Beijing International Bilingual Academy vs Beijing Royal School

	B Beijing International Bilingual Academy Beijing, China	B Beijing Royal School Beijing, China
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RMB 76,000 - 292,000	Fees / year RMB 66,000 - 240,000
Age range	Age range 1 - 17 years	Age range 2 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational (boarding)	Type Co-educational (boarding)
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, Montessori Curriculum, Chinese National Curriculum, American Curriculum	Curriculum Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Canadian Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 1,700	Pupils 2,500
Typical class size	Typical class size 21	Typical class size 25
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin	Instruction language English, Mandarin
Opened	Opened 2006	Opened 1996
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location No.1 Yumin Road, Houshayu, Shunyi District, Beijing — the campus is in the suburban Shunyi area (postcode 101300). The school is reachable by car and local buses (routes 933, 855 and Shun 22); the nearest subway access is Line 15 (Houshayu Station) combined with a short bus or taxi ride.	Location Beijing Royal School (BRS) is on a large campus in Changping District at No.11 Wangfu Street (postcode 102209). The school is north of the Olympic Village and reachable by Beijing Metro Line 5 (Tiantongyuan North) with a transfer to the rapid bus line 3; the school provides driving directions from the North Fifth Ring and the G6 expressway.
Stages	Stages BIBA serves from Early Years (kindergarten/early childhood) through Primary (KG–G5), Middle (G6–G8) and Upper/High School (G9–G12). High‑school students follow a mix of IGCSE (G9–10) and IBDP or A‑Level options (G11–12).	Stages BRS is a K–12 school with four divisions: kindergarten, primary (including an IB PYP stream), middle/junior high and senior/high school; each division runs its own programmes and admissions. The school offers multiple international pathways at the upper levels (A-Level, IB Diploma, AP/OSSD and similar options).
School type	School type BIBA is a co‑educational, bilingual (Chinese–English) international school. The school offers optional boarding for secondary students (grades 6–12).	School type BRS is a co-educational private school that operates as a boarding school while also accommodating day students. Lower grades can be day students (with boarding available if needed) and senior grades are generally expected or encouraged to board; the school publishes dormitory facilities and boarding routines.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support The school describes a schoolwide approach to tailored support: differentiated/tiered instruction, inclusive classrooms, personalized mentoring and targeted language support (for example specialized English coaching in the secondary years). Early Years and primary pages note individual portfolios, parent–teacher collaboration and regular developmental reporting. For specific formal SEN (additional‑needs) provision or case‑by‑case admissions decisions, contact Admissions directly.	Additional learning support The school publishes an inclusion (融合/‘Inclusion') department for primary years and an Inclusion Policy, and describes differentiated and layered teaching, bilingual support and personalised learning pathways; parents are advised to contact Student Services/Admissions for specifics and assessment arrangements.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation BIBA is based in China and describes itself as rooted in China while operating as an international bilingual school; it is authorised by international bodies such as the IB and WASC. It does not present a formal affiliation to another country's national school system.	Country affiliation BRS is a Beijing-based (China) private school; it is part of the Fazheng Group and delivers international curricula rather than being formally affiliated to a foreign government or embassy.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation The school website does not indicate any religious affiliation; BIBA presents itself as a secular, bilingual international school.	Religious affiliation The school does not list any religious affiliation on its public information pages; its materials present a secular, international curriculum focus.
School day structure	School day structure Published local school guides report a typical school day start around 08:20 with classes ending about 15:50 and optional ECAs running until about 16:50; exact daily timings and ECA schedules are set by division and can vary by year group and season, so check the school calendar or ask Admissions for current division timetables.	School day structure Daily schedules vary by division; the primary division reports an 8:20 start for lessons (adjusted under recent national ‘double reduction' guidance), with a one-hour lunch/nap period and structured boarding routines (boarding students commonly wake around 07:00 and have a lights-out time around 21:00). Exact start/end times and after-school services differ by year group and are provided in division-specific timetables.
Bus service details	Bus service details BIBA runs an optional paid school bus service (school lists an annual bus fee range and a Bus Application Form in its downloadable resources). Bus fees and routes vary by year and pickup area (fees are listed as a paid optional service on the school fee page), and parents must apply for bus service via the school's Bus Application Form. Contact Admissions or the Finance Office for current routes, stops and pricing for your address.	Bus service details BRS operates organised student bus services and partners with certified school-transport providers; the primary division publishes multiple dedicated routes, safety specifications for the vehicles, and an assigned staff member on each bus. The school also runs scheduled boarding-student shuttle lines (detailed pick-up/drop-off times and routes are listed on the primary/boarding pages). Parents should contact the primary office for current route maps, daily times and registration.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fee - No application fee amount is listed on the school's admissions pages or the tuition and fees page. Tuition fees (per semester and per year) - Nursery class: RMB 38,000 per semester. - EY2–EY4: RMB 93,700 per semester. - KG: New student RMB 126,700 per semester; continuing KG student RMB 122,100 per semester. - Grades 1–5: RMB 143,000 per semester (RMB 260,000 per year). - Grades 6–8: RMB 146,300 per semester (RMB 266,000 per year). - Grades 9–10: RMB 151,050 per semester (RMB 273,000 per year). - Grades 11–12: RMB 160,600 per semester (RMB 292,000 per year). Billing schedule and payment terms - The school year is split into two semesters with the semester dates published on the school's billing page. Payment is due by the date stated on each invoice; tuition is not pro rata by month or day. Placement is not guaranteed if payment deadlines are missed. A 5% sibling discount applies for second and subsequent children (subject to the conditions stated by the school). A 10% tuition discount may apply to continuing students who meet the school's advancement and payment conditions. Boarding fees (optional) - Boarding is optional and meal-inclusive (three main meals and three snacks per day). - 4 students per room (Grades 6–10): RMB 75,000 per school year. - 2 students per room (Grades 11–12): RMB 90,000 per school year. - Single room (Grades 11–12): RMB 125,000 per school year. Other costs and optional charges - Uniform (optional, except EY): RMB 3,100–3,400 per set. - Lunch and snack service (optional): RMB 5,800–8,600 per school year. - School bus (optional): RMB 10,000–16,000 per school year. Withdrawal and refund information - Withdrawals require written notice and completion of the school's refund and withdrawal forms; refunds are not automatic. Normal processing time for refunds is 30 working days. No refunds are given for withdrawals resulting from violations of Chinese laws/regulations, serious school-rule violations, or force majeure events. Refund schedule (tuition): 100% before orientation day; 80% if within one month after school starts; 60% if within two months after school starts; no refund after two months. Meal, bus, and boarding refunds have specified timelines and conditions. Payment methods and currency - Invoices are issued via the school's education payment platform (“School Pay”) for payment to a student-specific account (scan code). Payment options listed by the school are: School Pay electronic payment, cash in RMB at the School Finance Office, or payment by pay card at the School Finance Office. The school lists payments in RMB only.	Fee details Application / registration fees - The school's published admissions pages do not list a universal application or registration fee amount for general applicants; no formal application fee is published on the school's online application or admissions Q&A pages. Tuition fees by year group (breakdown available from the school) - High School (Senior High): RMB 232,000 per year to RMB 252,000 per year (range varies by curriculum stream). Annual amounts are published; a per-term (semester) breakdown is not published on the school pages. - Middle School (Junior High): RMB 203,000 per year. A per-term breakdown is not published on the school pages. - Primary School (Elementary): RMB 119,000 per year to RMB 155,000 per year (varies by class/type). Per-term amounts are not listed on the school pages. - Kindergarten: RMB 6,800 per month to RMB 11,000 per month (some Montessori/international classes listed at higher monthly rates). Tuition is presented on a monthly basis for kindergarten; no official per-term kindergarten schedule is published on the admissions pages. Boarding fees and boarding arrangements - The school operates as a boarding-capable campus and recommends boarding for senior grades. The school's public pages describe boarding practice (weekend leave arrangements and that lower grades may commute) but do not publish a standard boarding-fee figure on the admissions or fee pages. Any specific boarding-rate schedule (weekly/monthly/annual boarding fee) is not shown on the publicly available admissions materials. Billing schedule and payment terms - The school's published materials present tuition as annual (or monthly for kindergarten) figures but do not publish a full billing schedule or standard payment-term table (for example: number of instalments, due dates, or late-payment penalties) on the admissions or online-application pages. Families should note that only annual/monthly fee amounts are listed publicly. Other costs and typical additional fees (from published school-directory summaries and admissions notes) - Uniforms and school materials: third-party school-directory summaries list typical uniform costs in ranges (examples published externally indicate roughly RMB 880–2,500 for uniforms), but a specific official uniform-price list is not provided on the school's public admissions pages. - Transport (school bus): third-party listings show annual or termly bus fees as an additional cost (examples published externally include ranges such as RMB 1,400–8,500 depending on route/type). The school's public admissions pages note campus transport options but do not publish a standard transport-fee schedule. - Examination, testing and external exam fees: the school is a test centre for many external exams (AP, A‑Level, IB, TOEFL/IELTS, etc.). Candidates should expect exam-registration and external marking fees for these qualifications in addition to tuition. Specific exam fees are set by the exam bodies and are not shown as part of the tuition figures on the school's admissions pages. Refunds and deposits - The school's publicly available admissions pages and online application form do not publish a standard refund policy, deposit amounts, or how refunds are processed (for example deposit refund terms or prorated refunds on withdrawal). No formal refund schedule is shown in the public admissions materials. Accepted payment methods and practical payment information - The school's public admissions pages and the online application form provide contact details for admissions and finance enquiries but do not list specific accepted payment methods (for example: bank transfer, credit card, or other channels) or bank details on the public pages. Notes on what is and is not published - Published, load-bearing fee figures available from the school are the annual (or kindergarten monthly) tuition rates listed above. The school's public admissions and brochure pages do not publish a full itemised fee schedule covering application/registration fees, per-term billing tables, boarding fee amounts, deposit/refund rules, uniform price lists, or explicit payment-method instructions. Third-party school directories reproduce the tuition figures and list additional typical costs (uniforms, bus) in ranges; those third-party figures are summarized above where available. Summary (practical points for a parent) - Tuition is published by division as annual amounts (high school, middle school, primary) or monthly for kindergarten; use RMB figures shown above for budgeting. - The school does not publish per-term billing breakdowns, a standard application fee, boarding-price schedule, refund policy, or payment methods in its publicly available admissions materials; these items are therefore to be confirmed directly with the school's admissions/finance office.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) offers a continuous curriculum from Early Years through Grade 12 that integrates Chinese national standards with international programmes to provide bilingual instruction and an international perspective. Early Years (ages 1–5) combine play-based learning with Montessori practices, and Elementary (KG–Grade 5) follows Chinese–American standards with bilingual emphasis and Chinese cultural study. The Middle Years integrate the Chinese national curriculum with the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) framework to develop inquiry, research skills and global perspectives. In High School, students study Cambridge IGCSE in Grades 9–10 and most students move into the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11–12, with UK A-level courses also available as an alternative. The IB Diploma subject offerings cover sciences, mathematics, languages, arts and humanities, and the school supplements academic programmes with STEAM, community service and other enrichment alongside national coursework.	Curriculum details Beijing Royal School operates several international pathways by school stage: the primary section uses the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) delivered in a bilingual immersion model. The middle school follows the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and also prepares students for Cambridge IGCSE within the school's Cambridge K‑12 framework. Upper secondary students have multiple qualification routes: the school is authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and also runs Cambridge AS/A‑Level and a large AP programme, so students may follow IBDP, A‑Level or AP tracks. The BRS AP page lists many specific AP subjects (for example Calculus AB/BC, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, English, economics and Chinese) and states the school is an early AP adopter and an AP teaching demonstration school. Across all stages the school describes a blend of national curriculum content with international programmes (IB, Cambridge, AP and AQA), publishes subject‑level lists and assessment policies, and emphasises bilingual delivery and age‑appropriate assessment.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Submit an online application. Parents should use BIBA's official application channels (the school website / WeChat and the OpenApply portal linked from the site). Make sure you fill in the application form completely and upload any immediately requested documents — an incomplete online application will delay the next steps. 2. Prepare and submit supporting documents. The school asks for the completed application plus required documents (examples available in the site's Download Resources such as the School Recommendation Form and the Age/Placement guide); typical documents families should have ready are recent school reports, passport/ID, and any previous testing or language records. If you are uncertain which documents are required for your child's year level, confirm with Admissions before attending testing or interview. 3. Attend interview and/or testing. After the school receives the completed application and documents, Admissions will schedule the student's interview and any grade-appropriate tests; testing and interview are required for all applicants. Parents should expect subjects and formats to vary by grade (for example, BIBA requires a Chinese writing test for applicants in Grades 2–12 who have attended a Chinese school or are native Chinese speakers). Be prepared to bring originals of school reports and ID to the interview/testing session if requested. 4. Receive an enrollment decision and notice. The school will notify families in writing if a place is offered or if further steps (such as re-testing) are required. Note that acceptance is conditional on meeting any stated requirements (for example additional testing or documentary checks). If a place is offered, read the offer letter carefully for the payment deadline and other conditions. 5. Complete fee payment to confirm placement. BIBA requires tuition/payment to be made by the date shown on the invoice; placement is not guaranteed until the Finance Office confirms payment. Check the Tuition & Fees page for the current fee schedule, payment methods, and the school's refund/withdrawal conditions so you know the deadlines and the consequences of late payment. 6. Submit the health check / medical paperwork. After payment and acceptance, the school requires a health-check report (the site lists submission of a health check report as a final administrative requirement). Make sure any immunization/medical documents follow the format or content BIBA specifies (ask Admissions for the exact health form or any medical checklist). 7. Prepare for start of school. Follow the orientation instructions in the enrollment notice (uniform orders, bus registration and lunch/meal options are handled separately and often have their own forms). Note optional costs (uniforms, lunch, bus and boarding) and the school's stated refund schedule for withdrawals made after the school year starts. If you have additional logistical questions (transport, sibling discounts, or division-specific placement) contact the Admissions or Finance Office directly.	Admissions 1. Inquiry & first contact — Start by submitting the school's online application or contacting the admissions office to request a campus visit, counseling session or Open Day. The school's English online application form is available on the BRS website; it also lists upcoming events (campus tours, 1:1 counselling) that parents can book. Parents should note the application form asks for current school, current grade and the grade the student is applying for, so have those details ready when you start. 2. Submit an application and request a document checklist — After the online form, the admissions office will confirm next steps and the documents required for the student's year/grade. BRS does not publish one universal printable checklist for every grade on the public pages, so parents should ask admissions for the exact document list (typical items schools request include recent school reports/transcripts, passport or ID, proof of residence, and health/immunization records). Requesting the checklist early avoids delays and lets you prepare certified translations if needed. 3. Entrance assessment and interview — BRS arranges written assessments (English and mathematics are mentioned as core tests) and an interview that evaluates oral English, independent thinking and subject-level readiness; scores are used as a reference alongside the whole-application review. The school runs its own entrance examinations and schedules interviews; for some international-program pathways there may also be oral interviews or program-specific tasks. Parents should prepare the child for short subject tests and an in-person or online interview, and confirm whether a local test centre or remote option is available. 4. Program placement, pathway options and scholarship screening — Admissions places students into the appropriate division and curriculum track (kindergarten, primary, junior high, senior high with AP/A-Level/IB/OSSD tracks). Some programs (for example the Canada pathway) advertise early admissions if a student passes the school's examinations and also list merit scholarship awards for qualifying candidates; BRS also advertises “excellent new-student” and “outstanding graduate” scholarships with separate application or selection rules. Parents should clarify which curriculum track the student is being assessed for and whether any scholarship application forms or deadlines apply to their child's cohort. 5. Offer, deposit and fee schedule — If the application is successful the school issues an offer letter that will state the tuition amount, any conditional scholarships, and the deposit or payment schedule required to secure the place. BRS publishes tuition bands by division (examples: senior high ~RMB 220,000–240,000 per year depending on curriculum; junior high ~RMB 191,000 per year; primary ~RMB 119,000–155,000 per year; kindergarten by-class monthly rates). Parents should check the offer for whether the quoted amount is tuition-only (additional items such as insurance, uniform, meals, trips, exam/registration fees and refundable deposits can apply) and confirm payment deadlines and refund rules. 6. Enrollment logistics (boarding, visa and health requirements) — The school is a boarding-capable campus and recommends boarding for senior grades; junior grades can commute. Non-Beijing-resident students are accepted, and international families should ask admissions about the school's support for visa paperwork, health checks, vaccination records and weekend boarding arrangements. Confirm arrival dates, orientation schedules and whether the school requires specific medical forms or local guardianship arrangements for overseas students. 7. Transfers, late entry and ongoing communication — BRS accepts transfer/inserted students year-round subject to available places; the admissions office schedules transfer testing and will place students according to seat availability. If you are applying mid-year, ask for current seat availability in the target grade, the expected timeline for testing and results, and whether the student's prior curriculum requires bridging support. Maintain contact with the admissions or international programs office so you receive any grade-specific instructions (timetables, exam registrations, uniform lists) before your child starts.
Scholarships	Scholarships BIBA publishes a scholarship programme for current and prospective students with three broad categories: Academic Scholarships, High-Achiever (talent) Scholarships, and Minor/Contribution Scholarships. The school's materials describe eligibility windows (scholarships commonly targeted at students entering certain grades such as Grade 6, Grade 9 and Grade 11) and that awards are competitive, conditional on continued progress and participation, and regularly reviewed. The school's published scholarship descriptions (and secondary summaries of the programme) show different award formats: some pages describe scholarship amounts (examples on the school's scholarship page include tiered RMB awards for academic winners and fixed annual awards for talent/minor categories), while earlier summaries and announcements describe tuition remissions as a percentage for top academic awards — because the site has multiple historic summaries, the precise award levels and validity periods can vary year-to-year. For those reasons, confirm the current award types, amounts, application timing and conditions directly with BIBA Admissions (the school's scholarship page and public summaries explain the application components — exam/interview, reports, auditions or portfolios — and state that the final decision and duration of the award are at the school's discretion).	Scholarships BRS publishes several scholarship options and program-specific merit awards. The school's public pages refer to “excellent new-student” scholarships (noting that the new-student scholarship is specifically limited to Grade 10 applicants in some program materials) and an “outstanding graduate” scholarship that can be substantial; program pages (for example the Canada pathway) list merit scholarships ranging from RMB 10,000 up to RMB 150,000 for outstanding applicants. Scholarship awards are generally merit-based and tied to either entrance examination results, academic records (including results such as Zhongkao where applicable) or other program-specific selection criteria; parents should confirm whether scholarships are one-off tuition discounts, percentage reductions, or multi-year awards and whether there are renewal conditions (minimum GPA or conduct standards). Because the school's descriptions include program-specific language and amounts, ask admissions for the current scholarship rules, the application window, required supporting documents, and the deadline for accepting an offer once a scholarship is awarded.
Waitlist	Waitlist BIBA's Admissions Policy indicates the school operates a waiting-list practice and gives admissions priority to siblings of current students or graduates and to those on the previous year's waiting list. Placement is described as first-come, first-served and also depends on the candidate's overall assessment (interview/testing) and timely payment; the school therefore uses both assessment results and chronological order when allocating limited places. The website does not publish a step-by-step public procedure for joining or tracking a live waiting list (for example, how/when the school notifies families on the list), so if you need a seat and the grade is full you should contact Admissions to ask how to be added and what the expected turnaround time is.	Waitlist BRS's public materials do not describe a formal, published waitlist or central ‘pool' process; instead the school states it accepts transfer or additional students throughout the year and that final admission depends on remaining grade capacity. In practice this means that if a grade is full parents should contact the admissions office to ask whether there is a short-notice opening or whether the school keeps inquiries on file for future vacancies. For the most reliable information, parents should ask admissions whether the school will (a) place an applicant on an internal waiting list; (b) hold completed applications pending a vacancy; or (c) recommend re-applying for the next intake — the public site asks families to contact admissions directly for placement and timing details.
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