Yew Chung International School of Shanghai

YCIS Shanghai operates five day-school campuses across Puxi and Pudong (examples: Gubei/Puxi and Century Park/Pudong). Campuses sit in established residential and expat neighbourhoods with access to major roads and public transport; exact campus addresses and maps are on the school site. For admissions or visits parents usually select the campus that matches their child's year group.

The school provides Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary education for students aged about 2–18 (K2–Year 13). Campuses are organised so different sites serve particular age ranges (ECE, Primary, Secondary).

YCIS Shanghai is a co‑educational international day school that follows a bilingual co‑teaching model (English and Mandarin) in its early years and primary classes. The school does not advertise boarding provision—its campuses operate as day campuses.

The school has a Learning Support function (EAL/SEN) that provides in‑class and withdrawal support, helps develop IEPs and administers assessments; specialist staff are listed in recruitment and student‑support materials. Admissions and placement for students with more significant needs are handled case‑by‑case and the school notes limits on the level of specialist provision available on campus.

YCIS Shanghai is part of the Yew Chung Yew Wah (YCYW) education network; the Shanghai campus opened in 1993 as the network's mainland China campus.

The school does not present a formal religious affiliation on its public overview pages; its materials focus on bilingual, cultural and character education rather than a particular faith.

Daily start/end times and break/lunch arrangements vary by campus and year group; the school publishes campus‑specific school calendars and timetables (see the School Calendar / Year Overview pages for each campus). Parents relocating should check the relevant campus calendar for precise daily hours.

YCIS offers an optional school bus service with multiple routes serving its campuses; routes, pick‑up/drop‑off points (commonly at compound gates) and fees vary by campus and year. Families can apply for bus service each year and should contact admissions or school services for the current routes, schedules and fees.

Yew Chung International School of Shanghai educates expatriate children from K2 to Year 13 (ages 2–18) across its Puxi and Pudong campuses. Early Childhood (K2–K4) uses a bilingual co‑teaching model (one native English and one native Chinese teacher) and follows a play‑based approach guided by the UK “Development Matters” Early Years framework. Primary and lower secondary (Years 1–9) follow the school's YCIS international curriculum with integrated Chinese Studies and continued bilingual instruction. Upper secondary is a two‑stage external‑exam pathway: Years 10–11 sit Cambridge IGCSE subjects (the school is an authorised Cambridge Assessment centre) and Years 12–13 study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). YCIS Shanghai is accredited by NEASC and CIS, reports recent IGCSE and IB outcomes on its site, and offers modern languages (including Mandarin and Spanish) alongside the core curriculum, university guidance and co‑curricular programmes.

YCIS Shanghai states it delivers a school-wide Wellbeing Programme that is emphasised in daily lessons, weekly assemblies and other learning activities to develop students' social and emotional skills. The school names specific counsellors and pastoral staff who contribute to wellbeing work and describes character education activities (for example, annual Charity Week) as part of students' social development. Early Childhood and Primary classes use a bilingual co-teaching model (English and Chinese co‑teachers), which the school says supports students' identity, relationships and intercultural skills. Transition programmes and pastoral arrangements (homeroom teachers, year-level leaders and counselling teams) are described as supporting social and emotional needs during key moves (for example Primary→Secondary).

YCIS's published admissions guidance states applicants must be able to access the regular curriculum “without needing support beyond our English as an Additional Language programme and supplemental learning resources,” which indicates limited scope for intensive specialist SEN provision. The school's website does not present a detailed public list of the specific types of SEN it can support or a dedicated specialist‑SEN programme, and it is not described on the website as a specialist SEN institution. Where further or specialist services are required the admissions statement implies those needs may be considered on a case‑by‑case basis during application. Because the website does not publish a comprehensive SEN policy or an explicit list of conditions supported, families requiring significant specialist provision should contact admissions for definitive guidance.

YCIS Shanghai's admissions and curriculum pages state the school provides EAL (English as an Additional Language) support for students whose mother tongue is not English. The school describes EAL being delivered as a separate lesson in Primary and notes in transition guidance that English/EAL is taught by English co‑teachers together with an additional EAL teacher to support diverse learner needs. The Early Childhood bilingual co‑teaching model (English and Chinese teachers in each class) is presented as a core part of language access across the school. The website therefore documents that EAL provision exists but does not publish detailed programme syllabuses or class‑size/teacher‑ratio specifics online.

The school describes a Wellbeing Programme that is integrated into the curriculum and daily school life and names school counsellors who lead wellbeing and transition support. YCIS articles on wellbeing detail practical initiatives used during periods of remote learning (for example active‑movement challenges, wellbeing webinars and resilience workshops) and note assemblies and Life Skills elements that support students' mental health. Transition pages also state that counselling staff and year‑level leaders provide pastoral support during key changes, such as moving from Primary to Secondary. The website does not publish a formal student mental‑health policy with exhaustive lists of clinical services on the public pages, so families wanting clinical or specialist mental‑health support should enquire directly with the school.

YCIS Shanghai publishes material stating that child protection and safeguarding are compulsory elements of staff training and school practice; the site describes annual in‑person child protection training for all staff, follow‑up online modules during the year, and mandatory Adult Codes of Conduct for staff and volunteers. The school reports that additional training on intimate‑care guidelines is provided for Early Childhood staff and that visitors who work with children must sign safeguarding acknowledgements before working on campus. YCIS also highlights that its broader accreditation and professional‑development programme includes child‑protection training for staff. The website provides a specific child‑protection/safeguarding page and news article outlining these requirements; for procedural details (reporting pathways, Designated Safeguarding Lead contact, external reporting) parents should consult the school's published Child Protection page or contact the school directly.

1. Initial enquiry and eligibility check — Contact the YCIS Shanghai Admissions team to start. Parents should confirm that the family meets local eligibility rules for international schools in Shanghai (typically foreign passports and supporting residency/visa documents) before applying; the school's Admissions pages explain these requirements and offer an Age Placement Guide and Application Checklist to help determine the correct year level. If you plan to transfer from another YCIS campus, note that internal transfers are facilitated with reduced paperwork.

2. Book a visit / information meeting — Arrange a campus visit, open day or a virtual meeting with Admissions to see the campus, ask about bus routes, meal service, EAL provision and learning-support capacity, and to confirm which campus (Puxi, Pudong or Lingang) you prefer. Parents should bring photo ID and the child's most recent school reports to the meeting, and ask for the Application Checklist so they can prepare documents correctly. Visits are useful to confirm practical matters (bus stops, start times) that affect daily logistics.

3. Complete the online application — Submit the official online application through YCIS's admissions portal and select the preferred campus. The portal collects basic family and student details and prompts for the required uploads (passport copies, proof of residency/visa where required, recent school report, immunisation record and any support plans). Completing the online form early in the admissions cycle is recommended; make sure the uploaded documents are clear and translated into English if necessary.

4. Application fee, deposit and invoice expectations — After submission you should expect to be informed about any application fee and, if an offer is made, the acceptance deposit/enrolment fee and payment deadlines. Published fee summaries used by multiple school-fee services show a one‑time application fee (reported around RMB 3,000) and a refundable enrolment deposit (reported around RMB 25,000), but families should confirm the current amounts and payment methods with Admissions and on the official invoice before paying. Keep receipts and read the school's withdrawal/refund policy in the Fees documentation.

5. Assessment and interview — For placement the school will consider academic history, English proficiency, special skills/talents, social‑emotional readiness and date of birth; applicants may be asked to complete age‑appropriate placement tests and attend an interview (in person or online). Younger children may have play‑based assessments; older applicants are usually given subject/English assessments and a short interview. If English is limited, the school will assess whether the child can access the regular curriculum with the school's EAL support (students who require specialist or intensive SEN support beyond the school's published provision may not be admitted).

6. Offer, contract and acceptance — If a place is offered you will receive an offer letter or invoice that sets out the deadline to accept, deposit/payment instructions, and the contract terms. Read the contract carefully for start date, payment schedule, minimum enrolment period and any conditions attached to the offer (for example, proof of residency or work permit if not already provided). Parents normally accept by returning a signed contract and paying the required deposit by the stated deadline to secure the place.

7. Preparation before start date — Once the place is confirmed, arrange school uniform sizing, school bus registration (if needed), meal plan choices, and provide any medical or learning‑support documentation requested. If your child needs EAL support, coordinate with the school about initial assessments and any recommended resources so they can start with appropriate support. Ask Admissions for arrival/orientation dates and the school calendar so you can plan travel and housing around term start dates.

8. Onboarding and placement adjustments — On the child's first weeks the school will typically complete induction and may make minor placement adjustments once they have observed the student in class; keep lines of communication open with the class teacher and the Admissions/Year‑Level leader. If your child is moving mid‑year, expect a formal placement assessment and an agreed in‑year start plan, including catch‑up or bridging suggestions. Parents should maintain copies of medical forms, prior reports and any individual education plans, as these speed the placement process.

9. Follow‑up and appeals — If an application is declined or a child is placed in a different year level than expected, ask Admissions for written feedback and guidance on re‑application or alternative options (including the waiting pool if applicable). If you plan to reapply or update application materials, send the improved documents and new reports to the Admissions office so they can re‑assess when a vacancy arises. YCIS also supports transfers within the YCYW network, which can simplify moves between sister campuses.

YCYW (the Yew Chung Yew Wah network) operates a network scholarship programme that is implemented at YCIS campuses, including YCIS Shanghai. The programme awards merit‑based scholarships for academic excellence, leadership, service and subject/talent strengths; award categories include the Madam Tsang Chor‑hang Memorial Scholarship, Yew Chung Yew Wah Subject & Talent Awards, and Yew Chung Yew Wah IGCSE/IB/A‑Level Academic Awards. Eligible applicants are typically current or prospective students in the upper years (network guidance and campus notices commonly reference Years 7–13), and external applicants are usually required to submit admission materials and take designated tests (CEM/CPT or equivalent) before scholarship application. Scholarship support varies by award and campus; the network's published material indicates tuition‑fee waivers ranging from partial (about 15%–25% for some awards) up to full (100%) and durations commonly from two to three years depending on the scholarship type, with an annual review and a selection process that includes a written application and panel interview. YCIS Shanghai publishes its own scholarship announcements and timeline (application season, short‑listing, panel interviews and final decisions—application windows are usually in the November–January period with interviews and decisions in the months that follow), so families should contact the YCIS Shanghai Admissions or scholarship email for current deadlines, application forms, and the exact percentage and duration available at that campus.

YCIS schools keep a waiting pool when a year level is full rather than a single‑ranked public queue; applicants who meet the admission criteria but cannot be placed immediately may be held in that pool until space becomes available. Priority considerations used when moving candidates from the pool to offer places include sibling status, campus balance and curriculum/age fit; parents are advised to confirm whether they must re‑confirm interest to remain in the pool and how long a pool placement is valid at the specific campus. The practice of maintaining a waiting pool and giving sibling priority is used across the YCYW/YCIS network (for example, another YCIS campus page explicitly states a waiting pool is maintained when a year level is full), so expect similar local practice at YCIS Shanghai and check with Admissions for campus‑specific details and timelines.