Top International Schools in China for Expat Families

Education, along with health, are the two most important factors in a child's life and are imperative to parents. Not only does education help determine which career path a child may take, but also teaches children valuable life skills, such as looking after their health and social skills. As education is important, it can become competitive with parents wanting their children to attend the best schools. There are a number of things to consider when choosing a school, such as facilities, curriculum and results. Taking all these elements into consideration, we've found some of the best international schools in China.

Based on research, the best schools in China are based in Shanghai or Beijing and are the most popular destinations where expatriates relocate to or where a majority of expats currently reside. Dulwich College International actually has two schools available to students, one located in Shanghai, and another in Beijing. The schools are linked to the famous campus in South London and hold a prestigious reputation for providing excellent education. Both schools are not open to locals and only allow children to attend the school providing their parents have foreign passports.

Dulwich College Shanghai was established in 2003 and was the first Dulwich college to welcome students from toddler to year 13. The school has a main campus for junior and senior students, as well as a separate campus called DUCKS specifically setup for children from toddler to year 2. The School has had a recent renovation and boasts modern interactive and spacious facilities available to all its students. They teach the English National Curriculum, as well as being taught Mandarin. Not only that, but there are also lessons in local adaptations, especially in history and geography.

The Beijing college was established in August 2005 and is only 15 minutes away from the Beijing International and capital airports. This school also follows the English National Curriculum, in addition to teaching Mandarin up to year 9. While Dulwich Shanghai and Beijing school fees are not exactly the cheapest, the results they achieve are outstanding with many of their students going onto attending universities such as Yale, Princeton, Cambridge and Imperial London. Dulwich fees are worth it and the school could really help in setting up your child for a great future.

The International School of Beijing is based in the Shunyi district and boasts a 32-acre campus, which includes two libraries with 80,000 volumes. This is one of the best schools in China because of its growth. Established in 1981, this school used to be a small elementary school and within 25 years has grown to become a campus with state-of-the-art facilities that enables the school to educate toddlers, juniors and senior students. Their educational resources boast twelve science labs, a professional auditorium, six-lane competition swimming pool, four gymnasiums, six playing fields and an outdoor learning environment. The International School of Beijing offers the full Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organization and are accredited by the NCCT in China, the CIS in Europe and the WASC, as well as the NEASC in the United States. The school also has learning targets, so if you want your child to have access to great facilities and to excel in their education, then this is a school to consider.

The British International School, Shanghai has two schools, one located in Pudong and another in Puxi. The Pudong school was founded in 2002 by Nord Anglia Education of England and the Puxi campus opened not long after, in 2005. Both schools cater to infants, juniors and seniors. The Pudong campus is extremely well-equipped and proudly offers students the use of a swimming pool, theatre, music suite with state-of-the-art equipment, three indoor sports halls and a full size football pitch, as well as other facilities. The Puxi campus offers computer labs and mac suites, two gymnasiums, two swimming pools, an auditorium, a dance studio, fitness suite, two libraries and much more. Either way, whichever school you prefer, you can be rest assured that your child will have access to excellent facilities to assist with their learning. Both schools follow the English National Curriculum and as well as having Mandarin courses, also offer Extra Curricular Activies (ECAs) for children to learn about the Chinese culture.

Yew Chung International School is one of the best International schools in China because the school has a strong focus on bilingual education, as well as a East-meets-West curriculum. There are actually two campuses, one in Shanghai and another in Beijing. The Shanghai campus has four separate locations serving different grade levels. Two locations focusing solely on 1-8 year-old's and the other two centered around 9-18 year-old's. The Beijing campus caters for infants, primary and secondary school students and both campuses focus on bilingual education. They also both have exceptional facilities such as computer labs, libraries, music rooms, gymnasiums, auditorium and even a mini golf course. If you want your child to obtain a 50/50 kind of education with both Western and Eastern influences, then this is the school for you.

All of these schools have something different to offer, so consider what’s the main three things you wish your child’s school to offer before looking around. Once you know what you are looking for, then it will be easier to find the right school for your child. Fees can vary depending on facilities and reputation, but it can be worth it spending that little bit extra in the long run. Also, some schools can be difficult to get into due to huge number of applicants each year, so ensure your child meets the requirements and plan ahead if they don’t. Having your child learn multiple languages can be very beneficial for their future, so you can be rest assured if they attend any of the schools above, their education will be a great one.