Primary One Admission Timeline 2027 (Discretionary Places and Central Allocation)

This page follows the Education Bureau announcement of 28 August 2026 and sets out the Primary One Admission timetable for September 2027 entry: what parents must do at each stage, how school nets follow the home address, and the common errors the Bureau itself lists. Scoring rules are onPOA points; this page covers dates and process only.

Who may apply

For September 2027 entry the child must have been born on or before 31 December 2021 (5 years 8 months when school starts), be a Hong Kong resident, not yet be attending a primary school, and never have been allocated a Primary One place. Children born on or after 1 January 2022 are under age. Direct Subsidy Scheme and private primaries (including international schools and ESF) sit outside POA and keep their own timetables.

2027 timetable

Dates below are from the Education Bureau announcement of 28 August 2026 and the school briefing deck.

September: Discretionary Places (one school, any net, electronic or paper, do not duplicate)

A child may apply to only one government or aided primary school, in any school net. Applying to more than one school, or submitting both the e-platform and a paper form, voids the application. Paper forms are available from 1 to 25 September at kindergartens, Home Affairs Department offices and Education Bureau regional offices. The e-platform accepts applications from 17 to 25 September. Paper forms must be handed to the school in office hours from 21 to 25 September, not to a kindergarten or the Bureau. Category A must-admit versus Category B points, and the eight criteria, are on the points page.

November: Discretionary Places results and registration

Results are released on 23 November 2026 on school notice boards and the e-platform. Successful applicants register on 25 and 26 November. Missing those days is treated as giving up the place. Unsuccessful applicants join Central Allocation automatically. Families who never applied for Discretionary Places and want Central Allocation only must have applied by 22 January 2027.

January: Central Allocation choices

In mid-January 2027 the Bureau posts the choice notice, the parents’ notes and the school list for the net of the child’s address. If nothing has arrived by 18 January, contact the School Places Allocation Section (2832 7740 / 2832 7700). The e-platform window is 18 to 24 January; in-person submission at designated centres is 23 to 24 January. Central Allocation-only applicants must already have applied by 22 January.

Central Allocation uses no points and no secondary-style banding: a random number plus choices. Part A is about 10% of Central Allocation places, up to 3 schools in any Primary One net. Part B is 90% and must be schools on the own-net (residential address) list. An own-net school chosen in Part A may be repeated in Part B. Siblings who want the same school must submit identical choice lists.

June: results and registration

The Primary One Registration Form is sent by Hongkong Post local courier on 2 and 3 June 2027 and is also on the e-platform. Families who opted in receive SMS; a test SMS goes out in mid-May. If nothing has arrived by 4 June, collect on 5 or 6 June. Registration at the allocated school is on 10 and 11 June.

From July: remaining places after allocation

There is no territory-wide quota or percentage for these remaining places. Follow that school’s own notice on the day. Do not treat circulating “must-bring” lists as a rule.

School nets

There are 36 Primary One nets. Central Allocation Part B follows the net of the child’s residential address (sole or main home), not the location of the school applied to at Discretionary Places. Exact boundaries are on the GeoInfo Map (www.map.gov.hk). Cross-boundary children receive a special Central Allocation list of schools near control points and do not fill in a net code.

• Hong Kong Island: 11 Central and Western · 12 Wan Chai · 14 North Point · 16 Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan · 18 Southern
• Kowloon: 31 Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei · 32 Mong Kok, Tai Kok Tsui · 34 Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan · 35 Hung Hom, Whampoa · 40 Sham Shui Po · 41 Kowloon Tong · 43 Wong Tai Sin · 45 Tsz Wan Shan · 46 Kowloon Bay, Ping Shek · 48 Sau Mau Ping, Lam Tin, Yau Tong
• New Territories West: 62 Tsuen Wan · 64 Kwai Chung · 65 Lai King, Tai Wo Hau · 66 Tsing Yi · 70 Tuen Mun West · 71 Tuen Mun East · 72 Tin Shui Wai · 73 Yuen Long West · 74 Yuen Long East
• New Territories East: 80 Sheung Shui · 81 Fanling · 83 Sha Tau Kok · 84 Tai Po · 88 Tai Wai · 89 Ma On Shan · 91 Sha Tin town centre, Fo Tan · 95 Sai Kung, Tseung Kwan O
• Islands: 96 Lamma Island · 97 Cheung Chau · 98 Lantau Island, Tung Chung · 99 Peng Chau, Discovery Bay

Common errors

The items below are common errors the Education Bureau lists in its Primary One documents. They are not this site’s own summary.

• Confusing the address-based school net with the net where the Discretionary Places school stands.
• Ticking both Category A and Category B in Part C of the form.
• Unacceptable address proof: mobile-phone bills, bank statements, deposit slips without receipts.
• Handing the Discretionary Places form to a kindergarten or the Bureau instead of to the school in person during office hours.
• Incomplete or blurry scans.
• Signing with iAM Smart+ but not clicking “Confirm and submit”.

Common misunderstandings

Myth: If we miss November registration we can still register later.

You cannot. Absence on 25 and 26 November is treated as giving up that Discretionary Places offer. That is an Education Bureau rule, not school discretion.

Myth: Discretionary Places points carry over to Central Allocation.

They do not. Central Allocation uses no points and no banding: a random number plus choices. The 35-point table on the points page has no role in January.

Myth: We can apply to more than one primary for Discretionary Places.

You cannot. One government or aided primary only; a duplicate application is void. That differs from Secondary Discretionary Places, where up to two participating schools are allowed.

Myth: The Bureau sets the timing, documents and criteria for remaining places after results.

The Bureau only says schools must not promise a place or take a registration form before 2 July. Everything else is school discretion.

Next steps

To add up a Category B Discretionary Places score, usePOA points. If the child is already in primary school and secondary allocation is a few years away, see theSSPA timeline: Primary 6 in 2026/27 is the 2025/2027 cycle (999632); Primary 5 that year is the first 88844222 cohort.

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