Concordia International School Shanghai

Concordia International School Shanghai is located in the Jinqiao (Biyun) neighbourhood of Pudong, Shanghai; the visitor entrance is at 345 Huangyang Road and the school's mailing address is 999 Mingyue Road (postcode 201206). The campus sits in an international residential and commercial area with nearby metro and bus links (Taierzhuang Road / Line 9 is a short walk) and is reachable from both Pudong and Puxi.

The school serves students aged about 3 to 18 and is organised into Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School and High School divisions (Preschool through Grade 12).

Concordia is a co‑educational day school delivering an American‑style curriculum; it does not offer boarding. The school operates as an international school for students holding foreign passports.

Concordia runs a Learning Support (LS) programme with LS specialists who work with classroom teachers to design interventions and accommodations. The programme supports a limited number of students with mild to some moderate learning needs through referral, in‑class support, and targeted interventions.

The school is approved by the Ministry of Education of China and the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission but is not an official national school of another country; it provides an American‑style education for expatriate families.

Concordia was founded in the tradition of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and holds related school accreditation; it identifies as a Christian/Lutheran‑affiliated international school.

Typical school start times reported are about 8:00 AM for Early Childhood, Elementary and Middle School and about 8:30 AM for High School, with a usual school day finishing in the mid‑afternoon (around 3:20 PM). Specific schedules (for example exam blocks or early‑release days) are published on the school calendar and can vary by week or division.

Concordia offers optional paid bus transportation with morning, afternoon and late/activity routes; routes cover much of Pudong and some areas of Puxi. Families who pay for daily bus service may also use activity buses for no additional charge on participating ECA/athletics days. The bus service is run as a school‑arranged transport option and the fee is separate from tuition.

Concordia delivers an American-style continuum from Preschool through Grade 12: the Early Childhood program (Preschool–K) is Reggio Emilia–inspired and integrates literacy, math, science, social-emotional learning and the arts with Mandarin and English-language support. The Elementary School (Grades 1–5) follows U.S. standards—Common Core for math and literacy, NGSS for science, C3 for social studies—and uses resources such as Bridges in Mathematics alongside daily Mandarin and balanced literacy instruction. Middle School (Grades 6–8) follows an American curriculum with an international focus; students study nine subject areas each year: Mathematics, Science, English, Social Studies, Physical Education, World Language, STEM, RSB and the Fine Arts. High School (Grades 9–12) requires a U.S.-style core (English, social studies, science, math, world language, fine arts, health, PE and spirituality) and offers Advanced Placement courses, Applied Learning pathways and Global Online Academy options; students meet defined credit-based graduation requirements to earn a Concordia high school diploma. Across all divisions the school embeds STEM, applied-learning, service, counseling and learning-support programs alongside extracurriculars and specialist arts instruction.

Concordia describes a P–12 counselling and guidance programme that delivers social–emotional learning through classroom, small-group and individual sessions, and trains Student Ambassadors to welcome and support new students. The Early Childhood/Kindergarten guidance programme uses the Second Step curriculum for explicit SEL instruction (skills for learning, empathy, emotion management and problem solving). The high school has also recently revised its advisory programme to emphasise SEL at the grade‑level advisory level. Counselors work with teachers and parents to support transitions and adjustment, and confidentiality is stated as a priority in counselling.

Concordia publishes a Learning Support Program (LSP) that is delivered by Learning Support (LS) Specialists who co‑plan with classroom teachers and provide interventions, accommodations and monitoring. The LSP states the school can support a limited number of students with mild and some moderate learning needs and uses a referral process for admission and exit. The school describes collaborative planning between LS Specialists, classroom teachers and parents as the primary model of support. Concordia does not present itself as a specialist SEN institution; its published materials indicate mainstream inclusion with targeted support for qualifying students.

Concordia publishes an English Language Learning (ELL) programme that uses WIDA assessment for identification, employs ELL Specialists to provide language scaffolds and co‑teaching, and offers English Language Development (ELD) courses for middle and high school students. The ELL page explains exit criteria (WIDA scores, classroom tasks and academic progress) and emphasises home‑school partnership and ongoing monitoring.

Concordia's published support for student mental wellbeing is delivered through its P–12 counselling team, which runs whole‑school, small‑group and individual work and operates a Care and Concern team to monitor social and academic adjustment. The School Health & Safety page notes on‑site registered nurses and explicitly states counselling staff provide support for emotional and stress‑related difficulties. The school has published a Middle School Wellness programme addressing six dimensions of wellness (spiritual, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and emotional).

Concordia's website indicates child safeguarding is part of its counselling and staff training work: the counselling team runs a Care and Concern group and the school has hosted professional events that included sessions on child safeguarding, reporting protocols and staff training. The School Health & Safety page also refers to emotional health and the role of counselling staff in supporting students. However, the school does not publish a standalone child‑protection policy document accessible from its public website pages that we could locate; a formal, dedicated child protection policy is not publicly disclosed on the site.

1. Check eligibility and required government documents. Before you begin the online application, confirm your family meets Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SHMEC) eligibility categories and that you can provide the required government documents (passports, residence permits, work permit/employment verification, birth certificate, etc.). Concordia requires at least one parent to be resident in Shanghai while the child is enrolled; failure to maintain required documents can lead to dismissal and forfeiture of fees, so gather certified/translated copies now.

2. Start the online application (OpenApply) and pay the application fee. Eligible applicants must complete the school's online application portal (concordiashanghai.openapply.cn) and upload initial documents; after submission you will receive a customized checklist in your applicant account. The application fee is paid through that process (the site lists a non-refundable application fee); keep the payment receipt and note the portal account login for future checklist items.

3. Upload supporting academic records, recommendations and any learning-needs documentation. The admissions checklist asks for previous report cards, test results, and teacher recommendations; if your child has diagnosed learning needs or specialized schooling requirements, include full documentation and disclose these up front because admissions decisions are made case-by-case based on available support. Concordia states that failure to disclose a full history of learning needs can result in dismissal, so be thorough and contact Admissions to discuss any supports your child may require.

4. Prepare for interviews and assessments (if required). Depending on grade level and the initial application review, Concordia may request an interview and/or English-language and academic assessments (math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, etc.); Preschool/Pre-K have different language expectations than Kindergarten–Grade 12. If the grade has reached wait-pool status, the school notes that required assessments may be scheduled only when space becomes available, so ask Admissions about timing if you need a prompt assessment.

5. Receive the admissions decision and complete acceptance steps. The admissions committee evaluates academic/behavioral records, English proficiency, support needs and overall fit; the school will notify families of decisions by email. If you receive an offer, a non-refundable Capital Fee (listed on the tuition page) is billed upon acceptance and generally must be paid within the timeline provided in the offer to secure the place.

6. Complete enrollment paperwork, payments and operational arrangements. After acceptance, follow the Enrollment instructions (submit any outstanding SHMEC documents, arrange tuition payment in RMB or USD per the school's payment instructions, and be aware of one-time fees: ELL support fee where applicable, and laptop requirements for Grades 6–12). Also arrange optional services (bus, lunch, uniforms) and confirm start-of-term logistics; if you have questions about billing or currency conversion, contact the Business Office or Admissions directly.

Concordia's public website does not list a general family-facing scholarship or means-tested financial-aid program for incoming students. The site does show the Concordia Fund (a donor program that supports student/faculty enrichment projects) and describes employee tuition benefits for faculty children under specific employment arrangements, but it does not present an open scholarship application process or standard tuition-remission program for the general applicant pool. If you are seeking fee assistance, sponsored places, or employee-related tuition benefits, contact the Admissions or Human Resources offices directly to ask whether any limited-sponsored places, staff benefits, or special arrangements might apply in your case — contact details are provided on the school's contact page.

Concordia operates a wait pool system rather than an automatic long public waitlist for grades that have reached capacity. The school's Admissions/Requirements pages flag specific grade levels as being at “wait pool” status and state that, when capacity is reached, applicants are placed in the wait pool rather than being immediately assessed or placed. Priority consideration within the wait pool is not an automatic placement; Concordia lists priority factors used when choosing among wait-pool applicants: siblings currently enrolled or applying, returning students in good standing, stronger academic English proficiency, and students with prior attendance at U.S. or American international schools. The site also explicitly notes that if a requested grade is at wait-pool status and an applicant requires an assessment, the assessment will be scheduled only if and when space becomes available — so families on the wait pool should expect possible delays to assessment and placement and should keep Admissions informed of any changes in status.