Guangdong Country Garden School vs ISA Tianhe International School

	G Guangdong Country Garden School Guangzhou, China	I ISA Tianhe International School Guangzhou, China
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RMB 173,920 - 176,350	Fees / year RMB 173,000 - 187,000
Age range	Age range 6 - 18 years	Age range 2 - 11 years
Type	Type Co-educational (boarding)	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, Advanced Placement (AP), Chinese National Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE
Pupils	Pupils 4,800	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 24
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin	Instruction language English, Mandarin
Opened	Opened 1994	Opened 2015
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Guangdong Country Garden School (广东碧桂园学校) is in Beijiao Town, Shunde District, Foshan City — in the Pearl River Delta just south of Guangzhou. The campus sits inside the Country Garden residential area and is accessible to major transport links in the region; it is commonly referenced as being within easy reach of Guangzhou and the Greater Bay Area transport network.	Location Address: Block C2-2 Redtory, No.128 Siheng Road (Yuan Village), Tianhe District, Guangzhou — the school is located in the Zhujiang New Town / Tianhe CBD area (Redtory creative-park campus). It is in the city centre with road and public-transport links into the Zhujiang New Town district; the Redtory area is within walking distance of Yuancun metro (Line 5) and several bus routes.
Stages	Stages The school is a continuous K–12 (kindergarten through senior high) provision covering roughly ages 2–18 and describes itself as a 15-year one-stream school. It runs international routes (IB PYP, MYP, DP) alongside other international programmes (IGCSE/A-level/AP) and a bilingual Chinese stream.	Stages ISA Tianhe enrols early years and primary pupils — the school accepts children aged about 2 to 11 (EY1–EY4 and Years 1–5). The school describes its programme as Early Years through Primary and delivers IB-aligned primary programmes.
School type	School type Guangdong Country Garden School is a private, co-educational school with a long-standing boarding programme (whole‑school boarding is reported in public profiles). Campus size and student numbers are large for the region (several thousand students on site).	School type ISA Tianhe is a co‑educational day school (no boarding provision is advertised). It is part of the ISA International Education Group and operates as an international school located in Guangzhou.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Public information highlights on‑campus student services such as a dedicated international-student unit (留学生部) and counselling/psychological support; the school also reports 24‑hour dorm staff for boarding life. There is limited publicly available detail online about formal SEN (special educational needs) pathways, so families with specific additional‑learning needs should contact admissions to discuss individual provision and assessments.	Additional learning support The ISA group follows an Access & Inclusion / learning‑support approach and ISA schools publish tiered learning‑support arrangements (screening, in‑class differentiation, small‑group or individualized plans) in line with IB inclusion guidance; ISA Wuhan's Access & Inclusion policy describes this approach as used within the ISA group. ISA Tianhe's website does not detail a full SEN handbook online, so parents should speak with admissions about specific provisions, assessment and any individual plans.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation The school is a Chinese private school (广东) and is not presented as being affiliated to another country; it is associated with the Country Garden education initiative and is referenced in relation to Bright Scholar / Country Garden group coverage.	Country affiliation The school is an international school in China and a member of the ISA International Education Group; it is not affiliated with a single foreign national school system.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation There is no public indication that the school has a religious affiliation; it is described in official and third‑party profiles as a non‑religious private boarding school.	Religious affiliation No religious affiliation is stated on the school website; the school presents itself as a secular international school.
School day structure	School day structure The school operates as a full boarding campus with on‑site supervision and organised student routines; public profiles note 24‑hour dorm staff and closed‑campus management for boarders. Exact daily start/end times, break and meal schedules are not published in detail on third‑party sites, so expect times to vary by age group and contact the school directly for current timetables.	School day structure The school website describes curriculum and school life but does not publish a standard daily start/end timetable for all year groups. For exact hours, drop‑off/pick‑up windows and break/lunch arrangements, contact the admissions office or request the parent handbook.
Bus service details	Bus service details The school publishes a large school‑bus network covering many pickup points across the Pearl River Delta; one profile notes 103 pickup points that extend across the region (including routes serving Hong Kong). For families relocating from overseas, this indicates established regional transport links, but specific pickup locations, costs and eligibility should be confirmed with the school's admissions or transport office.	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fee - No separate application or admission fee amount is published in the school's publicly available admissions pages or standard fee summaries; the school's admissions portal and public pages do not list a standalone “application fee.” Tuition fees (per term and per year) - Kindergarten: RMB 60,000 per term — equals RMB 120,000 per academic year (two terms). - Primary (elementary): RMB 78,000 per term — equals RMB 156,000 per academic year. - Junior high (grades 7–9): RMB 80,000 per term — equals RMB 160,000 per academic year. - Senior high, international curriculum (IB/IGCSE/A‑Level/AP): RMB 90,000–RMB 110,000 per term — equals RMB 180,000–RMB 220,000 per academic year. - Senior high, general/regular (普高) pathway: RMB 37,500 per term — equals RMB 75,000 per academic year. These per‑term figures are reported in the school's current fee summaries and reputable international-school listings; different public sources show the same amounts as per‑term charges. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is billed on a per‑term (学期) basis in the school's public fee notices and associated school fee summaries; the school follows per‑term charging for K–12 grade bands. Provincial rules allow charges by term or by year and set timing and refund calculation rules. Boarding / accommodation fees - Typical boarding fees reported: RMB 1,500 per term for Chinese students and RMB 3,500 per term for overseas/overseas‑status students (amounts for rooms and services vary by room type). Annual boarding totals will be per‑term multiplied by the number of terms paid. Alternative listings show smaller annual accommodation entries for particular grades in aggregate fee tables. Other costs - Meals, uniforms, textbooks, exam/registration fees and certain activity/service charges are additional and charged separately. Example: meal charges appear in some published breakdowns at roughly RMB 5,000 per year (varies by grade and plan). Specific extras (uniforms, instrument hire, international exam fees) are billed as incurred. Refund information - Refunds and fee clearing follow Guangdong provincial rules for private/municipal schools: schools must refund unused fees within the regulatory timeframes; new registrants who pay but do not enrol are eligible for major refunds (rules specify scaled refund percentages and formulae for term/year‑based charges). These provincial rules apply to fee return calculations and timelines. Fee payment options - The school's higher‑education/continuing‑education notices require online payment through the school's payment portal and permit bank transfer; K–12 public listings do not publish a definitive list of accepted consumer payment methods. In practice for Guangdong schools this commonly includes bank transfer and school online payment platforms (WeChat/Alipay integration is commonly used by peer institutions), while explicit credit‑card acceptance is not publicly specified.	Fee details Application fee - Non‑refundable application fee: RMB 1,500. Tuition fees by year group (annual) - Nursery 2 (age 2): RMB 166,000 per year. - Kindergarten / Early Years (Kindg.1 / age 3; Kindg.2 / age 4; Kindg.3 / age 5): RMB 173,000 per year. - Grade 1 to Grade 5 (age 6–10): RMB 187,000 per year. Per‑term amounts (calculated) - The school publishes annual tuition amounts; the following per‑term figures are calculated by dividing each published annual fee by three to give a termly figure (calculation noted as an inference from the published annual rates). - Nursery 2: RMB 55,333 per term (approx.). - Kindergarten (Kindg.1–3): RMB 57,667 per term (approx.). - Grades 1–5: RMB 62,333 per term (approx.). Billing schedule and payment terms - The school's publicly available materials list the application fee and the annual tuition levels above, but a specific, detailed public statement of the regular billing schedule (for example: annual vs. termly invoicing, instalment deadlines, late‑payment penalties, or mandatory seat‑deposit amounts for guaranteed places) was not located in the school pages and fee summaries reviewed. Boarding fees - ISA Tianhe operates as a day school for ages 2–11; no boarding fees are indicated for this campus. Other costs / typical additional charges (items found in school or programme notices) - Summer‑school specific items (separate to regular tuition): lunch for summer school listed at RMB 250 per week; summer‑school transport indicated around RMB 300–400 per week (weekly rates shown on the school summer programme pages). These are programme‑specific charges and not the regular annual tuition. - No specific published amounts for regular school items such as uniform costs, textbook/technology fees, elective or co‑curricular fees, or school‑bus annual fees were found in the publicly available fee summaries reviewed. Refund information - A refund window and deadline are shown for the 2025 summer‑school programme (refunds permitted only before 18 June 2025 for that programme). A clear, itemised refund policy for regular enrolment tuition or deposits was not found in the public fee material reviewed. Fee payment options - No explicit, itemised list of accepted payment methods (for example: credit card, bank transfer, Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc.) for regular tuition was located in the public fee summaries consulted. The school's admissions contact details are published for payment queries. Summary of sources and limitations of publicly available information - Published annual tuition levels and the non‑refundable application fee are available in school fee summaries and third‑party school directories; these were used for the figures above. The school's public materials and the fee summaries reviewed do not include a detailed, public billing schedule, a complete list of routine additional fees (uniform, bus, technology, etc.) with amounts, nor a full statement of regular refund or payment‑method policies. Where per‑term figures are shown above, they are calculated approximations derived from the published annual tuition (annual ÷ 3) and are explicitly presented as such.
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 Guangdong Country Garden School operates a 15‑year integrated curriculum that combines the Chinese national syllabus with major international programmes (IB PYP/MYP/DP, Cambridge IGCSE/A‑Level and AP), providing flexible pathways from kindergarten through Grade 12. Early years and primary education use the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) alongside the national primary curriculum (PYP typically through primary Year 5). The middle‑school phase implements the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) while meeting national junior‑middle requirements (generally Grades 6–10). In senior secondary, the school runs Cambridge IGCSE in Years 9–10 and offers multiple Year 11–12 options including the IB Diploma Programme (DP), A‑Level, AP or the national senior high track. The whole‑school curriculum is organised into integrated strands—融通课程 (academic integration), 行知课程 (inquiry/leadership), STEAM, arts, physical education and life education—framed around core competencies of cultural foundation, self‑development and social participation.	Curriculum details The school is an IB World School with authorization for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The education system fuses the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme with UK National Curriculum standards and outcomes. It emphasizes inquiry-based teaching and holistic education. It includes an outstanding Chinese language programme, a Mother Tongue programme, and a Co-curriculum. ISA Tianhe serves students from early years to primary (ages 2–11) and enrolls children from over 30 countries. It is designated as an IGCSE examination centre and houses a LAMDA centre for drama.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results The school is an IB World School with authorization for PYP and MYP. It is a designated IGCSE examination centre and hosts a LAMDA centre. The school has earned recognitions including Hurun Education Top 20 International Schools in China (2020) and New Insight International School of the Year (2020). Students have participated in the American Math Olympiad (AMO), with medals earned by ISA Tianhe students.
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. Prepare and attend an Open Day / initial enquiry. Guangdong Country Garden School runs regular open‑day sessions and campus visits for prospective families; in recent years these were advertised in the spring (for example the 2025 spring open day schedule was published). Parents should bring the child (where possible) to sit in on a sample lesson, ask to see boarding and health facilities, and confirm whether the place they intend to apply for is part of the school's municipal (compulsory‑education) intake or the school's international/fee‑paying programme. 2. Register online / submit initial application. For compulsory‑education grades the school normally requires families to register on the local municipal admissions platform within the published city window; for international or private tracks the school publishes its own application form and timetable. Parents should be ready to upload or present identity documents (child's birth certificate, family ID/hukou or residence permit, copies of recent school reports, and parents' contact/residence evidence) and to note the registration deadlines—the municipal window is strictly timed and late online registrations are usually not accepted. 3. Assessment: written tests, interviews and language checks. After registration, applicants for initial entry (especially into junior and senior secondary international streams) are typically asked to attend a school assessment day that includes a short written test (math/Chinese/English depending on grade), a one‑to‑one or small‑group interview, and a language screening for non‑native English applicants. Parents should prepare the child for short subject tests, bring previous school reports/certificates, and expect a separate interview or meeting for parents where school expectations, boarding rules and fee schedules are explained. 4. Offer, acceptance and deposit. Successful applicants are issued a conditional or unconditional offer; schools usually require families to sign an enrolment agreement and pay a deposit or first term fees to secure the place by a stated deadline. Make sure you obtain a written offer showing the exact programme (e.g., national curriculum vs. IB/IGCSE/AP track), the amount and deadline for any deposit, what the deposit covers (tuition vs. holding fee), and the refund conditions if you later decide not to enrol. 5. Complete enrolment: paperwork, medical & boarding arrangements. Before the start of term parents must submit final documentation (originals of identity documents, recent health/medical certificates, vaccination records where required), complete fee payment as agreed, and confirm boarding, transport and meal arrangements if relevant. Expect the school to request a student health check and to confirm dormitory allocation and wardrobe/uniform lists during this stage. 6. If you are not offered a place: next steps and reapplication. If a child is not initially admitted, families can ask whether the school maintains an internal waiting list or whether they should register for the municipal “补录/征集志愿” (supplementary enrolment) process that runs after first offers are accepted. Parents should keep copies of all application materials, check deadlines for supplementary rounds, and enquire with the admissions office about chances for mid‑year entry or transfer (“插班”) into the grade if places open.	Admissions —
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist Guangdong Country Garden School's intake process differs by programme: for municipal (compulsory) grades the citywide admissions platform handles the main offers and any subsequent ‘补录' or ‘征集志愿' (supplementary rounds) when places are vacated; families must follow the municipal timetable and rules for those rounds. For the school's international/fee‑paying tracks the school commonly operates its own screening, maintains waiting lists for oversubscribed grades, and admits students on a rolling or “插班” basis when vacancies occur. Public, year‑to‑year details about waitlist ranking, application retention period, or whether the school publishes a ranked waiting list are not routinely published on third‑party listings; parents should ask the admissions office directly for the current policy, how the school notifies waitlisted families, and any deadlines to accept/decline an offer during the supplementary rounds.	Waitlist —
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