Compare International Schools in Hangzhou, China

Located in Hangzhou's Qianjiang New Town / 钱江新城 (school address commonly listed as No. 9 Yulin Road / 御临路9号), close to the Qiantang River and modern commercial areas. The campus is roughly a 10–20 minute drive to downtown and is near high‑speed rail connections that provide fast links to Shanghai.

BIHZ is reported to offer a continuous Pre‑K / Early Years through Grade 12 programme (PreK–12); recent admissions notices indicate intake focused on PreK–G9 with senior grades expanding/filled from current students. The school is organised into early years, primary (elementary), middle and upper/secondary divisions.

BASIS International School Hangzhou is an English‑language international day school for foreign passport holders (外籍人员子女学校) and is operated as part of the BASIS International Schools network. It is co‑educational (accepts both boys and girls); public listings and network pages describe it as a purpose‑built international day campus. Parents should confirm any recent changes to boarding or residential options directly with admissions.

Public listings for the school indicate there is a learning‑support / additional‑needs provision with dedicated staff and case‑by‑case interventions; external specialist assessments (e.g., educational psychologists) can be arranged through partners in some cases. Provision appears to be limited and often described as tailored support rather than a full special‑needs programme, so families with specific, significant requirements should contact the school to discuss suitability and available services.

The school is part of the BASIS International Schools group (an overseas/US‑origin network) and does not have an affiliation to a national government or embassy as its curriculum provider; it operates as an international (foreign‑passport) school in China.

There is no stated religious affiliation; the school is run as a secular international school.

Public information indicates a standard international‑school day: classes generally begin around 08:00 and finish mid‑afternoon (around 15:00–15:30), with a midday lunch break; exact start/finish times and daily timetables vary by age group and cohort. For precise daily schedules by year group (and any Monday/assembly variations), contact the admissions office or consult the current parent handbook.

Local sources and school listings state the school operates a paid school‑bus service covering major residential areas around Hangzhou (routes and coverage may include districts such as Binjiang and Xiaoshan). Routes, stops, fees and seat availability are operated/managed on an annual basis and are subject to change—parents should request the current route map, fees and pick‑up/drop‑off policies from admissions.

BASIS International School Hangzhou delivers the BASIS Curriculum across Early Years, Primary, Middle and Upper School and serves students from Pre‑K through Grade 12. Early Years and Primary emphasise foundational literacy, mathematics, science, Chinese language, arts, music and physical education through a mix of homeroom and subject‑specialist teaching. The Middle School uses subject‑specialist instruction with an escalating academic schedule to prepare students for accelerated Upper School study. Upper School (Grades 9–12) follows a U.S. college‑preparatory programme offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses; the campus is an AP, PSAT and SAT test centre and is Cognia‑accredited. As a result, formal qualifications include progression through BASIS grade‑level assessments and, at the Upper School stage, externally graded AP examinations and standard U.S. college‑admissions tests (PSAT/SAT).

BASIS International School Hangzhou publicly describes a house system used to build community, mix students across year groups, and reward positive behaviour (house competitions and points are cited examples). The school's founding-year communications and network blog posts describe events such as a World Fair and house competitions used to foster cross‑age relationships and school belonging. Beyond these community activities, the school's public materials do not provide a separate, detailed SEL curriculum or a published list of dedicated SEL staff for the Hangzhou campus.

BASIS International & Bilingual Schools in China describe a co‑teaching model that includes Learning Enhancement Teachers (LETs) who work with Subject Expert Teachers (SETs) to support diverse learners. These network descriptions indicate structures for in‑class differentiation and targeted support, but BASIS International School Hangzhou does not publicly publish specific details about which types of Special Educational Needs it can support or whether it operates as a specialist SEN institution. Therefore, the school does not publicly disclose detailed SEN eligibility or specialist‑service information for the Hangzhou campus.

The BASIS network states that each school provides English language support through designated ELL/ELL teams using strategies such as push‑in and pull‑out sessions and targeted small‑group instruction, plus student hours for extra help. Network blog posts describe ELL chairs and dedicated ELL staff at several BASIS China schools and outline data‑driven monitoring (e.g., MAP assessments) and co‑teaching to support language learners. BASIS Hangzhou's publicly available materials do not, however, list a named EAL team or a detailed Hangzhou‑specific EAL programme on the school website.

Publicly available BASIS materials for Hangzhou highlight community‑building activities (house system, events) and general student support practices that can contribute to wellbeing. BASIS‑network content also references student hours, mentoring and pastoral practices used across its China schools, which are described as supports for students' academic and social needs. BASIS International School Hangzhou does not publicly disclose a dedicated counselling team structure or a published mental‑health programme specific to the Hangzhou campus on its website.

The school's publicly available Hangzhou pages and the BASIS network blog posts consulted do not show a published child‑protection or safeguarding policy specific to BASIS International School Hangzhou. Therefore, the school does not publicly disclose information regarding safeguarding and child protection for the Hangzhou campus on the pages reviewed.

1. Initial inquiry and campus tour / information. Contact the school's Admissions Office (online inquiry form, email or phone) to check current grade availability and to request an application pack; parents should note that spaces are limited in entry years and that open seats change frequently. If you can, arrange a campus tour or an online information session so your child and your family can see facilities and meet an admissions officer — this often clarifies age/grade placement and required documents.

2. Create an application account and submit the online application form. BASIS China campuses generally require applicants to create an account in the school's application portal and complete an online form that collects basic family, residency and previous-school information; this starts the admissions record for the student. Before or during this step you will normally be asked to pay a non‑refundable application fee (common practice across BASIS China listings is around RMB 2,000–3,000 per child) — keep the payment receipt because it is required to complete the submission. Parents should confirm the exact fee and accepted payment methods with Admissions (amounts reported by third‑party school directories and portals vary).

3. Submit required documents. Typical documents requested include: the child's passport (or ID for local students), recent passport photo, birth certificate, most recent school reports/transcripts (usually two years where available), any standardized test scores, and immunization/health records. If English is not the child's first language, schools commonly request evidence of English proficiency or recent-school reports showing English instruction; parents should prepare original documents and notarized translations where required. Confirming which documents must be original versus copies ahead of submission avoids delays at offer/registration.

4. Age-appropriate assessments and interview. For early years and elementary applicants the school typically uses short literacy and numeracy assessments or sample tasks; older applicants often take subject assessments (English and mathematics) and, for secondary, may be asked to provide standardized-test scores or a school portfolio. Schools also conduct an interview with the student (and usually a short parent interview or information call) — interviews may be held on campus or online. Parents should prepare their child for a roughly 30–60 minute session and make sure past-schoolwork and certificates are ready to share if requested.

5. Admissions decision and conditional offer. After assessments and document review, Admissions will issue one of: an offer of placement, a conditional offer (e.g., subject to receipt of final transcripts or visa documents), or a refusal; timing varies with grade and demand. If an offer is made, it will specify the deadline for acceptance and any enrollment deposit required to hold the place — read those deadlines closely because places are only held once the deposit and required paperwork are received. Parents should check whether the offer letter lists any additional fees (capital/building fees, material fees, meal and transport charges) so they can budget the total first‑year cost.

6. Pay deposit and complete registration. To secure the place most campuses require an enrollment deposit or first‑term/first‑year tuition payment; the offer letter will state the amount, due date and refund/transfer policy. You will also be asked to complete registration forms (emergency contacts, medical consent, photo release, etc.), select services (school bus, meals) and provide original documents for verification. Keep copies of all bank receipts and registration confirmation emails — these are commonly needed for family records and, in some cases, local administrative formalities.

7. Visa, residence and local administrative steps (for non‑local students). If your child is a foreign passport holder or will be resident on a student visa, ask Admissions early about the specific letters or enrollment confirmations they provide to support any local visa or residence permit application; procedures for K‑12 international students differ from university JW forms and vary by city. Some schools supply an official enrollment confirmation or other documentation to help with local Public Security or school‑entry requirements — confirm which documents the school issues and whether they will provide assistance with the municipal process. Parents should begin visa and medical-check steps early because local processing times can add weeks. (Because official details on the school's public pages were not available at the time of my check, confirm these steps directly with the school's Admissions Office.)

8. Orientation and first day logistics. After registration you will receive orientation information (start date, daily schedule, uniform requirements, pick‑up/drop‑off, and supply lists). Make final arrangements for bus routes, meal accounts and any medical needs; secondary students sometimes need to select elective/AP options before the term starts. Attend the parent orientation so you understand academic expectations, assessment reporting schedules and how to communicate with teachers.

9. Follow-up: keep copies and confirm yearly re-enrolment rules. Many international schools require re‑enrolment each year and have payment/refund deadlines; keep all offer and contract documents and note the school's published payment/refund policy. If your family's address, guardianship or contact details change, notify Admissions promptly because these are required for student records and emergency procedures. If you need anything clarified (fees, policies or the current seat availability) contact the Admissions Office in writing and request an itemized fee schedule and the current enrollment status.

BASIS China runs a multi‑campus scholarship program called the Global Excellence Student Scholarship (often translated in Chinese as “全球卓越学生奖学金”) that has been offered across several BASIS campuses in China, including Hangzhou. Public announcements and school communications for BASIS campuses (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing among others) describe a merit‑based selection process with an initial materials round (standardized test evidence, transcripts, recommendation letters, portfolio/video) followed by interviews and assessments; successful candidates at the high‑school level have in some years been awarded multi‑year tuition scholarships (examples of four‑year upper‑school scholarships are publicized for several campuses). Parents should note three practical points: (1) scholarship application windows and requirements are set by the program and change year to year, so you must download the current scholarship application pack or request it from Admissions; (2) scholarship awards usually cover tuition only — additional fees (meals, transport, uniforms, extracurricular fees and any boarding charges) are typically the family's responsibility unless otherwise specified; and (3) the scholarship selection process commonly requires high standardized‑test scores and a portfolio, and shortlisted candidates attend an interview/assessment round. If you are considering a scholarship application, ask Admissions for the latest scholarship prospectus, the deadline for submission, and any campus‑specific conditions — the program details reported in public sources show consistent availability but can differ by campus and year.

Hangzhou Foreign Languages School (HFLS) is located in the Xiaoheshan higher-education zone in west Hangzhou; the school's English page lists its campus address as 299 LiuHe Road. The campus is part of an area with several universities and research institutes, and Hangzhou's road and public-transport networks connect the district to the city; Shanghai is commonly described as about a two-hour drive away. For exact transit options and commute times from a particular neighbourhood, contact the school or check local maps.

HFLS is a secondary school covering middle and high school levels (typically grades 7–12). The school also runs an international/A‑Level programme (the “Cambridge”/A‑Level centre) for senior students as a separate international track.

HFLS is a public, co‑educational secondary school administered under Zhejiang provincial education authorities. The main campus includes dormitory buildings and the school operates boarding for some students/programmes (for example the A‑Level programme uses a boarding model).

The school's public materials (official English page and municipal summaries) do not list detailed Additional Learning Needs/SEN services or a dedicated SEN department. Parents of children with assessed learning needs should contact the school's admissions or student‑support office directly to discuss individual provisions and any possible accommodations.

HFLS is a Chinese public school managed under the Zhejiang Provincial Education Department; it is not affiliated with another country.

The school does not list any religious affiliation in its official descriptions or public profiles.

The school's public website describes campus facilities (teaching buildings, canteens and dormitories) but does not publish a daily timetable or exact start/end times. Boarding students typically follow an extended day that includes evening study sessions; parents should request the current daily schedule (start/end times, break and meal arrangements) directly from the school.

There is no clear public listing of regular school‑run bus routes on HFLS's English website or municipal profiles; some neighbouring schools in Hangzhou do operate dedicated school buses, so arrangements vary locally. If a school bus is essential for your family, contact HFLS admissions or the front office for up‑to‑date information on any routes, pick‑up points, costs and booking procedures (the school's English contact details and address are shown on its website).

The school has on-campus dormitory buildings and an on-campus guesthouse.

There is a dining area with three canteens for students and one canteen for faculty; vending machines and a school store are available.

The school is administered directly by the Zhejiang Education Department. It was founded in 1964.

Hangzhou Foreign Languages School (杭外) is a public, integrated junior‑and‑senior middle school (grades 7–12) directly administered under Zhejiang education authorities. It delivers the national compulsory curriculum at both junior and senior stages while emphasising foreign‑language specialism and offering English plus multiple additional languages (French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Italian). The junior‑middle programme (初中, years 7–9) follows the standard national syllabus supplemented by language immersion, small‑class and a “one‑major, one‑minor” language teaching model with elective options. The senior‑middle programme (高中, years 10–12) prepares students for the national senior‑high diploma/Gaokao pathway and also operates a Cambridge international high‑school programme (剑桥国际高中项目) that readies students for Cambridge global examinations (this programme is run separately and has its own fee structure). The school is one of the Education Ministry‑recognised foreign‑language schools with qualification to recommend students under foreign‑language recommendation quotas and integrates language, culture and critical thinking across its curriculum.

The school reports regular home–school activities and parent meetings that focus on student growth, stage-based feedback and class-level pastoral work; a May 9, 2025 parent meeting described invited psychological input and detailed class teacher reports to parents. The school's published profile also emphasizes whole-child development and moral/character education as part of its programme.

The school's admissions guidance requires students to be in ‘身心健康' (physically and mentally healthy) and lists specific medical/health conditions that make a student unsuitable for boarding (for example: asthma, heart disease, sleepwalking, epilepsy and certain other disorders), indicating health screening at intake. The website does not publish a dedicated SEN policy, named SEN team, or a clear list of the types of special educational needs it can support; it does not describe itself as a specialist SEN institution.

The school's website describes multilingual instruction (English plus options such as French, German, Japanese and Spanish) and a Cambridge international high‑school programme taught by Chinese and foreign teachers, showing a strong language curriculum. However, the site does not publish a specific EAL (English-as-an-additional-language) support policy, English‑language withdrawal/sheltered programmes, or named EAL staff, so targeted EAL provision is not publicly described.

The school's news items show it organises parent meetings that include input from external mental‑health professionals (for example, a psychological expert from the Zhejiang University medical/mental‑health centre spoke at a recent parents' meeting), indicating use of external expertise for adolescent mental‑health topics. Its admissions materials also state students must be ‘physically and mentally healthy', reflecting an institutional emphasis on students' health status, but the website does not publish a detailed, school‑run mental‑health programme or named counselling team.

The school is a provincial, state‑affiliated public school under the Zhejiang education system (the site notes its status and oversight), but the website does not publish a standalone child‑protection or safeguarding policy, a named safeguarding officer, or explicit reporting procedures for safeguarding concerns. Therefore, specific safeguarding policies and staff roles are not publicly disclosed on the school website.

1. Check eligibility and timetable. Hangzhou Foreign Languages School (杭外) publishes an annual招生方案 with precise eligibility (for 2025 the intake was limited to students with primary school status in Hangzhou's main urban districts) and exact online registration windows; parents must confirm the current year's registration/opening dates on the school website or WeChat account because the school requires online-only registration and will not accept mailed or in-person initial sign-ups.

2. Register online and provide accurate personal information. Parents/guardians must complete the school's online报名 system (via the school website or the official WeChat platform) and ensure the student's name, ID number and in‑school (学籍) information are entered exactly as on official documents; the school explicitly states it will reject applications with inaccurate or unverified information. Keep your login details and watch the system for the registration deadline and any required uploads (e.g., identity or health information).

3. School verification and announcement of preliminary results. After online submission the school reviews each application for scope and eligibility (e.g., district residency and valid primary‑school学籍); families should check the online system on the date the school gives for审核结果 because only verified applicants proceed to the next stage. If the school finds missing or false information it may disqualify the application, so bring correctly issued identity documents if the system requests later verification.

4. Computerised allocation (派位) to select candidates for assessment. When applications exceed a set multiple of planned places the school conducts a supervised电脑派位 (for 2025 the ratio to determine the assessment pool was 1:6); parents should note the exact time the platform publishes派位 results and understand that the draw is done under municipal/provincial supervision and public‑security/公证 oversight. If overall applicants do not exceed the designated multiple, all applicants proceed to the next stage rather than being excluded by the draw.

5. Language‑learning ability assessment (语言学习能力测评). Students selected by派位 (or where numbers are lower than the threshold, all applicants) attend a school‑organised language learning ability test on the published date and at the published location; the assessment is used to evaluate language interest and aptitude and is a core criterion for admission. Parents must print and bring the test permit/准考证 and a valid ID; the school's notice specifies the testing venue and the items excluded/required (e.g., health suitability for boarding where applicable).

6. Final admission decisions and follow‑up formalities. Admission is offered based on the combined process (eligibility,派位 where used, and language assessment results) and in some cases on further selection rules for specialised streams (for example, the school's剑桥高中项目 uses separate English‑proficiency testing and ranking procedures). Once admitted parents must complete registration and any required fee payments or document submissions by the deadlines published in the offer notice; watch the school's system and WeChat for post‑offer instructions and the consequences of missing reporting deadlines.

Public admissions notices and the school's recent intake documents do not list any school‑run scholarship programme for the junior‑high public intake; the 2025招生方案 focuses on eligibility,派位 and language measurement and states the收费标准 for junior high follows municipal public‑school rules (it does not advertise need‑based or merit scholarships in that notice). For the school's international/high‑school (剑桥) programme there is a clearly stated fee schedule (the 剑桥项目 is recorded in local fee filings as 45,000 RMB per semester) and those programme notices similarly list which charges are excluded (textbooks, accommodation, some exams, etc.) but do not describe a published scholarship scheme—families asking about fee reductions, need‑based assistance or programme‑level scholarships should contact the school's finance or admissions office directly because any special awards or hardship assistance are typically handled case‑by‑case or through municipal student aid channels rather than via the standard admission notice.

The school's published procedure (most recently the 2025 plan) describes an online registration, an audit, a supervised computerised allocation to identify candidates for the language assessment, and then selection by measured results. In that scheme the computer派位 is the mechanism used to determine the assessment pool (e.g., 1:6 in 2025) and the school's notice does not set out a separate ongoing public “waitlist” process in the admissions announcement itself; if the number of applicants does not exceed the multiple, all applicants go forward to testing. Families should still monitor the online system and the school's announcements after the main offers are issued: in many local admissions systems any post‑offer vacancies are handled by the education authority or by published补录/候补规则 and are filled in order, so if you want to know whether a ranked候补 list will be published you should ask the school's招生办公室 or the local education bureau for the specific year's practice.

Campus address: No.1 Shanghe Road (上和路1号), Yuhang Street, Yuhang District, Hangzhou. The school is in Hangzhou's Yuhang/老余杭 suburban district (near the future‑tech / development areas of Yuhang) — it is reachable by Hangzhou public transport but the school's website gives only the postal/contact details; for exact metro/bus stops or driving directions contact the school or check a map app.

The school operates as a combined middle (lower school) and upper school (senior high) and publishes multiple pathways: a domestic (Gaokao) track plus international tracks (A‑Level and country‑specific programmes such as Australian, German and Japanese options).

Hangzhou Entel is a private (民办) full‑time secondary school (initially founded 2008) that includes both junior‑ and senior‑middle years; the school runs international programme streams alongside national curriculum classes. Several school listings indicate on‑campus boarding is available for some students.

The school's public profile highlights a low student‑to‑teacher ratio (about 1:6) and small‑class/specialized small‑class teaching (10–20 students), which can support closer teacher attention; the official site does not publish a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy or detailed SEN provisions, so parents with specific support needs should contact the admissions office directly to discuss individual arrangements.

The school is a Chinese school (located and registered in Hangzhou) offering international curricula but it is not presented as affiliated to a foreign national education authority.

No religious affiliation is indicated on the school website or in its public profile; the school is presented as secular.

The school's website gives programme and contact information but does not publish a daily timetable (start/end times, lesson periods or exact break/lunch times). Local and provincial practice allows schools some flexibility in scheduling, so exact day structure and boarding routines vary by year group — please ask the school for a current daily timetable and boarding routines.

The school's own site does not describe a school‑bus provider or published routes. Local school listings and parent information pages note that Entel operates coordinated student transport (school buses / weekend pickups reported by local sources), but those listings do not give route/provider details; for approved routes, pickup points, safety procedures and fee arrangements contact the school's admissions or logistics office.

Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School was established by the Jincheng Holdings Group in 2008. It follows a 12-year education system with three departments: lower middle school, upper school (domestic track), and upper school (overseas track). It is located in Hangzhou's Future Science and Technology City.

Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School operates an integrated 6‑year lower/middle school and an upper school that runs both a domestic (Gaokao) track and an overseas track offering A‑Level, Australian, German and Japanese pathways. The lower/middle school follows a 6‑year model with small classes (maximum 36, with math and foreign‑language classes split into 18–20), a mentor system, and more than 70 elective/enrichment courses including second‑language study. The upper‑school domestic track prepares students for China's Gaokao with small‑class teaching, individualized mentoring and implementation of the “3 out of 7” subject‑choice reform. The overseas track provides distinct pathways: an A‑Level programme for UK/US/Canada/Australia/Hong Kong/Singapore admission, an Australian programme aligned to the Group of Eight (with a 2.5‑year high‑school pathway), a German programme routed via Aachen University of Applied Sciences for entry to North Rhine‑Westphalia universities, and a Japanese programme preparing students for four‑year undergraduate study in Japan. Across stages students receive transition programmes (e.g., a 2.5+3.5 transition option), university‑placement guidance and research‑oriented enrichment to support progression to domestic or international qualifications.

The school does not publish a named Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programme or a dedicated pastoral-team page on its official website. The school's news items refer to a Counseling and Career Planning Center and a range of co-curricular activities (drama productions, study tours, sports) that the school describes as contributing to students' broader development. The Cognia accreditation report on the website also highlights the school's stated commitment to fostering well-rounded students. The site does not provide public, detailed documentation of an SEL curriculum, designated SEL staff, or specific SEL initiatives. For programme-level details or job titles of pastoral staff, parents should contact the school directly.

The school's official website and news pages do not publish a specialist Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy or a list of specific categories of SEN that the school can support. No dedicated SEN department, specialist provision, or statement that the school is a specialist SEN institution is shown in the materials available on the site. External school-directory summaries describe the school's curriculum and pastoral aims but do not provide SEN detail either. Because the school does not make SEN provision details publicly available online, it should be treated as not publicly disclosing its SEN arrangements. For clarity on individual needs, the school's admissions or student-support office should be contacted directly.

The school publishes news showing strong English teaching outcomes (Cambridge Outstanding Learner awards and national English competition results) and advertises international-language programmes and foreign-teacher recruitment. However, the official site does not present a named EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme, an EAL team, or specific EAL-entry/withdrawal procedures in its publicly available pages. In other words, dedicated EAL provision is not documented on the school website. If you need information about targeted English-language support for non-native speakers, please contact the school to request their current EAL arrangements.

The school's website refers to a Counseling and Career Planning Center and describes student activities that foster teamwork and engagement, which the school links to holistic student development. The Cognia accreditation article on the site indicates the institution was reviewed across criteria that include student support and institutional management. The site does not, however, publish a separate mental-health or wellbeing policy, a staff list of counsellors/psychologists, or publicly available programme details for clinical mental-health support. For information about onsite counsellors, counselling hours, or referral pathways to external mental-health services, you should contact the school directly.

The school's website lists contact information and regulatory filings (site contact details and ICP/public-security registration numbers) but does not publish a standalone child-protection or safeguarding policy on its public pages. The Cognia accreditation report indicates the school has undergone a comprehensive institutional review, which includes aspects of management and student support, but the site does not provide a named safeguarding officer or the school's formal child-protection procedures. Because a specific safeguarding policy is not available on the website, parents or inspectors should request the school's safeguarding/child-protection documentation and the names of designated safeguarding leads directly from the school. Contact details are provided on the site for such requests.

1. Confirm eligibility and key dates. Parents should first check whether their child meets the school's geographic /学籍 requirements (the school's published guidance has historically given priority to students with Zhejiang /余杭区 or 临平区学籍 or qualifying local residency status); eligibility rules and the specific registration window are set each year by the school and district — for example the 2025特色班 published timeline used mid-May online registration and school recommendation steps.

2. Online registration and school recommendation. For specialty/high‑track places (e.g., the 2025 语言特色班) parents must complete the online registration form during the stated window (in 2025 that was May 17–20) and the student's current school must complete and submit the official recommendation form and supporting paperwork by the school deadline; the recommendation form is required and each student may normally only be recommended to one specialty class. Parents should note the exact online time window and keep copies/screenshots of submissions and QR codes used to register.

3. Prepare and submit documents for qualification review. After online registration, the school's admissions team performs a materials check and qualifies candidates before they progress; required paperwork (per the published process) includes the signed recommendation form, photocopies of relevant award certificates or special‑talent proofs, and whatever identity /学籍 documents the district requires. Parents should confirm early with the child's current school which paper documents must be delivered to the receiving school by the stated deadline (the 2025 process required the home junior high to forward verified paper materials).

4. Attend the school's entrance assessment and interview. For the 2025 language‑specialty intake the school organised a school‑run language assessment (pen‑and‑paper English test plus an oral interview) on a stated date (May 25, 2025); the written paper in that instance was 120 minutes and the oral interview was scored separately. Admissions are then based on a combined score (in 2025 the weighting was 50% school test and 50% the junior‑high academic exam), with explicit cutoffs and publicised ranking — parents should make sure the student brings required ID (ID card or citizen card) on test day and understands the test format in advance.

5. Offer notification, fees and financial‑aid notes. When offers are made the school publishes the admitted list through the district process; the school's 2025 specialty‑class page lists tuition and boarding as reference figures (for 2025 the published figure was RMB 40,700 per semester for tuition and RMB 3,500 per semester for boarding for the specialty/high track) and specifically notes that tuition does not include meals, uniforms, certain elective costs and external exam fees. The same admissions notice also states the school will provide financial support for families in difficulty and awards scholarships to academically excellent students — however the published procedure gives limited public detail about application steps for those supports, so parents who may need aid or who expect merit awards should contact the school's admissions office early for exact criteria and deadlines.

6. Final registration, supervision and appeals. After an offer is accepted families complete final registration and payment as directed by the school and the district; the 2025 guidance also described oversight (district education bureau supervision) and published complaint / supervision phone lines for the admissions process. If a family has questions about placement, eligibility, or a disputed result the published admissions materials list the district admissions office and the school's admissions supervision telephone numbers — contact those numbers rather than relying on informal channels.

The school's official admissions material for recent intakes states two things about financial support: the school will provide funding support for families with genuine economic difficulty and will award scholarships to students with strong academic performance. The admissions notice for 2025 specifically says the school will provide '经费支持' to families in need and '奖学金' for academically outstanding students, but it does not publish a detailed, public step‑by‑step application process or fixed scholarship amounts in that notice — parents should contact the admissions office for the current scheme, eligibility criteria and application deadlines. Separately, the school's programme pages report that graduates in certain overseas tracks have received full university scholarships (for example the Australian programme page notes some students received full scholarships totalling roughly AUD 100,000–200,000 annually), which describes external university scholarships obtained by students rather than an internal tuition‑waiver programme administered by the school. If you want exact, current details (types of school awards available, whether awards are renewable, application deadlines, means‑testing requirements, and how scholarship decisions are made), I can contact the admissions office for you or provide the school's published contact points so you can enquire directly.

The school's published admissions procedures for the 2024–2026 cycles (as presented in the school's 特色班 /招生简章 materials) do not describe a separate, formal public “waiting‑list” process; instead, the process ranks candidates by the stated combination of the school assessment and the district examination and then fills the planned places in order. The 2025 specialty‑class guidance makes clear that students who are not admitted in that round may continue to fill later district application rounds (i.e., submit first/second‑batch preferences) rather than being automatically held on a school‑level waiting list. Because the school and district sometimes handle residual places or mid‑year openings differently, parents who want to know whether a formal school waitlist exists in a given year should confirm directly with the admissions office (the school publishes admissions contact and district supervision numbers).

The school is in Hangzhou's Future Sci‑Tech City (Yuhang District), at No.1 Guowen Road — a newer tech and residential area whose campus is set amid landscaped areas (tea fields and bamboo are referenced on the site). Future Sci‑Tech City is served by Hangzhou metro lines and major roads, so the area has public-transport links to the city; check local metro maps for the nearest station to the campus.

The school is organised into four main sections: a bilingual Kindergarten (ages about 3–6), Primary and Junior High (Grades 1–9, roughly ages 7–15) and Senior High (Grades 10–12, ages ~16–18); the site also describes an International School provision covering ages 3–18.

The school is co‑educational and operates a mixed Chinese/international provision (Chinese national curriculum elements integrated with international programmes). Boarding accommodation is available and boarding is a central part of school life from Grade 7 upward.

Pastoral care and a tutor/house system are highlighted as the main routes for supporting students' emotional, social and academic development; the school's pastoral leadership includes staff with experience supporting pupils with special needs. For specific additional‑learning‑needs (SEN) provision or assessments, the admissions team recommends direct contact so the school can describe individual arrangements.

The school was founded through a partnership between Dipont Education, China's RDFZ Group and King's College School, Wimbledon (UK), so it has both Chinese and British institutional links.

The school does not present a religious affiliation on its website; its published materials describe a secular, bilingual/international educational programme.

The daily timetable differs by section (kindergarten, primary/junior, senior) and teaching is organised around those sections with bilingual/co‑taught lessons described for early years and primary. The website does not publish a single, fixed start‑and‑finish time for all sections; parents should request the exact daily schedule for the relevant age group from admissions.

The school has operated dedicated school‑bus routes (a news post noted eight routes when they were introduced) and has previously described careful route and safety planning; however the website does not list current routes or the carrier. Parents should contact admissions for up‑to‑date route maps, pickup points, seat availability and any transport fees.

Boarding follows an international model with boarding houses fully integrated into school life. A mix of local and expatriate staff provides supervision and pastoral support; new boarders are paired with existing boarders to help them settle, and bedrooms are allocated by age with rotating roommates to avoid isolation. Housemasters and housemistresses are Chinese-speaking and can be contacted by email or phone; the boarding staff maintain open dialogue with parents when issues arise.

The dining program provides safe and nutritionally rich meals. Weekly meal plans are published for kindergarten through high school to show menus and ingredients.

The house system is the pastoral hub of the school. It fosters a cohesive, English-speaking community where international and Chinese pupils meet regularly and participate in house activities. It delivers pastoral care, builds house spirit, and connects to co-curricular events with balanced emphasis on sport, service, culture and academics.

Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science was founded through a partnership among RDFZ King's Hangzhou, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, and King's College School, Wimbledon. It operates within the Dipont Education network as a Dipont Education Independent school.

Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science operates a bilingual model: it delivers the Chinese National Curriculum integrated with international methodology for Grades 1–9 and a parallel International School that follows the English National Curriculum in primary and Key Stage 3. Kindergarten (ages 3–6) is an activities-based bilingual programme organised around seven curriculum strands (communication, physical, social-emotional, science, mathematics, cultural studies and creative arts) to prepare children for Grade 1. In the international secondary pathway, pupils choose Cambridge IGCSE subjects from Year/Grade 10 (compulsory English, Mandarin and mathematics plus sciences, humanities and an aesthetic) and then progress to Cambridge International AS and A‑level courses in the sixth form/Grades 11–12. Chinese‑stream students complete the compulsory Chinese curriculum through Grade 9 and may transfer into the International Curriculum Centre, where targeted English development supports access to CIE A‑levels. Across all stages the school uses mixed teams of Chinese and international teachers, increasing specialist subject teaching from upper elementary and using project‑based, co‑teaching and co‑curricular/pastoral programmes to support student development.

The school's Pastoral Care page states that pastoral care supports pupils' emotional, social and academic development and that tutors (both international and Chinese) provide daily points of personal contact for every student. It describes a tutor system, a house system and boarding pastoral support (heads of house, year leaders and tutors) as the main pastoral structures. The Approach to Learning page lists pastoral work alongside academic and co‑curricular systems as core to pupil development. The co‑curricular programme and inter‑house activities are described as ways to build relationships and a sense of belonging across the school.

The school does not publicly disclose information regarding Special Educational Needs (SEN) support on its website. A search of the school site and the academic/pastoral pages does not reveal a dedicated 'SEN' or 'Learning Support' page or published description of specific SEN provision. For families with specific SEN queries the school's admissions contact details are provided on the site for direct enquiry.

The school's published information shows bilingual provision in early years and elementary classes: kindergarten and lower grades operate with paired Chinese and international teachers to develop both English and Chinese language skills. The International School section states that IGCSE pupils take 'English as a first or second language' and that all students study Mandarin at an appropriate level. The site also notes a substantial proportion of English‑speaking foreign faculty, which the school presents as part of its bilingual/international staffing model. The website does not, however, describe a separate targeted EAL programme or named EAL specialists in a dedicated page.

The Pastoral Care page emphasises that 'happy, healthy pupils are far more likely to do well' and describes tutors and the pastoral team as the primary support for pupils' emotional and social development. The Boarding Life page states that looking after students' emotional and mental health is central to good pastoral care and describes regular tutor contact and residential staff support for boarders. The school's senior‑leadership listings include a Head of Pastoral Care (named) and the Vice Principal's biography references involvement in creating a multi‑year counselling programme within Dipont centres, indicating leadership experience in counselling provision. The site does not publish a standalone mental‑health policy or a public list of in‑school counselling staff on its public pages.

The Pastoral Care page states that the school has 'robust safeguarding policies and procedures' and that pastoral care permeates all aspects of school life, with every member of staff taking part in the programme. The site names pastoral structures responsible for student welfare: tutors, heads of house, year leaders, the boarding team and a Head of Pastoral Care. The school presents safeguarding as integral to its pastoral approach but does not publish a full safeguarding or child‑protection policy document on the public site. For explicit policy text or named safeguarding officer details the site directs enquiries via the school's contact information.

1. Check grade availability and eligibility. Before you apply, confirm which year groups are open to Chinese and international students — the school's admissions page lists accepted grades for 2024–2025 (for example: Chinese students — all kindergarten levels, Grade 1, Grades 4–6, Grade 7 and Grade 10; international students — all kindergarten levels, Grades 1–11). Note that some places (especially for compulsory education years) are subject to local district rules, so confirm your child's eligibility if you rely on household registration (hukou) or a residence permit.

2. Prepare supporting documents and residency proof. The school's 2023 admission brochure describes the types of residency documentation used for local admissions (house purchase/property certificate, Yuhang district household registration, or a valid Zhejiang residence permit) and specific birth-date windows for kindergarten/Grade 1 cohorts; parents should have originals and certified copies ready for verification. If your child is transferring from another school, be prepared to provide previous school reports and any records required by the Admissions Office. Because district rules and required documents can change from year to year, check current requirements with Admissions before you submit materials.

3. Submit the online application. Applications are submitted through the school's online application portal (the site links to the Dipont application system); complete the online form and upload the requested documents (the portal will indicate what is needed). Save the application reference number and keep copies of what you upload — the Admissions team will use the portal to arrange the next steps. If you have trouble with the portal, use the admissions contact details on the school website to request support.

4. Assessment and verification stage. After the school receives a completed application and supporting documents, the Admissions Department arranges assessments and any on-site verification (the website notes that assessments will be arranged upon receipt of required documents). For compulsory-education years there are scheduled online registration and verification windows (the 2023 brochure shows specific registration and verification dates as examples), so expect time-bound steps in that process and confirm the current year's timeline with the school. Assessments commonly include age-appropriate academic checks and an interview/meet-and-greet, but check with Admissions for the exact assessment format for your child's year group.

5. Notification of results and offer. The school states it will communicate admissions decisions to parents once evaluations are complete; follow the instructions in the offer letter for next steps. Offers typically include information about tuition, payment deadlines, and any deposits or acceptance confirmations required — if the offer does not specify these, contact Admissions immediately to clarify the payment schedule and required paperwork. Keep copies of the offer and all payment receipts for your records.

6. Fees, payment and enrollment formalities. The public admissions page lists annual tuition banding (examples shown on the site: Kindergarten RMB138,000; Primary RMB188,000; Middle School RMB208,000; High School RMB228,000), and the 2023 brochure gives per-semester figures for certain years (for example, primary RMB78,000/semester; junior high RMB88,000/semester). Because fee schedules and payment terms can change, treat the website figures as indicative and confirm the current year's fees, payment deadlines, and refund/cancellation policy with Admissions before making any transfer. Use the contact details provided by the school to request the formal fee schedule and a copy of the enrolment contract.

7. Final enrolment, portals and onboarding. Once you accept an offer, follow the school's instructions for completing enrolment (medical forms, student data, boarding allocation if applicable) and for accessing parent/student portals (the site lists portals such as ManageBac and the school Engage/administration portals). If you plan for boarding, ask specifically about rooming arrangements, boarding fees, and pastoral care routines; if you plan for day attendance, confirm bus routes or drop-off procedures. If any step or document is unclear, use the Admissions email and phone numbers listed on the site to request step-by-step guidance.

The school's public pages do not present a dedicated, published scholarship programme for incoming students at the Hangzhou campus. The site does report students receiving sizeable scholarships from external universities at graduation (news posts note aggregate university scholarship amounts received by graduates), but that is different from an internal school scholarship policy. Dipont group schools in other cities have explicit internal scholarship schemes (for example, the Wuxi Dipont admissions pages describe scholarships available for G3+ and other merit awards), which shows that scholarship practice can vary by campus — however, Hangzhou's site does not currently list specific internal scholarships or a formal application process. If you are interested in merit or financial-award opportunities at Hangzhou Dipont, ask Admissions directly (admissions@rkcshz.cn or the phone numbers on the website) for the most up-to-date information and for eligibility criteria, deadlines, and whether any need-based or performance-based awards are available in the forthcoming intake.

The school's public admissions pages do not use the word “waitlist,” but the 2023 admissions brochure describes participation in the district's computer-based allocation and supplementary-enrolment procedures for private schools (for example: online registration for supplementary enrollment and computer-based allocation steps are shown for primary and junior-high entry). This indicates that for some year groups the school works within district allocation systems and may have a process for supplementary intake when initial places are full, rather than a separate open-ended waitlist. For international or independent places (outside the district allocation windows) the Admissions Office handles offers directly; the website does not publish a formal waitlist policy for those cases, so families who want to know whether the school will hold a place or run a wait pool should contact Admissions and ask how vacancies are handled for the cohort of interest.

CIS Hangzhou runs from a mini‑campus on the Greentown Yuhua School (GYS) campus in western Hangzhou (Jiangcun/Xihu District). The partner campus address is listed as No. 532 Wenyi West Road; the site is on a large private school campus in the west of the city. Public transport serves the area (Hangzhou Metro Line 5 has stations serving the Xihu/Jiangcun area), and the campus is within the wider West Hangzhou university/education zone—parents should check local maps for exact travel times from your accommodation.

CIS Hangzhou is a tailored, single year‑level programme built for Year 10 students (a one‑year residential Year 10 intake). The learning experience is autonomous from the partner school and focused on that single year group.

The programme is co‑educational and residential: CIS operates the Year 10 mini‑campus and boarding facilities on the GYS site, with on‑campus dormitories, house system and 24‑hour pastoral supervision. It is part of Chinese International School (Hong Kong)'s curriculum offer rather than a separate day school.

CIS maintains Student Support services at its Hong Kong campus (learning enhancement, language support and counselling teams) and the Hangzhou programme emphasises personal attention, pastoral care and social‑emotional counselling within the residential setting. Because Hangzhou is a small, single‑year residential programme with limited boarding capacity, families with specific or complex Additional Learning Needs (SEN) should discuss individual provision with CIS Admissions to confirm suitability and available accommodations.

CIS Hangzhou is a mainland China residential programme run by the Chinese International School (Hong Kong) in partnership with Greentown Yuhua School; it is an extension of the Hong Kong school rather than an independent national school.

Chinese International School is listed with no religious affiliation; CIS/Hangzhou is not a faith school.

The programme combines on‑campus academic lessons, experiential/field learning in Hangzhou, and residential life routines; the residence is staffed 24 hours a day with Coach Mentors and Heads of House for pastoral care. Detailed daily timetables (class times, study periods and house activities) are set by the programme each year—contact Admissions for the current term timetable.

There is no published regular day‑student bus route on the Hangzhou programme pages; because students live on campus the programme focuses on on‑site accommodation and organised excursions. Parents visiting the campus typically use local transport (the Jiangcun/Xihu area is served by Hangzhou Metro Line 5 and local roads to Wenyi West Road). For organised transfers (airport pickups, parent visits or off‑campus trips) ask CIS Admissions or the Hangzhou programme team for the latest arrangements and any provider details.

Residential facilities are housed in two custom-built halls on the Greentown Yuhua School campus, a partner school, and are designed to be in line with those of top boarding schools.

CIS Hangzhou delivers a bilingual (English and Chinese) curriculum that uses the city as a classroom and is organised around four interconnected focuses: Autonomy, Better Being, Collaboration and Disciplines. Primary (Reception–Year 6) is a collaborative dual‑language programme with co‑teaching by native Chinese (Mandarin) and English teachers and differentiated Chinese Language Arts for Years 4–6 taught at three proficiency levels. Secondary Years 7–9 follow the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) as foundational years. Years 10–11 follow a CIS‑developed curriculum and assessment model—Year 10 is delivered through the CIS Hangzhou residential programme with personalised, project‑based and interdisciplinary learning, and Year 11 returns to the Hong Kong campus to bridge MYP and DP expectations. Years 12–13 prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP); across the Hangzhou programme core subjects include Chinese (Mandarin) and English, mathematics at different levels, humanities, sciences, visual and performing arts, product design, physical education, and optional French or Spanish.

CIS Hangzhou delivers a taught programme called Better Being that aims to develop students' self-understanding, strengths, mindfulness practices and coping strategies; it includes scheduled “Home Time”, “Family Time”, project work (Inner Dragon, Footprints, Shifu Yoda and Engine) and house-based group work led by Heads of Houses and Coach Mentors. The Hangzhou page states that Better Being is part of an overall Student Life & Well‑being approach and that both physical and mental health are emphasised. The wider CIS school also describes a Visible Well‑Being/SEARCH approach (developed with Professor Lea Waters) that informs whole‑school SEL practice. These descriptions are published on the CIS Hangzhou and CIS Visible Well‑Being pages.

The CIS Hangzhou pages describe pastoral and one‑to‑one support delivered by Coach Mentors, Heads of House and the school counsellor as part of student life and well‑being, but they do not detail a dedicated Learning Enhancement (SEN) team or the specific categories of special educational needs supported at Hangzhou. CIS' broader site describes Learning Enhancement and Learning Enhancement teachers at the Hong Kong campus and small‑group/in‑class support in secondary years, but the Hangzhou pages do not specify equivalent Learning Enhancement provision for Year 10. The school does not publicly disclose which specific kinds of SEN it can support at the Hangzhou programme or whether CIS Hangzhou is a specialist SEN institution.

CIS Hangzhou's curriculum is described as bilingual: teaching is delivered in English and Chinese to enhance students' Chinese language proficiency while continuing education in English. The Hangzhou pages explain the bilingual nature of the programme but do not provide a published EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme or details of specialist EAL staffing for the Hangzhou year. Therefore, the school does not publicly disclose detailed EAL provision specific to CIS Hangzhou.

CIS Hangzhou places mental wellbeing at the centre of its Better Being curriculum, which includes mindfulness practice, regular Home/Family/One‑to‑One times, and taught projects intended to build resilience and self‑awareness. The Hangzhou programme explicitly names student life and well‑being staff, Coach Mentors and Heads of House as the adults responsible for delivering these elements in the boarding context. At the wider school level, CIS also operates a Counselling Department that offers self‑referral and referrals by staff or parents, presentations in curriculum and ongoing counselling sessions. These provisions are described on the Hangzhou Student Life & Well‑being and CIS counselling pages.

CIS runs a school‑wide Child Protection Programme with a published Child Protection Policy, designated Child Protection Officers, a Code of Conduct for staff and visitors, mandatory training, reporting protocols and a Child Protection Reporting Form; the programme explicitly includes materials and appendices that reference Hangzhou (e.g. visitor and self‑harm protocols for HK & HZ). The Child Protection page states the school adopts a strict zero‑tolerance policy towards mistreatment of children and that governance oversight includes two designated Board members. For enquiries the school lists a Child Protection contact (cpo@cis.edu.hk) and links to its Child Protection handbook and reporting procedures. These safeguarding policies are published on the CIS Child Protection Programme pages.

1. Confirm programme and eligibility
Decide whether you are applying to the CIS Year 10 Hangzhou programme (a year-long, residential Year 10 placement on the Greentown Yuhua School campus) or to a Year 7–13 place at CIS in Hong Kong that includes the required Year 10 Hangzhou year. Parents should note that the Hangzhou placement is an integral part of CIS Year 10 and that for students applying only for the one‑year Hangzhou programme the application route and timing differ — contact the Admissions Office for one‑year placements. Check language expectations: secondary applicants must have a solid command of English; Chinese (Mandarin) is a required subject offered at different proficiency levels.

2. Start the online application (timing and fees)
Open the online application (CIS accepts secondary applications from 1 September) and upload required documents (identity documents, photos, recent school reports). For Year 7–13 applicants CIS recommends submitting ideally by late October because assessments begin in November; late applications are accepted but places and course choices may already be limited. Be prepared to pay the non‑refundable application fee (HK$2,000) and the non‑refundable assessment fee (HK$2,500) at the time you submit.

3. Attend an Information Session and (optional) tour
Information Sessions (strongly encouraged for Years 7–13) explain CIS's mission, curriculum and practical details for families and usually run during the academic year immediately before entry (November–December). If you apply, you will receive registration details by email; attending helps you understand expectations for Year 10 Hangzhou (residential, experiential learning) and clarifies logistics such as travel, medical and visa matters. Virtual or in‑person campus tours are available — if you cannot visit in person use the virtual tour link the school provides.

4. Entrance assessment and interviews
All Year 7–13 applicants are required to sit an entrance assessment (November–May window). The written assessment typically includes English, Chinese (Mandarin), Mathematics and logic and lasts about three hours; oral interviews (English and/or Mandarin where applicable) are about 15 minutes. Parents should arrange any necessary translation of school reports and prepare to share prior-school records; results and teacher references are used in a holistic admissions decision.

5. Placement offers and conditional/visa considerations
Decisions are usually communicated 3–4 weeks after assessment sessions. Some offers may be conditional (for example, pending receipt of a valid visa for overseas students); if space is unavailable after a successful assessment you may be placed on the school's internal reserve pool (see below). If you need a conditional offer for visas, notify Admissions early so they can advise on timing.

6. Accepting an offer and paying the reservation deposit
To accept a place the family confirms and pays the non‑refundable reservation deposit immediately (CIS currently requests a reservation deposit of HK$150,000) — the deposit is credited toward the Annual Capital Levy and tuition. Note that the Annual Capital Levy amount was adjusted for the 2025–26 academic year on the CIS fees page, so confirm how the deposit will be allocated for your child's entry year with the Business Office before finalising payment. Parents should also be ready for additional charges (annual fees, capital levy, materials, meals, bus, and — for Hangzhou Year 10 residents — residential and meal charges).

7. If applying for financial assistance
If you require financial assistance, indicate interest during the online application so the Admissions Office can provide the financial aid application steps. Financial Aid at CIS is targeted at new students entering Year 8 and above (students should be aged 12+ at enrolment); the process is competitive and involves submission of financial documentation and a holistic review of merit and need. For the 2026 cycle the financial aid application deadline listed by the school is 1 March with notifications in May or June — check the Financial Aid page for current deadlines and join the school's information session (usually held in January/February).

8. Practical follow‑up (documentation and communication)
After acceptance, complete required administrative steps promptly: submit final transcripts, identity documents, health/medical forms, and any visa paperwork; failure to provide paperwork promptly can delay enrolment or boarding arrangements for Hangzhou. If you have specific questions about the one‑year Hangzhou-only application path, contact the Admissions Office directly for the separate guidance they provide.

CIS does not use the term "scholarship" on its public pages in the way some schools do; instead it operates a Financial Aid programme (means‑tested support) for new students entering Year 8 and above. The Financial Aid programme requires applicants to be aged 12+ at enrolment and is awarded after a holistic review of merit and family need (factors include academic and co‑curricular achievements, household income, number of dependents, assets/liabilities and expenses). Families indicate interest during the online application and submit supporting financial documentation; the school states there is no fixed salary cutoff and each application is assessed individually. Financial Aid may help cover tuition and families should raise any anticipated non‑tuition expenses (for example residential or meal charges for Hangzhou, materials, or transport) early in the process so those needs can be considered. The Financial Aid page also lists an application deadline (for the 2026 cycle the deadline shown is 1 March with notifications in May/June) and recommends attending the school's financial aid information session (usually held in January or February). For students already enrolled who encounter financial difficulty, the school asks families to contact the Director of Finance and Business Administration confidentially. If you need an exact, current schedule of deadlines, ranges of award amounts or application forms, request that information directly from Admissions/Business Office since award availability and deadlines can change year to year.

CIS uses a small "reserve list" (a pool) for some year groups rather than a strictly ordered public waitlist. According to the school FAQ, a small number of candidates for each year group may be placed on a reserve list; that reserve list is not ranked — it functions as a pool from which the candidate who best complements an available space will be chosen. For Year 1–6 and Reception the site explains that applications not invited to assessment are kept open and families are contacted later to confirm continued interest; for Secondary, places are offered on a rolling basis after each assessment session, and applicants who have been assessed but not admitted may be asked to reapply for a later year. Parents should therefore: keep their application file complete and up to date, respond to Admissions' periodic emails when asked if you remain interested, and be prepared to reapply if necessary for a different academic year. If you want a clearer reading of your child's position, contact the Admissions Office directly — the school does not publish an ordered waitlist position.

Olive Tree International Academy is in Linping District, Hangzhou — address: No.136 Xincheng Road, Nanyuan Street. It is under 10 minutes' walk from Metro Line 9 (Nanyuan Station Exit D) and about one metro stop from Linping South high‑speed railway station; driving to Hangzhou East station takes roughly 25 minutes and many central districts are within a 30‑minute drive.

The school runs Primary, Middle and High School divisions and presents itself as an IB world school at primary/middle levels while offering senior pathways that include A‑level and AP directions. This covers roughly an age range of primary through Grade 12.

The school is co‑educational and is listed by Round Square as a day and boarding school for ages about 6–18. The website describes full‑time primary, junior and senior high provision on the Hangzhou campus.

The school's primary‑level pages note relatively small classes (no more than ~25 students) with two class tutors, and they emphasise personalised and holistic education; however, the website does not publish a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy or a named learning‑support department. For specifics about assessment, adjustments or formal SEN provision, contact the admissions team.

The school is based in China (Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province) and does not present an affiliation to a foreign national education authority on its public pages; it operates international curricula alongside the national curriculum.

The school's published mission and materials do not indicate any religious affiliation; its public pages present a secular, curriculum‑focused mission.

The website describes curriculum, programmes and holistic activities but does not publish a clear daily timetable (start/end times, break and lunch schedules) on the public site. If you need specific daily‑schedule details for planning (work or relocation), ask Admissions when you enquire.

The public site lists nearby transport links (metro, highways and driving times) but does not state whether the school operates a dedicated school‑bus network or outsourced shuttle service. Parents relocating should confirm directly with Admissions for current bus routes, coverage and safety arrangements. Contact details are on the school site.

At primary level Olive Tree teaches the Chinese national compulsory curriculum enriched with International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) approaches, using Units of Inquiry (UOI) and six transdisciplinary themes. English is streamed in Years 2–5 and mathematics is streamed in Years 4–5, with personalized extension courses for high‑ability students. The middle school blends the national curriculum with IB MYP pedagogy across eight subject groups (language & literature, language acquisition, mathematics, individuals & societies, design, arts, sciences, physical & health) and offers about 50 elective/after‑school options (robotics, languages, competitive maths, etc.). In senior school students select external qualification pathways: US AP (wide AP subject offering, MSA/College Board authorization), UK A‑Level (Cambridge/Edexcel/OxfordAQA centres) and an Art & Design pathway, and the school has introduced the Hong Kong DSE as an option from 2025. Across all stages the programme is complemented by extensive co‑curriculars and specialist facilities—team sports, music and performing arts, robotics/STEM, a plant‑research centre and astronomy equipment—to support holistic learning.

Olive Tree International Academy states it has a systematic Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programme that the school has developed and integrated into primary UOI (unit of inquiry) teaching; the school describes a school‑based SEL curriculum and examples such as using the ABC emotion model and age‑appropriate neuroscience activities to teach emotion regulation. The school says SEL is delivered cross‑disciplinarily and iteratively (an “SEL2.0” cognitive‑science driven approach) in primary grades. These details are presented in a campus news feature and in the primary holistic‑education pages on the school website.

The school's public website does not publish a dedicated page or clear information about support for students with special educational needs (SEN). The site navigation and the school's main pages list curriculum, holistic education, student activities and staff profiles but do not describe specific SEN provision or a specialist SEN service. Therefore there is no publicly available detail about which kinds of special needs the school can support or whether it operates as a specialist SEN institution.

In its curriculum listing the school includes ESL as an A‑Level subject and offers AP/academic English options at senior levels, indicating subject provision for English learners at the high‑school level. The website does not, however, describe a named EAL/ESL support department, dedicated EAL intake assessments, or a clearly described school‑wide EAL programme on the public pages. Based on the site information, ESL is offered as a course but the school does not publicly detail a separate, school‑wide EAL support service.

The school's SEL work (described in the primary SEL article) includes classroom activities aimed at emotional awareness and regulation, which the school frames as part of students' wellbeing education. The staff pages also show faculty with psychology or counselling experience (for example teachers with psychology training and college‑counselling staff), and the recruitment page references a “psychological studio” for staff support, suggesting access to personnel with wellbeing expertise. The website does not publish a standalone, detailed student mental‑health policy, but it documents classroom SEL practice and staff with relevant backgrounds.

The school's public site lists a Vice Principal for Moral Education and staff responsible for student affairs, indicating named senior leaders with remit for student welfare and conduct. However, the website does not publish a distinct child‑protection or safeguarding policy page accessible in the public navigation, nor a public statement of safeguarding procedures. Therefore there is no publicly available, dedicated safeguarding policy document on the site to cite. } PMID:None PMID:None PMID:None PMID:None PMID:None</wellbeing_and_support>

1. Submit an application (预约/Submit the application). Parents start by scanning the school's WeChat QR code and completing the “OTIA School visit appointment” form; after submission an admissions officer will contact you to arrange next steps. Be ready to provide basic student details (name, current grade, school reports) and a preferred date for a visit; if you do not use WeChat, note the admissions page lists phone numbers you can call to request an appointment.

2. School visit and comprehensive assessment (访校评估/School visit assessment). The school asks families to attend a large open day or to schedule a one-to-one visit and to take part in a comprehensive assessment; different grades have different entry requirements that will be explained at the visit. Parents should bring recent school reports, identification (passport or resident ID), and any work samples the child has; if the child speaks limited Mandarin, discuss language-support needs with the admissions team in advance. The admissions page notes students must meet Zhejiang/Hangzhou/Linping Education Bureau registration requirements, so prepare any local registration documents the school may request.

3. Offer / admission notice (发放录取/Offer admission). If the student meets the school's criteria the school will issue an admission notice; the English site describes this as the third step after assessment. Parents should confirm the offer's conditions (grade placement, boarding vs. day, and any outstanding paperwork) and check deadlines for accepting the place. If you are applying for a scholarship (see below), note scholarship interview/result timelines are specified on the admissions FAQ.

4. Complete enrolment / registration (入学注册/School enrollment). After accepting an offer you must complete the school's registration process, which typically includes signing enrolment forms, submitting original documents and paying required fees for the term. The admissions FAQ lists the published tuition per term (小学 60,000 RMB/学期; 初中 75,000 RMB/学期; 高中 90,000 RMB/学期), so plan finances and ask admissions about payment deadlines, refund rules, and whether extra fees (meals, transport, uniforms, activity fees) apply. If you need boarding, the school provides on-site student apartments from Grade 1 and can explain boarding contracts at registration.

The school's admissions FAQ describes a high-school scholarship called the “水八仙” scholarship. It is aimed at high-school students who demonstrate academic achievement and good conduct; award levels listed include either a full tuition waiver or a half-tuition reduction. The application procedure is: submit supporting documents to the admissions officer for an initial review, complete a scholarship application form, participate in the high-school pre-entry assessment, and—if shortlisted—attend a scholarship interview; the page states scholarship applicants will be notified of the result within three working days after the interview. The website mentions this scholarship specifically for the high-school division and does not publish other scholarship programmes for lower grades, so if you are seeking fee assistance for primary or middle school ask admissions directly for any seasonal or need-based programmes.

The school's official admissions pages (Chinese and English) describe a four-step application process (appointment → visit/assessment → offer → registration) but do not state a formal waitlist or candidate pool system. That absence on the published admissions page means there is no public description of a waitlist; if a particular grade is full the school may instead offer guidance or keep interested families on a local pending list, but this is not documented online. For a definitive answer about availability or to ask to be added to any internal waiting list, contact the admissions office by the listed phone numbers or via the WeChat appointment form.

Wellington College International Hangzhou is on Xue Zhi Road in Xiaoshan District (2399 Xue Zhi Road). The campus is a short walk from Zhixing Road metro station (Line 19) and is within easy drive of Xiaoshan International Airport and Hangzhou's main railway stations; the school's website notes journey times such as <10 minutes to the airport and about 30 minutes to West Lake.

The school is organised into Primary (Years 1–6), Senior (Years 7–11, with Years 10–11 following IGCSE courses) and a Sixth Form for post-16 study (A Levels). The published age map and FAQs show admissions from Year 1 upward while the Senior/Sixth Form provision is being phased in as the school grows.

Wellington Hangzhou is co‑educational. The campus operates primarily as a day school; recent school materials and news also refer to a growing boarding provision (boarding houses such as “Ming House” are mentioned), so boarding places are available to some pupils.

The school provides pastoral care and a Learning Support provision: the pastoral/learning‑support model works with teachers, parents and, where needed, external specialists to support pupils with additional needs. Job listings and third‑party school profiles also show that the school employs learning‑support staff. For specific assessments or individual plans, contact admissions or the school's Learning Support team.

Wellington College International Hangzhou is part of the Wellington College Education (China) family and the wider Wellington family of schools (a network with historical roots in the UK Wellington College). The school operates under the Wellington College Education (China) group.

There is no formal religious affiliation listed on the school's website for the Hangzhou campus.

Published information indicates the school day begins in the early morning (around 08:00–08:30 is given in publicly available profiles) and that dismissal times differ by phase: the school has separate finish times for Primary and Senior pupils (examples reported include primary departures around 15:50 and junior/senior departures around 16:15). Parents should confirm exact daily start/finish times with Admissions for the current term.

The school runs a daily school‑bus network with a local, licensed operator; routes are split between Primary and Senior services. Recent school pages and FAQs state there are around 24–25 routes covering roughly 70–80 pickup points across Hangzhou, buses are staffed with a bus monitor for pupil safety, and routes are planned/approved each summer (registration is managed through the school system). Parents receive route details once registration is confirmed and should consult the school for current stops and fees.

Boarding is offered at the Hangzhou campus in Ming House. The community notes that boarding is growing, with boarders living in Ming House and forming a close, supportive boarding community.

The school has a mandatory uniform policy. The uniform differs for winter and summer. Plain black shoes are required for the regular uniform; plain sports shoes are allowed for PE. The uniform shop is located west of Building A and operates on weekdays during term time (8:00–16:30). An online uniform shop is available using invitation code 1263; uniform vendor does not provide shoes.

Catering is provided by Sodexo Group. Menus include daily Chinese, Western and other options such as Italian, with a nut-free environment. Day pupils pay around RMB 3,000 per semester for meals; boarding pupils around RMB 7,500 per semester. All pupils eat school lunches unless exempt for religious or medical reasons. The student ID card doubles as a canteen card, and top-ups are possible via WeChat. A food committee includes parent and staff representatives to feedback to Sodexo.

The House System includes The Hardinge, The Raglan, The Murray, The Benson and The Combermere.

The school is governed within Wellington College Education (China) (WCEC) with a three-tier structure: the WCEC Executive Board, School Affairs Boards, and sub-committees (Academic, Facilities and Services, Finance and HR, Safeguarding). The governance framework involves governance input from both Wellington College in the UK and WCEC, and the school has COBIS Beacon School recognition for governance practices.

The school follows an English-style curriculum across stages: Primary School is based on the English national curriculum and includes English, mathematics, sciences, the arts, Chinese and personal and social development. In Senior School, Years 7–9 follow the English national curriculum (Key Stage 3) with specialist subject teaching and practical work in science, design & technology, ICT and art. Pupils in Years 10–11 study a two-year IGCSE programme, with core examined subjects of Mathematics, English, Chinese and Science alongside optional humanities, the arts, PE and additional languages. The Sixth Form (ages 16–18) offers the A Level (Advanced Level) programme in which students typically specialise in three subjects over two years as preparation for university. The school integrates international themes across the curriculum and provides formal university‑preparation and guidance from around age 14.

Wellington College International Hangzhou teaches wellbeing as a formal, compulsory subject—introduced across the Wellington family in 2006—and describes the curriculum as a positive-education programme that teaches pupils the skills to ‘flourish' (health, relationships, living in the wider world). Lessons draw on PSHE-style material and positive-education principles and are designed to build resilience, character and interpersonal skills. Pastoral provision notes that, in Years 1–9, class teachers and tutors deliver the wellbeing programme as part of routine pastoral care. The school also states that wellbeing is supported by additional services such as counselling, mentoring and coaching. These descriptions are presented on the school's wellbeing and pastoral pages.

The school's published material notes the presence of special educational needs officers and other inclusion-related staff and states that there is a named Director of Pupil Support on the teaching team. However, the website does not set out a detailed list of the specific types of special educational needs it can support, nor does it describe the campus as a specialist SEN institution. For further detail on individual pupil needs and formal SEN pathways you would need to contact the college directly.

Wellington College Hangzhou offers English as an examinable subject (reported IGCSE/A‑Level EAL results are published on the site) and the school's staff pages and news items highlight teachers with specific EAL experience and leadership. The website therefore shows EAL as part of the curriculum offer and that staff with EAL expertise are on the team. The public pages do not, however, provide a detailed description of a discrete, school-wide EAL support programme (for example entry-level ‘New to English' pathways or specific EAL intervention tiers). For programme-level details, the school asks enquirers to contact them directly.

The school describes wellbeing as an essential, curriculum-based element intended to develop emotional resilience and life skills; the wellbeing page explains the programme's aims and core themes (health and wellbeing, relationships, living in the wider world). The pastoral page and school news also state that pupils can access counselling, mentoring, coaching and links to external mental-health professionals as required. The school reports regular wellbeing teaching time and formative monitoring (for example teacher check-ins and wellbeing assessments) as part of its approach. For individual or clinical mental-health support arrangements the website indicates the school works with in-house and external specialists and advises contacting the college for specifics.

The school states it operates a comprehensive Child Safeguarding Programme embedded across operations, with staff trained to identify pupils who may require support and to respond appropriately. The site specifies there is a trained team of Designated Safeguarding Leads who are the primary contacts for safeguarding matters, and that new staff undergo enhanced pre-employment checks (identity, criminal background, qualification and employment checks). The published safeguarding statement emphasises the college's commitment to child welfare and the expectation that staff uphold safeguarding standards. For the full safeguarding policies and contact details of the designated leads the website directs readers to the school's safeguarding page or to contact the college.

1. Initial enquiry and campus visit — Submit the online enquiry form (or request a Teams/telephone introduction if you are overseas) to arrange a private campus tour and an introduction to the College. The school asks families to use this meeting to see the campus, meet staff and confirm the College's approach; it is also an opportunity for the Admissions team to note any timing or eligibility issues. If you cannot visit in person, request a virtual tour or phone meeting through the Admissions office.

2. Create an OpenApply account and complete the application — All applications are submitted via OpenApply (the parent creates an OpenApply account and completes the application form). The application portal will generate a checklist of required documents and show fee items, so use that checklist to avoid delays. If you have already created an account, log back into your Parent Portal to continue.

3. Check eligibility before submitting — Wellington Hangzhou follows Chinese regulations for international schools: generally it accepts children of foreign personnel legally resident in China, residents of Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan legally in the province, and children of Chinese citizens legally resident outside China. Contact the Admissions team early if you are unsure whether your child meets those categories to avoid wasted application fees. The Admissions office can confirm eligibility by phone or email.

4. Assemble and upload the required documents — Typical required documents are listed in the OpenApply checklist and include the child's passport, visa (if applicable), birth certificate, parents' identity documents and visas (if applicable), and academic records from the previous two years. Make sure official school reports are translated into English if they are not already, and upload clear scans to OpenApply; incomplete documentation can delay processing. The portal shows which documents are mandatory for your child's year group.

5. Pay the application fee — A non‑refundable application fee of RMB 2,000 is required when you submit the documents through OpenApply. Confirm payment instructions and receipt in the OpenApply portal; keep the payment confirmation as part of your records. Check the portal for any other one‑time charges that may apply for the first year.

6. Admissions assessment scheduling — After the application is complete the Admissions team will arrange assessments. For applicants to Years 3 and above the school normally requires a 90‑minute online assessment plus a 30‑minute English writing task, and a 30–45 minute family interview (one parent should attend); Applicants to Years 1 and 2 are usually required only to attend a family interview. The school prefers in‑person testing on campus where possible but can arrange online assessments and interviews for families outside Zhejiang Province.

7. Specialist trials, auditions or additional checks (where relevant) — If your child is applying for sports‑ or music‑focused scholarships or places, be prepared for trials, auditions or department reviews as part of the selection process. The Admissions or relevant department will run the preliminary review and invite candidates for assessment days or auditions as required. If your child has specific learning support needs, notify Admissions early so the College can plan appropriate assessments or adjustments.

8. Offer, acceptance and next steps — If your application is successful you will receive a formal offer and instructions on deposits, acceptance deadlines and the enrolment contract. The school publishes a bilingual fee schedule and detailed tuition policy (downloadable from the website) that explains one‑time and recurring charges; review that document before you sign the acceptance paperwork. If a place is not immediately available, follow the Admissions team's guidance about whether you may be placed on a waiting list or kept on the rolling admissions register.

Wellington College International Hangzhou runs a scholarship programme that includes Academic, Arts and Sports awards. Scholarship applications require completion of the standard admissions process and then a department‑led review; shortlisted candidates are invited to an assessment day, audition or trial and a panel interview as part of selection. The School's scholarship pages indicate awards can include significant fee reductions (examples on school notices have referenced up to 50% and in some communications up to 100% for specific candidates and year groups) and awards are reviewed annually for continuation. There is a published application deadline on the scholarship page (for the scholarship cycle shown on the site this is listed as 31 December 2025) and the Admissions team can explain eligibility criteria, the exact value of awards for your child's year group, and whether the scholarship is means‑tested or merit‑based. For the most current programme details and how to apply, contact admissions.wcih@wellingtoncollege.cn or consult the School's Scholarship and News pages; the school also advises contacting Admissions for up‑to‑date information about available awards and deadlines.

Wellington College International Hangzhou operates a rolling admissions process and, according to independent school listings, some year groups do maintain waiting lists when places are full. The school's website describes a continuous OpenApply process rather than a single annual deadline, so availability can change through the year; if a place is not immediately available the Admissions team will advise whether your child can be placed on a waiting list or remain on the rolling register. Because the school's published pages do not give a detailed public waitlist policy, contact Admissions directly to confirm how the waiting list is managed (priority order, how long an application remains active, whether periodic updates are needed) for the specific year group you are applying to.

Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou is in Daicun (戴村镇), Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou — a semi-rural campus beside Xiannu (Fairy) Lake with hills nearby. The school's address and campus setting are listed on the school site. The campus is described in local and partner profiles as a purpose-built, lakeside site about an hour from central Hangzhou by road.

WAS Hangzhou is an all-through school for pupils aged 3–18 (kindergarten through senior school / sixth form). The school programme references EYFS/early years, primary, middle (preparing for IGCSE) and high school offering IGCSE and A-Level pathways.

The school is a co-educational day and boarding school for Chinese and international students. The campus offers boarding provision alongside day places and describes a boarding model with resident tutor/house staff living on site.

The website emphasises pastoral provision through an “All‑Round Care” system, a house & tutor structure and small tutor groups (each tutor responsible for about 8–10 pupils). The site does not publish a detailed Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy online; parents seeking specific ALN/SEN provision, assessments or external-therapist arrangements should contact the admissions team to discuss individual needs.

WAS Hangzhou is part of the Wycombe Abbey Schools group and operates under the Wycombe Abbey International partnership (a UK-origin school group).

The school website does not state a religious affiliation for the Hangzhou campus; there is no religious character listed in the public school pages.

The boarding page gives an example day for middle-school boarders with timetabled activity from about 08:00 to 22:00 (classes, evening study and activities) to reflect the boarding routine. The school does not publish a single, public day schedule for all age groups on its website, so for precise start/end times and day-student timetables you should request the current daily timetable from admissions.

The school website does not list a regular daily school-bus schedule or provider. An external article about the school noted a weekly social bus into Hangzhou for staff/families; for details about daily student transport, routes, pick-up points, pricing or private-provider arrangements contact the admissions office (listed on the school site).

Boarding is provided. A boarding system mirrors leading overseas models, with house parents and tutors living together with pupils in their houses. The '24/7' boarding life includes a full campus schedule, and staff live on campus to support pupils.

Dining offers a fusion of eastern and western cuisines served by leading global dining brands ISS, with curated nutrition.

The school uses a house and tutor system. Each pupil is part of a house and a tutor group. The tutor is responsible for the pupil's all-round development. The house system fosters leadership, teamwork and a sense of competition.

The school is led by an Executive Headmaster.

Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou provides continuous 15‑year education for ages 3–18 across kindergarten, primary, middle and senior school stages. Kindergarten combines the EYFS early‑years framework with China's “3–6‑year‑old Learning and Development Guidelines” and a forest‑school programme. The primary phase follows the national (nine‑year) curriculum extended with bilingual (Chinese‑English) instruction and taught subjects including Chinese, English, mathematics, science, global issues, Chinese literature, computer science, music, art, physical education and personal health/safety. In middle school the school increases English‑medium teaching and uses inquiry‑based, project and practice‑led approaches to prepare students for international qualifications. Senior students study IGCSE in the lower senior years and progress to A‑Level courses in the final two years as the school's chosen international qualifications for university preparation.

Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou describes a school-wide “all‑round care” and whole‑person education approach that aims to develop pupils' social, emotional and character skills through project‑based, cooperative and extracurricular activities. The school operates a House & Tutor system: each pupil is assigned to a house and a tutor, and tutors are described as responsible for the pupil's all‑round development; the site states tutors typically care for about 8–10 students in a tutor group. The school also emphasises living‑on‑campus pastoral support (teachers and house staff live on site and work closely with pupils) to provide continuous mentor contact. These arrangements and the “education beyond the classroom” approach are presented on the school's All‑Round Care, House & Tutor and Boarding pages.

The school's public website does not publish a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) or detailed learning‑support policy. The Academic Curriculum and Development Curriculum pages describe differentiated and personalised learning pathways and regular assessment, but they do not specify which types of SEN the school can support, nor do they present a named SEN team or formal SEN policy. Because the website does not provide a clear SEN policy or explicit learning‑support provision, that information is not publicly disclosed on the school's site. If you would like, I can contact the school's admissions address listed on the site to request clarification.

The school states it provides an immersive English environment with a high proportion of international teachers and small‑class, differentiated teaching; its Academic Curriculum notes bilingual/immersive language approaches and regular assessment of English skills. Summer‑school and English‑academy pages specifically describe immersive language provision and tiered (split‑level) English instruction designed for non‑native speakers, including differentiated pathways and all‑day immersion in summer programmes. The website therefore describes general EAL support through immersion, small classes and layered teaching, but it does not present a separate EAL policy document or a named EAL team.

The school frames mental‑wellbeing as part of its all‑round care: its All‑Round Care page explicitly lists attention to pupils' physical and mental health within the holistic education approach. The summer‑school and campus life pages state the school has a psychological counselling room and a 24‑hour nursing team on site, and describe structured extra‑curricular and boarding routines intended to support pupils' resilience and social development. Pastoral support is also delivered through the House & Tutor system and boarding staff who live with students, enabling ongoing observation and support.

The school's site describes several safety and safeguarding measures: a round‑the‑clock nursing team, a security office, access‑control systems and 24‑hour security patrols, and states that all teachers complete campus security training. Boarding arrangements (house parents and tutors living with pupils) and an Open Door policy for senior leaders are presented as elements of pastoral oversight and day‑to‑day supervision. The website does not publish a separate downloadable child‑protection or safeguarding policy page, so further policy details would need to be requested directly from the school if required.

1. Initial enquiry and campus visit — Contact admissions to start. Parents typically begin by booking a campus tour or an admissions consultation using the school's online booking form; the site explicitly invites families to "预约入学评估和面谈" (book an admissions assessment and interview). During this stage ask for the most recent admissions calendar, the current fee schedule, and a written list of required documents (proof of residence, birth certificate, current school reports), because the school's website notes booking, assessments and interviews are handled by the admissions office.

2. Confirm the correct entry pathway and eligibility. The school publishes different pathways: for example, the 2024招生简章 shows primary (Year 1) places and junior (Year 7) places with explicit eligibility windows (Year 1: children born between 1 Sep 2017 and 31 Aug 2018; Year 7: completed elementary education in 2024 and meeting district requirements). Parents should check whether their child must apply through the local municipal admissions system (district registration rules apply) or through the school's internal assessment route for other year groups.

3. Register in the correct system and on time. For Year 1 and Year 7 in 2024 the school's published schedule required parents to register on the municipal online system (selecting “杭州市萧山区威雅实验学校”) within the posted application windows, then participate in the municipal computerized allocation (电脑派位) and any municipal supplemental rounds (补招). If you are applying for those grades, be prepared to follow the city/district timetable and to select the school exactly as instructed; missing the municipal window generally means waiting for the补招 (supplemental) round. (The example dates on the school page are for 2024—confirm the current-year timetable with admissions).

4. Understand allocation, supplemental recruitment and capacity. The 2024招生简章 lists planned intake numbers (e.g., new Year 1: 4 classes, up to 24 students per class; new Year 7: 4 classes, up to 24 students per class — total 96 places for each listed entry), and it specifies that admission for those grades is effected through the municipal computerized allocation process and subsequent补招 rounds. That means for these entry points the school does not make independent first-round discretionary offers in place of the municipal allocation; instead parents should follow the municipal procedures and monitor补招 if not allocated.

5. Assessment, interview and documents for non‑municipal/insertions/older grades. For transfer students, international‑division applicants or applicants to grades outside the municipal allocation cycles, the school asks families to book an "入学评估和面谈" (admissions assessment and interview) via the admissions booking link; the website explicitly invites families to schedule these assessments. Expect the school to request recent school reports, identification documents, and to run academic and/or English assessments and an interview—timing and content vary by grade, so request the assessment brief in writing from admissions.

6. Offers, deposits and final enrolment paperwork. The school's public information states that fees are set according to the local price authority ("按照物价部门核定标准执行"), so ask admissions for the current fee schedule, deposit/placement‑fee amounts, payment deadlines and the refund policy before accepting an offer. After an offer is accepted you will normally complete formal enrolment paperwork, pay any required deposit or tuition first installment, and provide original documents (household registration/residence documents where applicable); confirm all deadlines and required originals with the admissions office.

The school publishes a named scholarship: the "杭州威雅卓越奖学金项目" which is open to students in Grades 9–12. The scholarship page states successful applicants can receive a full tuition remission (described on the page as "学费的全额减免, 高达100万元"), and it provides an online application link for the scheme. The page does not publish a detailed rubric or selection criteria on the public page, so families should use the scholarship application link and contact admissions to request the full terms, selection criteria, application deadlines and whether the award is a one‑off or renewable year‑to‑year. Given the level of the award, expect the process to be competitive; confirm eligibility, documentation requirements (transcripts, references, test scores) and how the scholarship interacts with other discounts or subsidies directly with the school.

The school's public admissions material does not describe a standalone school‑managed waiting list. For the primary and junior entry points described in the school's 2024招生简章, admission is handled through the municipal online registration and computerized allocation process (电脑派位) with subsequent supplemental rounds (补招); parents who are not allocated in the main round are advised to register for补招 rounds as instructed by the district. For other entry points (mid‑year transfers, international pathway or upper grades), the website asks parents to book an admissions assessment and interview—if a place is not immediately available the school does not publish a formal waitlist policy on the website, so parents should ask admissions whether the school will keep the child in a candidate pool or offer rolling admissions for the requested year/term. In short: official municipal allocation and补招 govern Year 1/Year 7 intake; for other years contact admissions for the current practice on candidate pools or waiting lists.

Hangzhou International School is at 2190 Xiangbin Road in Binjiang District, Hangzhou; the school moved to a new purpose-built campus (two buildings: The Cocoon and The Lantern) in 2022. Binjiang is Hangzhou's high‑tech district and the city has extensive rail and air connections (Shanghai is under an hour by high‑speed train) — useful to consider when relocating.

HIS is a full IB‑continuum school serving Early Years (age 2) through Grade 12. Lower School covers Early Years/Pre‑K/Kindergarten and Grades 1–5; Upper School covers Grades 6–8 (MYP) and Grades 9–12 (IB Diploma Programme and a WASC‑accredited high school diploma).

HIS is a co‑educational, non‑profit, independent day school and an IB World School. The school offers IB programmes and a WASC‑accredited high‑school diploma; it is described as a day school (no boarding provision is indicated).

Student Support Services provides inclusive, individualized support for students with mild learning or sensory differences, with learning‑support specialists in both Lower and Upper School. Formal services are documented in an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) when indicated; Learning Support Program (LSP) fees are charged according to the level of support.

HIS is an international school located in China and does not have an affiliation to a particular foreign country; it serves children of foreign nationals from many nationalities.

The school is non‑religious — described as an inclusive, non‑profit IB World School with no stated religious affiliation.

Classroom instruction at HIS begins at 08:00 and the school day ends at 15:00 for all grades. Arrival guidance notes students in Grades 1–12 should be at the Main Campus gate by 07:55; parents may escort ECE (EY–K) children to the ECE gate between 07:45–08:15.

HIS offers a school bus service available to all students upon request; routes and pick‑up/drop‑off points are organized for areas close to students' homes. Each bus has a Chinese bus monitor and is fitted with seat belts and a mobile phone; the school posts the current bus routes/schedule on its site. For transport questions the school lists a Transportation Secretary contact (Tracy Zhu).

The school is a day school.

Lower School students (ECE - Grade 5) wear a light blue HIS polo shirt with navy (dark blue) trousers/ shorts/ skirt or a navy HIS dress. A navy fleece or HIS hoodie sweatshirt can be worn in the cooler weather. All students must wear laced shoes.

Middle School students wear tan shorts, trousers, or skirts and a navy blue polo shirt (short or long sleeved) with the HIS book logo. A navy fleece or HIS hoodie sweatshirt can be worn in the cooler weather. All students must wear laced shoes.

High School students (Grades 9 through 12) wear tan shorts or trousers, or plaid skirts (girls only) and a light blue Oxford cloth button down short or long sleeved short with the HIS book logo. A navy fleece or HIS hoodie sweatshirt or other approved outerwear such as the HIS Letterman's Jacket can be worn in the cooler weather. All students must wear laced shoes.

The school is an independent, non-profit day school. It is part of the International Schools Foundation (ISF), which operates HIS and other international schools. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and authorized to deliver the IB Diploma Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Primary Years Programme.

Hangzhou International School is a full International Baccalaureate continuum school: Grades Early Years–5 follow the PYP, Grades 6–10 follow the MYP, and Grades 11–12 are authorized to deliver the IB Diploma Programme; the school also awards a WASC‑accredited High School Diploma. The Early Years program combines IB PYP approaches with Australian early‑childhood standards (Being, Belonging, Becoming) to support holistic development. Lower School (Grades 1–5) uses a transdisciplinary PYP model integrating mathematics, literacy, social studies, science, the arts and design/computer technology, supported by specialists in PE, arts, Mandarin, EAL, learning support, STEAM and library. The MYP (Grades 6–10) offers an eight‑subject framework that emphasizes academic challenge, personal development and culminates in a Personal Project submitted for external assessment. In Grades 11–12 students follow the DP (six subjects at Higher/Standard Level, Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS) while completing HIS graduation requirements (minimum 26 credits and specified core courses) to earn the HIS High School Diploma.

HIS runs a schoolwide Counseling and Wellness Program that uses the CASEL framework and ISCA student standards to teach social‑emotional skills across divisions. Lessons and seminars cover topics such as self‑awareness, social awareness, personal safety, transitions and academic/career readiness, and are delivered by school counselors, classroom teachers, advisors and homeroom teachers. The program is described as proactive and preventative and is integrated into classroom units in the Lower School, advisory periods in Middle School, and whole‑grade seminars in the Upper School. The Middle Years Programme also includes an advisory/pastoral class to support student pastoral development and leadership skills. These provisions and the Wellness Program are described on the school website and the Dragon Tales wellness article.

HIS states it provides individualized inclusive support for students with mild learning or sensory differences and employs learning support specialists for both Lower and Upper School. The Learning Support team works with students, teachers and parents to identify needs, and formal services are documented in an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) after internal or external assessment. The school notes that some support is delivered in‑class (classroom strategies and push‑in) and some in small groups or mini‑lessons; after‑school tutoring is offered in the Upper School. Learning Support Program (LSP) fees are charged according to the level of support provided. The school describes this provision as inclusive support for mild needs rather than as a specialist SEN institution.

HIS publishes an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program that welcomes students for whom English is an additional language and aims to develop communicative and academic English proficiency. The school provides both push‑in and pull‑out ESOL services for Grades 1–8 and reports student progress in reading, writing, listening and speaking; ESOL teachers co‑plan with classroom teachers to support language across content areas. High School students are expected to be proficient enough to access the curriculum; all students are placed in grade‑level classrooms regardless of ESOL level. The ESOL pages describe expected timelines for language development and how teachers collaborate to support multilingual learners.

HIS's Counseling Program promotes personal, interpersonal, emotional and academic development through individual services, small groups and whole‑class/seminar lessons as part of a proactive, preventative approach. Students receive lessons on topics including transitions, personal health and safety, conflict resolution and life beyond school; the counseling team also provides seminars and lectures for parents. Counselors are described as qualified to administer a range of psychological evaluation tools to identify needs and inform interventions. The school publishes information about the Wellness Program and counseling services on its website and in school news posts.

HIS publishes a detailed Child Protection Guidelines document (updated January 2024) that sets out the school's child protection belief statement, reporting procedures, safe recruitment protocols, code of conduct and curriculum responsibilities. The guidelines specify a Child Protection Response Team that includes all school counselors, administrators from each division and the school nurse, and name the Designated Child Protection Officer (Upper School Psychologist Dr Ryan Beddows) and other response contacts. Procedures cover steps for reporting suspected abuse or neglect, confidentiality, training and follow‑up, and the school states its policy aligns with WHO, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Chinese law. The Child Protection Guidelines and the School Policies page are published on the HIS website.

Hangzhou International School (HIS) was founded in 2002 by the International Schools Foundation (ISF) as a non‑profit, independent day school serving the international community. ISF is a U.S.‑based non‑profit (501(c)(3)) organization governed by an appointed Board of Governors and operating a small network of international schools. HIS holds international accreditation and IB authorizations and in 2022 moved to a purpose‑built campus designed with two main buildings, The Cocoon (Early Childhood) and The Lantern (Main Campus).

HIS describes a diverse student and family community with more than 50 nationalities represented and a broad program of school and community events. Regular, school‑wide gatherings and traditions include an annual International Day (Parade of Nations, traditional performances and food), an annual Dragon Run community charity event, and recurring activities such as a Friday Artisan Food Market; there are also music and choir opportunities that involve parents and community members. Newsletters and school posts document family groups, community band initiatives, and other cultural and service activities that bring parents, students and staff together.

The Parents and Friends Association (PAFA) at HIS coordinates parent and community involvement outside the formal curriculum, working closely with school leadership to support campus life and school culture. PAFA runs recurring programs and fundraising activities and organizes events such as luncheons, International Day booths, bake sales for lower and upper school, lower‑school dances and movie nights, talent shows, school decorations for festivities, family picnics and grade‑level hikes/day trips, and Teacher Appreciation Day. The PAFA page lists these typical activities and invites parents to join and volunteer; the association also publishes and promotes specific events (for example, PAFA Welcome Lunches and culture‑specific parent lunches). Parents can contact the PAFA events team directly for involvement or questions (pafaevents@hisdragons.org.cn).

The campus covers over 50,000 square meters and consists of two buildings: The Cocoon (ECE Campus) and The Lantern (Main Campus). It includes a Performing Arts Theatre and a Black Box Theatre, The Wave swimming pool, three indoor gyms, outdoor courts, and a FIFA-rated football/soccer pitch. The Wave is a 25-meter swimming facility, and there are additional spaces for learning and leisure across the campus.

The HIS campus has 2 double-court gymnasia with spectator bleachers, a 25-meter, 6-lane swimming pool capable of hosting competitions, and a full-size artificial turf soccer field with floodlights. It also features a fully-equipped fitness centre, an ECE gymnasium, three multipurpose studios, and a 20-meter indoor bouldering wall. An outdoor multi-purpose court supports tennis and basketball, and the campus is surrounded by off-road running trails.

The HIS library system provides print and online resources for the entire community, with physical access and digital resources through the Oliver Portal. There are three HIS community libraries: the ECE Library (ECE Building, 2nd floor), the Lower School Library (Main Building, SW Wing, 1st Floor), and the Upper School Library (Main Building, NW Wing, 1st Floor), with the Upper School Library sharing space with a gift shop and café. All HIS libraries are open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. The school operates a MacBook-based laptop program for Grades 6–12, with Grade 5 using a school-owned laptop during the school day; parents provide a recent MacBook, and The Tech Shack (2F NE 211) supports technology use and learning. A Laptop Requirement Letter formalizes these expectations, and a Technology Responsible Use Agreement governs use of devices.

HIS offers extensive co-curricular activities, with 29 teams across 12 sports and a high level of student participation (over 65% of middle and high school students on sports teams, and more than 50% on multiple teams). The school is a member of HISAC, ACAMIS, SISAC, and CISSA, enabling competition in Hangzhou, Shanghai, and across China. Aquatics offerings include the HIS Dragons Swim Team for Grades 3–12 and the The Wave pool facilities for meets and training. Other CCAs include West Lake MUN, Jade Dragons, and The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.

Hangzhou International School is an inclusive non-profit IB World School in Hangzhou, China. It offers the full IB curriculum for Early Years through Grade 12 (ages 2–18) and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school was founded in 2002 by the International Schools Foundation (ISF).

The school provides co-curricular and performing arts opportunities through its campus facilities and programs, including a Performing Arts Theatre and related arts activities within its extend/Co-curricular Activities offerings.

Mandarin is a dedicated program for K–12 learners, with a Mandarin Learning Pathway and related co-curricular activities such as Chinese Chess, Chinese Reading Clubs, Debate, and Chinese Calligraphy.

Co-curricular Activities (CCAs) cover a wide range of interests, enabling students to engage in language, culture, and recreational clubs beyond classroom learning.

The school emphasizes global-mindedness and community involvement, with university counseling and a broad range of student support services.

University Counseling is available to support students with post-secondary planning and university destinations around the world.

The campus provides extensive facilities for student life, including theatres, a large swimming pool, indoor gyms, outdoor courts, and a FIFA-rated pitch, supporting both wellness and physical education.

The curriculum is delivered in English. Mandarin is taught through a dedicated Mandarin Learning Program for K-12 learners, including Mandarin learning pathways and Mandarin-related CCAs. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) supports English language learners, with push-in and pull-out services in Grades 1-8, while high school students (Grades 9-12) are expected to be proficient in English to access the curriculum.

Only awards explicitly recorded on the HIS website in the past five years (institutional or school-level recognitions) are listed below.

• Forbes China — "Best International High School in Hangzhou" (Forbes China International School Annual Selection, 2025): Forbes China's 2025 selection ranked HIS the top international high school in Hangzhou (22nd nationally, 10th outside Shanghai/Beijing); the school's site presents this as a third‑party ranking of the institution.

• ACAMIS Jim Koerchen Award for Innovation (noted on HIS site, May 2024): HIS reports that its Global Issues Network (GIN) project won the ACAMIS Jim Koerchen Award for Innovation and that HIS was one of two ACAMIS member schools to receive the award and accompanying prize, as recorded in the school newsletter. (The school's news post frames this as an award to the school community through the GIN project.)

• RoboHangzhou awards (hosted event; HIS reported institutional awards, November): HIS hosted the first RoboHangzhou VEX IQ competition and reports that Hangzhou International School teams received the Collaboration Award and the Skills Champion Runner‑Up award at that event; the school's news item records these awards as recognitions won by HIS teams.

Notes and scope limits:
- I included only awards or recognitions that are documented on the HIS website and that refer to the school (or school teams/projects) rather than individual student prizes. Newsletters and Dragon Tales posts may report team- or club-level awards that represent the school community; where a post described an award to a student team or club but explicitly framed it as an award to the school community, I included it (see ACAMIS Jim Koerchen entry).
- If you'd like, I can (a) check the full Dragon Tales / News archive for any additional institutional recognitions in 2021–2026, or (b) extract the exact publication dates and direct links for each item above.

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC / ACS WASC) — WASC is a U.S.-based regional accrediting body that evaluates K–12 schools against international standards; HIS states it is accredited by WASC, which provides external validation of the school's governance, program quality and student learning processes.

• International Baccalaureate (IB) authorization — HIS is an IB World School authorized to deliver the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP); IB authorization means the school has met the IB Organization's requirements to teach those curricula and is part of the IB global network.

doris recommends that you start by speaking to admissions. This connects you directly to the school's admissions team who can respond with answers, more information, and next steps.

1. Initial enquiry and visit. Contact the Admissions Office (admissions@hisdragons.org.cn or +86 571 8669 0045) to request information or schedule a campus visit; the school asks for at least 24 hours' notice for tours. A formal enquiry can also be submitted via the HIS website; this is the usual first step so the admissions team can confirm the documents and timing you'll need.

2. Start the online application (OpenApply). HIS uses OpenApply for applications; parents create an account, complete the online application and submit required attachments through that portal. The application must be submitted and the non-refundable application fee paid to trigger formal consideration.

3. Pay the application fee and note timing. The published application fee is RMB 3,000 and is non‑refundable; the fee is valid for up to one academic year from the application date. Make sure you submit the fee when you complete the online form so your file is processed; keep receipts and email payment confirmations to admissions/payment contacts if requested.

4. Provide required documentation and evidence of eligibility. Be prepared to upload/bring a copy of the student's passport, proof of legal residency/visa status, recent school reports/transcripts, and health/immunisation records (the OpenApply form and admissions team will confirm the exact checklist for your child). HIS admits children of foreign nationals (and specified categories such as residents of Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Chinese citizens permanently living abroad) but generally does not admit children of Chinese citizens permanently residing in China; confirm your child's eligibility with admissions before applying.

5. Assessment and placement. HIS uses a holistic admissions approach; for placement the school considers academic records, language proficiency and classroom fit. Incoming students—especially Grades 1–10—may be assessed for English level and placed into appropriate support or class groups; students referred for English support are charged an ESOL fee and the school administers assessments such as NWEA/WIDA as part of language/placement decisions. Expect the admissions team or school to arrange any necessary interviews, assessments, or campus visits as part of placement.

6. Offer, seat guarantee deposit and fees on acceptance. If offered a place, you must accept in writing and pay the seat guarantee deposit (published at RMB 20,000) to hold the place until the tuition payment deadline. New students also pay a one‑time non‑refundable capital fee on admission (RMB 30,000) and other compulsory fees as listed in the Tuition & Fees schedule—confirm the invoice and payment deadlines when you receive the offer.

7. Tuition payment schedule, methods and refund windows. HIS publishes specific due dates (for example, annual and Semester 1 payments due June 1, Semester 2 due December 1 in the 2025–26 schedule) and accepts bank transfers, checks in RMB or USD, and RMB cash (wire transfer charges are the payer's responsibility). The Tuition & Fees page also lists the school's refund policy and withdrawal deadlines (for example, re‑enrollment/withdrawal notice dates are specified in the schedule); review those refund deadlines carefully before making payments.

8. Final steps before attendance. After fees are settled and registration is complete, the school will confirm start dates, bus arrangements (if used) and any device or uniform requirements (Upper School students must bring a recent Apple laptop; one “startup” uniform set is included in fees). If you have questions at any point, contact the Director of Admissions and Community Relations (Andrea Stubbs) using the contact details on the admissions/OpenApply pages.

HIS does not publish any routine tuition scholarships or need‑based financial aid programs on its public Tuition & Fees or Admissions pages; the school's published fees and discounts (for example, a 5% sibling discount for families with three or more enrolled children) are the items explicitly described. For postgraduate or university‑level scholarships, HIS reports that graduating students have received external university scholarships and offers (the Class of 2025 was reported to have received more than US$775,000 in scholarship offers and individual students have secured university athletic scholarships). If you need help with fee assistance or specific scholarship opportunities, contact the Admissions Office directly—they can confirm whether any discretionary bursaries, staff discounts or special arrangements might be available in exceptional cases.

HIS operates a wait pool (sometimes called a waitlist) when classes are full and no additional sections can be added. Placement into the wait pool and subsequent offers from it are determined by multiple factors taken together: priority is often given to children of faculty who cannot attend local schools, children of foreign nationals who cannot attend local schools, and siblings of those students, and then other considerations such as the student's best language, English level, intended start date and the demographics of the grade/class. The school states that all relevant factors are considered together when assessing admission from the wait pool; parents placed in the wait pool should remain in regular contact with Admissions for updates and must observe the school's payment/deposit deadlines if offered a seat.