Hangzhou Chinese International School

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.

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.