compounds for long-term families.
Hwa Chong Institution (HCI)
Type: IP secondary + JC | Location: Bukit Timah Road / Tan Kah Kee area | Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee (DT8), 5–8 minutes’ walk.[1][2]
HCI is one of Singapore’s most established independent schools with an Integrated Programme leading directly to A-Levels. According to multiple rankings and PSLE cut-off lists, it sits at the top of the academic hierarchy.[2][6]
Morning crowd control around Tan Kah Kee MRT is serious – expect heavy student traffic, but the station and surrounding pavements are designed for this load, with clear pedestrian routes and crossing lights.
National Junior College (NJC)
Type: IP secondary + JC | Location: Keng Lee / Bukit Timah fringes (Toa Payoh side) but often paired in the same education conversation as HCI and Bukit Timah schools.[2]
NJC offers another Integrated Programme option and is accessible by a combination of Downtown Line and North-South Line, or by direct buses from Bukit Timah Road. Families sometimes choose Bukit Timah as a residential base while students commute via MRT.
International & New Schools in the Bukit Timah Vicinity
Bukit Timah is not only for local stream families. It is also attractive to expatriate families seeking reputable international curricula close to green spaces and landed houses.
One World International School (OWIS) – Newton / Bukit Timah Road
OWIS Newton is a new campus located along Bukit Timah Road, slated to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) with a multilingual focus, including options for Japanese, Chinese and French as second languages.[1][3]
The campus is accessible via the Downtown Line with a short bus hop from nearby stations, creating an appealing option for younger children in Central and Bukit Timah areas.[3]
The Perse School Singapore – Bukit Timah Campus
The Perse School’s new Bukit Timah campus has re-opened for students aged 3–11, with secondary levels (12–18) opening progressively from 2025.[1][3]
It offers a UK-based curriculum and targets families who prefer smaller cohorts and a strong academic tradition within a quieter residential environment close to Bukit Timah’s landed streets.
Singapore American School (SAS) – Relevance to Bukit Timah Buyers
Although physically located in Woodlands, SAS is frequently considered by Bukit Timah-based expatriate families for its American curriculum and strong support programmes.[1][4]
Dedicated school buses link Bukit Timah clusters (such as Greenwood, Watten and Duchess Avenue) to SAS, usually around a 25–35 minute ride depending on traffic.
Property & Living: Matching Schools to Bukit Timah Housing
On the ground, you can almost map Bukit Timah’s micro-neighbourhoods by their “anchor schools”.
- RGPS / Nanyang Primary belt: Watten Estate, Hillcrest, Greenwood Avenue – mostly freehold landed homes and cluster housing with leafy streets. Many families here walk or take a 5-minute drive to school.[1][4]
- MGS belt: Around Blackmore Drive, King Albert Park, Bukit Timah Plaza – mix of older condos, newer freehold apartments and some landed pockets.
- BTPS / HCI belt: Near Bukit Timah MRT and Tan Kah Kee MRT, with a blend of low-rise apartments, walk-ups and landed streets feeding into multiple schools.
To explore specific projects and their distance to your target schools, use Homejourney’s projects directory Projects Directory . You can also browse current District 10 landed property and condo listings via Homejourney’s property search Property Search and cross-check school proximity.
For an in-depth breakdown of price per square foot (psf) and median rents in each sub-zone, refer to Bukit Timah District 10 Prices & Rental Guide | Homejourney Bukit Timah District 10 Prices & Rental Guide | Homejourney .
How to Choose the Right Bukit Timah School Cluster (Practical Framework)
When I speak with parents who have recently moved into Bukit Timah, the most common issue isn’t a lack of good schools – it’s choice overload. Here’s a simple step-by-step framework many local families use:
- Decide local vs international path early.
If you are committed to local PSLE and IP secondary, short-list 3–4 primary schools first (for example, RGPS, Nanyang Primary, MGS, BTPS). For expatriate or globally mobile families, compare OWIS Newton, The Perse School and SAS. - Check P1 registration or admission competitiveness.
Use MOE’s official P1 Registration website and recent balloting reports to see how many places are filled by Phase 1 and 2A, and whether there was balloting at 1km or 2km.[1][7] This affects the radius you should realistically aim for. - Map 1km and 2km radii against actual projects.
References
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 1 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 7 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 2 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 4 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 5 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 6 (2026)
- Singapore Property Market Analysis 3 (2026)
