2027/28 P1 knock-door: register first, then check each school

Key facts

2027/28 school dates

Not published

First protection

Register the allocated place

Transfer sequence

Acceptance before certificate retrieval

Reduced-place policy

Extended through 2028/29

If the family has not declined, register at the allocated school first

Unless the family has decided to decline the government or aided place, register at the allocated school within the official period. The 2026 Education Bureau notice says a parent unable to register should contact the allocated school in advance; failure to make contact by the deadline can be treated as giving up the place. The official 2027/28 result and registration milestones appear above from the Education Bureau source; 2026 June dates still must not be copied into the new cycle.

The common Cantonese term “knock door” does not describe another Education Bureau allocation round. Whether a school accepts outside applications, which form it uses, when it meets applicants and when it releases results are school-specific official facts.

Retrieve the registration certificate only after formal acceptance elsewhere

After registering at the allocated school, first obtain formal acceptance from another school and only then retrieve the Primary One Registration Certificate from the allocated school. The Education Bureau's 2026 notice states that retrieving the certificate immediately cancels the allocated place.

Do not cancel the original place merely after submitting another form, receiving an interview invitation or hearing an informal indication. A formal offer may have its own response deadline; follow that notice and retain written evidence. P1Tracker does not receive child names, application numbers or offer documents.

Policy numbers do not prove that a school has a vacancy

A 2023 Education Bureau notice described a small number of post-allocation additional admissions commonly called knock-door places and reduced the former amount by one per class: from two to one for schools with a standard class size of 25, and from three to two for schools with a standard class size of 30. The original arrangement covered 2023/24 to 2025/26.

In March 2026, the Education Bureau said the reduced-place arrangement would be extended for three more years through 2028/29. This is a policy framework, not a promise that every school offers one or two vacancies or accepts any application. Class numbers, vacancies, school decisions and individual applications still control the actual arrangement.

Use a five-part letter only when the school accepts one

Not every school requests or reads an application letter. Check the current official page, form and document list first. If the school accepts only a prescribed form, limits pages or rejects supplementary material, follow that rule. A letter helps the school understand an application quickly; polished language, connections or promises do not create an entitlement to a place.

1. Opening and purpose: identify the P1 post-allocation application, child name and only the application reference requested by the school. Do not add unrelated identity numbers.
2. Why this school: select one or two verified curriculum, value or environment points and connect them to real child and family needs instead of copying the school website.
3. Two pieces of child evidence: use recent reading, reasoning, self-care, cooperation, interest or service examples. State what the child did and learned rather than listing awards.
4. Current position and reason: explain the allocation situation and request factually without criticising the allocated school, kindergarten, teachers or other families.
5. Close and attachments: list only requested attachments, give the permitted contact method and state willingness to follow formal assessment. Ask for consideration without claiming priority.

Before submission, remove unverifiable descriptions, generic praise, guarantees, donation hints and claims of a school connection. Choose Chinese or English and handwriting or typed text according to the school rule and the language the family can use accurately.

Do not guess a target school's deadline

As of 15 July 2026, individual schools have not published their 2027/28 post-allocation application dates. Do not substitute a media article, forum account, 2026 form or another school's deadline, and do not assume every school closes on the day after results.

A school may use an online form, in-person delivery, post, required documents, an interview or a waiting-list notice, or may not publicly accept applications. Only its official website, formal notice or direct confirmation can establish school-specific dates and requirements.

A quick guide cannot replace a school-by-school check

A quick guide can organise the family sequence—preserve the allocated place, separate documents and check schools one by one—but it cannot transfer one school's dates, form or selection method to another. Reopen the target school's current official page and personal notice before acting.

Family sequence from allocation result to transfer

1. Check the result through the official channel and record the allocated school and registration deadline.
2. Unless the family has decided to decline it, register first to preserve the allocated place.
3. Use the POA directory and clearly labelled 2026 reference for research without carrying forward old codes, places or dates.
4. Open each target school's official site and separately record opening, deadline, submission method, interview, result and response deadline.
5. Retrieve the registration certificate and complete transfer only after formal acceptance elsewhere.
6. Reopen the official source before every action; an applicant-specific written notice takes precedence.

Source record

Official sources

Every item below is a primary Hong Kong Government or Education Bureau source. Exact 2026 dates are labelled as historical, while cross-cycle policies retain their stated coverage. A 2027/28 release will be added as a new update rather than silently relabelling an old year.

• Education Bureau Primary One Admission SystemCurrent official entry for annual notices, forms, frequently asked questions and result arrangements.Open official source ↗
• 2026 Central Allocation results and registration arrangementsOfficial 2026 result, registration and Primary One Registration Certificate transfer sequence.Open official source ↗
• Trial reduction in post-allocation discretionary places, 2023/24 to 2025/26Official framework for reducing the small number of additional places in schools with standard classes of 25 or 30 pupils.Open official source ↗
• Education Bureau extension of the reduced-place arrangement through 2028/29Confirms a three-year policy extension; it does not mean every school accepts applications or has published dates.Open official source ↗

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