Let the school know you're thinking of applying — they can share their prerequisites and help you through the process.
It's best to ask — circumstances can change at any time.
· Reviewed by Aziza Francienne · B2C Marketing Manager
Shen Wai International School (SWIS) is the international section of Shenzhen Foreign Languages School, located at 29 Baishi 3rd Road in Nanshan, Shenzhen. The school's English-language site lists its three IB programmes (Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme) and menu sections for Athletics, Co‑Curricular Activities and Admissions, indicating an enrolment pathway from early years through to the diploma level. Contact details (telephone and map links) are provided on the site. The school publishes downloadable documents and pages for Admissions and Learning (PYP, MYP, DP) but the publicly accessible English pages do not show a published fee schedule, student roll, specific age entry ranges, class sizes, or the name of the head/principal. Where items are not present on the school site I have left them blank rather than use third‑party sources. (All facts above are taken from the SWIS website.)
29, Baishi 3rd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China, 518053
Shen Wai International School has 780 pupils, instruction in English.
Shen Wai International School is on 29 Baishi 3rd Road in Nanshan District, Shenzhen (518053). The campus is in the Shenzhen Bay / Nanshan area and is reachable by city roads and public transport; the school website lists the full address and contact number for directions and visits.
SWIS is an IB continuum school offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP), serving roughly ages 4–18 (Pre‑K/Kindergarten through Grade 12).
Co‑educational day school (no boarding). The school is government‑invested/non‑profit and serves expatriate families as well as residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The school provides English language support (EAL) and additional learning / special‑education resources, and has counselling services and access to educational‑psychology support; some specialised services may be provided for a fee—contact Admissions for specifics.
The school is not affiliated with a foreign country; it is invested by the Shenzhen municipal government and operates as an international school serving the local expatriate community and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan residents.
SWIS is secular and does not have a religious affiliation.
Published information indicates a typical school day runs approximately from 08:30 to 15:30, with options for supervised before/after care and an After‑School Activities (ASA) programme. Check the school calendar or Admissions for exact daily bell times for each division.
The school offers a school‑bus service for families; bus availability, routes, pick‑up points and fees are organised through the school and can change each year. Parents relocating from overseas should request the current route map, operating company (if any) and fee schedule from Admissions before arrival.
Annual tuition at Shen Wai International School ranges from RMB 121,400 to RMB 218,500 for 2026/27.
Shen Wai International School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 4 to 18.
Shen Wai International School (SWIS) delivers the full International Baccalaureate continuum—Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The school serves students from Pre‑Kindergarten through Grade 12 and teaches in English while maintaining a structured Mandarin/Chinese language and culture programme. In the middle years (MYP, typically Grades 6–10) SWIS follows the MYP framework and prepares students for MYP certification/e‑assessment at the end of Year 10. Upper secondary (Grades 11–12) follows the IB Diploma: students choose subjects across the DP groups (languages, sciences, mathematics, individuals & societies, the arts) and complete the DP core—Theory of Knowledge, Creativity‑Activity‑Service and the extended essay—along with external DP examinations. SWIS is accredited by international bodies and integrates the IB inquiry‑based approach with co‑curricular arts, STEM and cultural learning.
SWIS identifies well‑being as a core school value and states that elements of well‑being are incorporated across units of study from Kindergarten through Diploma; the school highlights areas such as health, self‑management, collaboration, respect and relationships in its community description. Public reporting about SWIS notes the school develops expectations and procedures linked to well‑being and that well‑being is embedded in curriculum planning. The school also reports having medical and counselling staff available to the community. Specific named SEL programmes or a published, standalone SEL curriculum are not detailed on the school's public pages.
Publicly available job adverts and recruitment listings show SWIS has recruited for Learning Support / Secondary Learning Support roles, indicating the school operates an in‑school learning support function. These listings suggest the presence of staff who support learners with additional needs, but the school's public materials do not specify which categories of Special Educational Needs (for example, specific learning disabilities, ASD, sensory impairments, etc.) it will or will not support. SWIS is not described in public sources as a specialist SEN institution. For clarity on individual student needs and specialist provision the school should be contacted directly.
The school does not publicly disclose information regarding EAL. Public pages and summary profiles for SWIS that are available do not include a described EAL/ESL programme, dedicated EAL staff, or explicit EAL entry/support procedures. If you need confirmation of EAL provision or assessment procedures, contact the school directly.
SWIS publicly frames well‑being as a school priority and reports that medical and counselling staff are available to support the community. External profiles of the school describe wellbeing being elevated to a core value and note the school operates anti‑bullying measures and related pastoral procedures. The school's publicly available material does not publish a detailed mental‑health policy or named, externally run mental‑health programmes on its website; for specifics on school counselling qualifications, caseload, or referral pathways you should request those details from the school.
Public reporting about SWIS states the school maintains child‑protection measures that include safe‑recruiting practices, police and reference checks for staff, an anti‑bullying policy, and on‑site security and medical personnel. These statements appear in external profiles summarising the school's safeguarding and safety procedures. The school is also listed on Shenzhen government education pages as an accredited international school, which indicates it operates within local regulatory frameworks. The school's full written safeguarding/child‑protection policy and implementation details are not published in full on the public pages found; request the school's safeguarding policy directly for complete, current documentation.
1. Check eligibility and timing. Shen Wai International School (SWIS) primarily serves children of the expatriate community and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; at least one parent must normally hold foreign passport/residency and local guardianship rules require students to live in Shenzhen with a parent or an approved guardian. Confirm your child's age against the school's cut-off date (September 1) because grade placement is age-based. See the school's admissions criteria for these restrictions and rolling-entry notes.
2. Prepare required documents. Parents should be ready to provide documentary proof of the items above (passport information page and any relevant residence/visa pages), the child's birth certificate, recent school reports or transcripts, and standard health/immunisation records; if you are using a guardian, bring the appropriate power of attorney/guardianship paperwork. SWIS requires applicants to show they can access an English-language curriculum, so evidence of recent school reports or any English test results can speed placement. If your child has identified special educational needs, discuss these with admissions before applying so the school can confirm whether it can meet those needs.
3. Submit the online application and school tour/ enquiry. Use the school's Apply Online link and the Admissions page to start an application and to arrange a tour or admissions meeting; the official admissions page is the primary entry point for applications and enquiries. Be aware that some international schools charge a non-refundable application fee or require a one-time first-year payment/placement charge — parents should check the specific payment/fee instructions shown on the offer or fee schedule. Keep records of application submission and any reference/application IDs the school provides.
4. Assessment and interview/placement. SWIS expects applicants to demonstrate sufficient English and may use grade-specific assessments or interviews to check academic level and English proficiency; each grade can have a tailored process and placement is based on results and available places. For younger children the school may use age-appropriate observation or interviews, while older children are typically assessed with school reports and subject-specific checks. Ask Admissions in advance what format (in-person or online) the assessment and interview will take for your child's grade.
5. Offer, acceptance and payment. If a place is offered you will usually receive a written Offer Letter or invoice that specifies the deadline to accept and any placement deposit or tuition payment required to secure the place. SWIS's published tuition schedule shows annual tuition bands by year group, and the first-year or placement financial requirements can be higher than the annual tuition shown; read the offer carefully for one‑time fees and payment deadlines. Keep the payment receipt and confirm enrolment steps (medical forms, transport, uniform orders) after the school acknowledges your payment.
6. Visa, guardianship and local compliance. Before your child's first day, confirm that local guardianship, residency/visa paperwork and any health insurance or immunisation records meet Shenzhen and school requirements — SWIS will not accept students who do not meet local guardianship rules. If your family's situation requires a guardian in Shenzhen, arrange the legal documents well before arrival so the school can complete registration. Contact Admissions for any school-specific local-compliance instructions.
7. Start date, orientation and ongoing communication. SWIS operates on a rolling-admissions basis where places are confirmed subject to vacancies; when your child starts expect an orientation (or grade-level entry procedure) and possible short-term monitoring or placement adjustments as teachers confirm appropriate class groupings. Keep in regular contact with the Admissions office and the relevant Head of Division during the first weeks so any academic or pastoral adjustments can be made promptly. If anything in your family situation changes (arrival date, guardian, residency), notify Admissions immediately.
SWIS publicly describes admissions as rolling and that places are offered according to enrolment limits and vacancies; the school's published admissions information does not include a public, detailed waitlist policy. That means: when a grade is full the school typically manages new applications on a vacancy basis (often by holding records of applicants and offering places as they become available), but there is no formal, publicly posted waitlist procedure or guaranteed position published on the website or directory listings. Parents should therefore assume places are offered by vacancy and should keep their application active (and confirm their interest) with Admissions; for a definitive answer about whether SWIS will keep a formal waitlist for a specific grade and how applicants are prioritised, contact the Admissions office directly using the school's admissions contact.