Don't be fooled -- Yew Chung are GREAT at marketing but they have a lot of problems.

My kids go to SSIS (age almost 4 and almost 6) and I love the school. They go to the XUhui campus, not sure that the situation is at the Minghang campus. The preschool division at Xuhui are all amazing teachers, the program is very hands on, a lot of child centered exploration, many intersting projects.

They will push your child as much as you want them to -- we made it very clear that we do not want our kids to be pushed to learn stuff they are not interested in and they have been great about it -- my son did not like Abbacus class so he does not have to do it anymore. We only take our ids to school 3-4 days a week -- they are ok with that too. My son reads at a grade 3 level -- they take him to the primary school library to borrow books and work with him on comprehension at his level. So they are amazing.

The admin girl at Xuhui is a nice girl but dfinitely not an agressive marketer, she shows people around, but if you want to get a feel of the school, you should make an appointment with the head of preschool, Ms. Julie Loo.

You can pm me and I'll help you make an appointment with her if you'd like.

If I'm not wrong, my husband should have his office in Pudong.

I would like to put my 2 younger children in the French school. This leaves me with my eldest who is currently 13. I would like him to continue in the MYP and finish with the IB.

So your husband will commute? Or your kids? It's a long distance between the French school and Pudong so just be prepared to decide who commutes.

Here is a thread about the MYP and IB schools that you may want to check out:
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/index.php? ... 49&start=0

You can check on school's sites for IB scores - here's a link to this year's SAS class profile:
http://www.saschina.org/resource/collec ... 9-2010.pdf

You should also know that IB subjects may be limited so if you think you may need higher levels in certain subjects (French?) then you should ask if the school provides it. I know it's early to know which subjects your child will concentrate in but it's better to be prepared.

Thank you very much, tnmom, I'll check this out.

The French school has a campus at Pudong now, but the classes and levels are limited. I am also checking out their bilingual programme (French-English), if it's really 50/50 it could be worth a try.

I would really like my children to be happy at school, happy to be learning. Academic excellence is important (I'm Singaporean after all), but so are life's experiences. I want them to have a rounded education, to have time for other pursuits.

I want them to have a rounded education, to have time for other pursuits.

You sound like an American, not a Singaporean!

Good to know that the French school has a Pudong campus now.

freedelia wrote:Don't be fooled -- Yew Chung are GREAT at marketing but they have a lot of problems.

You can find someone to say this about ANY of the international schools in Shanghai so take it cum grano salis.

Identify the criteria suited to YOUR family's personal situation and personally GO VISIT each school you are considering - ask for contacts from the parent group to accurately assess parent comments for each school.

In this competitive market you cannot equate marketing with quality / lack of quality.

Actually I have a Bulgarian friend here in Italy who has lived 5 years in Shanghai a few years ago and her son went first to SSIS and then to Yew Chung.

She has only good things to say of both schools, especially YC. But I suspect that YC wouldn't be for us since my kid doesn't know a single word of Chinese except Char Siu Pau...

Joining this forum, I was hoping indeed to obtain some parent feedback about the different schools. To prepare us for our visits later on.

Tnmom, trust me, I'm very Singaporean . Only I'm no longer in Singapore and can afford to relax.

Hi- we are likely moving to Shanghai in the summer with out two kids ages 7 and 10. I have read the discussions regarding schools which offer extra support for children. Both our boys are in a highly competitive US private school but received significant extra support both in school and out. Any updates/opinions on which schools we should look at? I noted SAS was recommended as well as Dulwich. Both kids are very bright but have some learning(reading in particular) issues. We will be in Puduong.

Which thread...?

odd...i read that post too and no one did (or would) recommend Dulwich?

Dulwich has had huge issues of late which are reasonably well known to parents. The thread made no mention of Dulwich at all...in fact our friends fairly recently moved thier kids out because of the constant swapping of Headmasters.

SAS would be a good choice for your kids though since you mention their backgrounds...SAS has a lot of good things said about it in terms of opportunity for students etc. It's a little less "formal" than the good British Schools but that's totally personal preference of course. Actually as I write I realise that this is based on second hand reports re SAS (the formality, not the good things being said) so I can't 100% vouch for that being accurate.

TNMOM is a regular poster on here so she would no doubt be able to better advice on the support available for students there as I have no first hand help to give in this case.

Learning support is always a difficult issue at the schools in Shanghai - best handled by talking to the admissions offices of the various schools. There is a learning support program at SAS but I think the issues they help with are very specific and that students who have needs other than what they offer are not given admission.

Thank you for your thoughts; does any have any ideas for private tutors for kids needing extra support?

We moved here last year, from a very rigorous school district, which my kids will need to return to in 2 years time. I knew I wanted to stay within the American School System, and so I visited and checked the SAS schools as well as Concordia. In the end we chose to live in Jinqiao (Pudong) and have the kids attend Concordia. So far it has been an excellent choice, strong curriculum, high expectations, supportive staff, wide variety of activities, including academic extracurricular. I have been very pleased.

pingu77 wrote:odd...i read that post too and no one did (or would) recommend Dulwich?

Dulwich has had huge issues of late which are reasonably well known to parents. The thread made no mention of Dulwich at all...in fact our friends fairly recently moved thier kids out because of the constant swapping of Headmasters.

despite their Headmaster turmoil they've successfully achieved accreditation status with three reputable groups so something must be going right...

http://www.dulwich-shanghai.cn/LinkClic ... 7&mid=1248

fiddleback,

Have you heard anything back from the school in regard to your childs learning issues? We are dealling with some of the same issues with moving to Shanghai. We have told the company that is moving us that we need to apply as soon as possible but they say that schools just pressure people to get the registration fee. So far only one school has agreed to consider placing him and they want to look at his records before we even apply and pay the fee. Other schools have said they cannot help us.

I have had two recommendations for BISS for children with dyslexia. Both said their children are receiving good support. Also, they confirmed that several international schools would not consider a child with a record of learning disabilities.

I'm moving to shanghai this year with my kids and husband because of a job. i heard from a friend that they have an excellent elementary program. other international schools are too pricey (i checked online) please advice. pros and cons?

Californiachina wrote:I'm moving to shanghai this year with my kids and husband because of a job. i heard from a friend that they have an excellent elementary program. other international schools are too pricey (i checked online) please advice. pros and cons?

Sorry can you please specify, who is "they"?

I believe she was referring to Shanghai?

livingston american school...

Hmm...if you compare Livingston American School's tuition with "other" international schools, you may find even cheaper ones. Especially if you look into international divisions of some local schools here.

ok, thanks!

HI Californiachina!
My kids attend the British International School Shanghai (Nanxiang campus). I know that they offer scholarships to students that excel in a variety of areas (e.g. sports, art, math, science, etc.) It's deifnitely worth looking into. Their site is http://www.bissnanxiang.com. Good luck!

We will be moving to Shanghai this summer and I need to find a school for my soon to be 2nd and 5th graders. I have a huge list of schools but how can I get a better understanding of the pros and cons of each school. In hopes of narrowing my list to visit on our pre trip in May could anyone give me feedback on the schools they have their kids in (both pros and cons). I really would prefer input from parents who have kids in these schools rather then admin from the schools.

We are American and my kids speak no Chinese (but are very excited to learn). We will be here for 3 years. I am hoping that all my kids will learn to speak (as fluently as possibly), read and write Chinese (would definately be a bonus). With that said, I don't want them to be miserable in a school where they can not make any friends. At first I thought a local bi lingual school would be interesting but now I'm wondering if we should just stick with the international schools.

Some schools I thought were interesting were Yew Chung (can anyone comment on the Puxi campus too), Shanghai Rego, WISS. What other schools do parents recommend. I'm not sure where we'll be living (Puxi or Pudong) but we would like some diversity so Pudong may not be for us (but i haven't seen it yet).

I also have a child starting kindergarten and I was hoping to put him into a local Kindergarten. I would like to find one that accepts foreigners and treats the children well. This is very hard to do remotely! Any recommendations, so we can visit them on our pre-trip would be greatly appreciated. Also would love to hear pros and cons of doing this. He will definately not do local primary only Kindergarten as I don't like what I hear about how they treat the kids. My thought is that he will learn to speak Chinese very quickly.

Thanks

What can anyone tell me about SCIS (pros and cons)? Is one campus better then the other (pudong or Honqiao)? Shanghai Community is very much an American Curriculum, as I see they do the exact same things my kids are doing now in their American schools. So this looks like it would be an easy transition from their current school to this one.

How does this school compare to SAS (either the Puxi or Pudong campus)?

I think a lot depends on the age of your children. I've toured SCIS Hongqiao and attended some events there. I was very impressed with the literature being presented at the middle school level. Not at all impressed with the music or music facilities. Its cramped for space, of course, given its location.
Puxi SAS seemed stressed out and competitive with a high percentage of Korean students. Its also very full and can be tough to get a seat there. Pudong SAS ended up being a good choice for us- 35 minute bus ride was comparable to our child's ride in the US. Academics was as fit for us with IB program.
Check SAT scores, IB/AP results for a better view of high school outcomes. Also ask % of ESL speakers.
Be aware that the private schools here are college prep with the asian kids under big pressure to get accepted by ivy league colleges. Expect some culture shock on the part of your kids.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons of Shanghai United Bilingual School and WISS? Does anyone have their kids there or know someone who does? Do the kids like it? Do these schools really help English speaking kids become bilingual?

Can anyone give me more info on how they like the primary IB program for kids? I've been through the IB World website but not getting a good feel for how the kids really do with this program, especially in the primary years.

Thanks and any input would be super helpful.

Hi there, can anyone tell me about Ningbo International School?

Cawphad Guy wrote:Hi there, can anyone tell me about Ningbo International School?

Uh, you would have better luck asking in a forum in the correct city, no?

Does anyone here have any experience or thoughts about the Rainbow Bridge International School for our daughter who will be entering the 4th grade. We will likely be in Shanghai for her 4th and 5th grade years only. Thanks for your insights.

To mom of 4:
I had some of the same thoughts and feelings you have about your kindergartner and school in Shanghai, but I made the mistake of looking for a kindergarten for my kindergartner when I moved to Shanghai last year. "Kindergartens" are really nurseries and preschools. Although some do go through age 6, you will find they are heavily directed to preschools. Kindergarten in the US is "year 1" in the british system and at many of the bilingual schools in Shanghai (such as Yew Chung International School where I eventually enrolled my daughter), so it is an ideal time to have them start the "big" school.