Maris Stella Will Accept Girls From 2027, With New Uniforms and More Places

Maris Stella High School (Primary) is one of Singapore’s 9 boys-only primary schools. Not for much longer. Girls will be eligible to enrol starting from the P1 registration exercise in July 2026, for entry into Primary 1 in 2027.

That means this change isn’t a 2027 problem. It affects this year’s registration, which is just a few months away.

MOE announced the co-ed switch in May 2024, alongside plans to rebuild the Mount Vernon campus. A recent school circular has since filled in the details: new uniforms, more places, and a temporary relocation.

Here’s what parents need to know.

More P1 Places, No Gender Quota

The school will add 2 extra P1 classes in 2027, creating 60 additional places. There won’t be a gender quota. Boys and girls apply on equal footing through the standard P1 registration process.

Maris Stella remains an affiliated school, so parents familiar with the priority framework can plan accordingly.

3-Year Relocation and Split Sessions

The Mount Vernon campus is getting a full rebuild from 2027 to 2029. During this period, students move to temporary sites:

• Primary moves to the former MacPherson Primary site at Mattar Road
• Secondary moves to the former Bedok North Secondary site at Jalan Damai

To manage space at the temporary campus, the school will run split sessions:

• P3 to P6: Morning session, 7:30am to 1:30pm
• P1 and P2: Afternoon session, 12:30pm to 6:00pm

For families with kids in different levels, this means potentially two school runs a day. The school will offer full-day student care to help. Once the permanent campus is ready (tentatively 2030), it’ll go back to single-session.

New Uniforms and Class Names

With girls joining, the school has revealed new uniform designs:

• Girls’ formal uniform: White top with blue culottes (skort)
• Boys’ formal uniform: No change
• PE attire: New mandarin-collar T-shirt for both boys and girls
• New uniforms available from end of 2026

Primary classes were traditionally named after male saints. From 2027, some classes will be named after female saints too.

The Affiliation Catch for Girls

Here’s something worth flagging. Maris Stella Primary is an affiliated school, linked to Maris Stella High (Secondary). That affiliation gives students a lower cut-off point when applying for secondary school, which is one of the main draws of affiliated schools.

But the secondary school stays all-boys. So girls who attend Maris Stella Primary won’t be able to use the affiliation benefit when it’s time for PSLE posting. They’d apply to secondary school on the same footing as any non-affiliated student.

For boys, nothing changes. The affiliation advantage remains. For girls, you’re choosing Maris Stella for the primary school experience itself, not for the secondary school pathway.

What Parents Should Note

• No gender quota: boys and girls compete for the same pool of places
• Maris Stella is an affiliated school, but the affiliation benefit only applies to boys (since the secondary school is all-boys)
• Expect afternoon sessions for P1-P2 during the 3-year relocation (2027-2029)
• Full-day student care available at the temporary campus

For parents of boys, the extra 60 places mean slightly better odds during registration. For parents of girls, it’s a new option, just go in knowing the affiliation won’t carry over to secondary.