In anticipation of the Beijing International School Expo on January 24-25, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from the upcoming 2015-2016 beijingkids School Choice Guide, which comes out on January 20.
Located in Beijing’s Central Business District, Beijing City International School (BCIS) lives by its motto: “Empowering and Inspiring through Challenge and Compassion.” This non-profit, independent co-educational day school offers an international curriculum under the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School system and offers all three IB programs (Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programme). Two cornerstones of BCIS education are combining the best elements of East and West, and offering a personalized education experience. BCIS has two campuses covering more than 60,000sqm; the main campus (Grades 1 to 12), and the Early Childhood Center (ECC) campus (Toddler to Kindergarten). Both purpose-built sites are supported by an innovative curriculum built around the IB, which uses an inquiry-based and skills-focused approach to learning. The experienced faculty is made up of teachers from 13 different countries. BCIS is one of the few schools in Beijing licensed to offer a rigorous and well-respected international curriculum to both foreign and Chinese national students.
Founding date: 2005
Age range (2014-2015 academic year): 2-18
Grades offered: Toddler-Grade 12
School type: IB World School
Total area: More than 60,000sqm
Number of students (2014-2015 academic year): 770
Is the school accredited by the Ministry of Education? No. Enrollment opened to local and international students as the school is registered with the Education Committee of Chaoyang District.
Accreditations: CIS, WASC
Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes
Local Chinese students accepted? Yes
Tuition fees (2014-2015 academic year):
• Application fee: RMB 2,000
• New student fee: RMB 5,000
• Toddler-Nursery: RMB 160,500
• Pre-K: RMB 172,500
• Kindergarten: RMB 183,800
• Grades 1-2: RMB 216,700
• Grades 3-5: RMB 216,700
• Grades 6-8: RMB 232,300
• Grades 9-10: RMB 237,600
• Grades 11-12: RMB 246,600
• Lunch fee: ECC Campus: RMB 4,500 per year (includes snack and lunch); BCIS main campus: RMB 20/meal (Grade 1), RMB 27/meal (Grades 2-12)
• Transportation fee: RMB 10,000 per year
Lunch offered (2014-2015 academic year): International catering company Aramark offers both Chinese and Western meals in the school cafeterias and snack bar. ECC lunch menu works on a two-week rotation, and is eaten family-style in the school common areas.
Nationality of students (2014-2015 academic year): 50 nationalities
Primary teaching language: English
Other languages taught: Chinese, Korean and Spanish, as well as school-supported self-taught language programs that meet the requirements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization.
Class size (2014-2015 academic year): 14 (Toddler and Nursery); 16 (Pre-K and Kindergarten); 22 (Grades 1-12)
Teacher/student ratio (2014-2015 academic year): 1:6
School hours (2014-2015 academic year): 8.15am-3.30pm
After-school activities (2014-2015 academic year): Dance, chess, calligraphy, rock climbing, cooking, choir, taekwondo, kung fu, Chinese drumming, and more
School facilities: Main campus: over 50 classrooms, sports complex, theater, design and technology lab, green screen studio, science labs, two libraries, two cafeterias, swimming pool, soccer field and more. The ECC Campus is an eco-friendly facility with 20 spacious classrooms, dining areas, indoor and outdoor play areas, learning kitchens, gymnasium, library, rooftop gardens and more. Both campuses also contain air-filtering equipment that removes at least 80 percent of harmful PM2.5 particles.
School nurse or doctor available? Yes, there are two nurses on duty in the main campus and one at the ECC campus.
Contact: www.bcis.cn
• BCIS Main Campus:77 Baiziwan Nan Er Lu, Chaoyang District (8771 7171, admissions@bcis.cn) 朝阳区百子湾南二路77号
• ECC Campus: 11 Dongbai Jie, Chaoyang District (6770 0766, admissions@bcis.cn) 朝阳区东柏街11号
Word from a Parent:
BCIS has been the perfect school for our family. We had been living in Beijing for a while when we transferred them into BCIS, and the effect on them was immediate – both boys thrive at BCIS. We’ve got one son going to the ECC campus and one son on the main campus. They share the BCIS spirit and routines, and they know each other’s friends, yet they’re also able to have their own experiences.
– Kerry Driver (US), mother of two BCIS students (kindergarten and Grade 2)
Photo: Courtesy of BCIS
