ISA Tianhe International School vs Merchiston Academy Songshan Lake

	I ISA Tianhe International School Guangzhou, China	M Merchiston Academy Songshan Lake Guangzhou, China
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RMB 173,000 - 187,000	Fees / year RMB 40,000 - 178,000
Age range	Age range 2 - 11 years	Age range 14 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational (boarding)
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE	Curriculum British Curriculum, BTEC Qualification, Cambridge A Levels, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 24	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin	Instruction language English, Mandarin
Opened	Opened 2015	Opened 2021
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	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.	Location Merchiston Academy Songshan Lake is located in the Songshan Lake industrial park, Dongguan, Guangdong — the campus sits next to Huawei European Village and Songshan Lake Park. Address given on the school site is C4 CIMC Yi-Ning-Xi-Lu Road, Dongguan City, Guangdong, China. The site notes the campus is tranquil and has easy access to local transport links.
Stages	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.	Stages The school offers IGCSE and A‑level programmes and international preparatory (pre‑A level) options, with two‑year IGCSE and two‑year A‑level patterns and a one‑year pre‑A route described on the curriculum pages. The programmes are aimed at secondary / senior‑school students preparing for university.
School type	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.	School type MAS is a co‑educational school and operates boarding provision; students are placed in age‑appropriate boarding houses with houseparents and resident tutors on site. The Songshan Lake campus is part of the wider Merchiston group (links with Merchiston Castle School and other Merchiston campuses) and shares resources across those campuses.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	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.	Additional learning support The website describes a three‑teacher guidance model that includes academic mentors, pastoral care and a psychological counsellor as part of student support. The school does not publish a detailed Special Educational Needs (SEN) or specific learning‑support list on its public pages; parents are advised to contact admissions for case‑specific information.
Country affiliation	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.	Country affiliation MAS presents itself as part of the Merchiston family and cites an affiliation with Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland (UK).
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation No religious affiliation is stated on the school website; the school presents itself as a secular international school.	Religious affiliation The school website does not state any religious affiliation.
School day structure	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.	School day structure The site publishes an Academic Calendar and a timetable page (作息表) where the school timetable is made available; exact start and finish times are shown on that calendar/timetable rather than in prominent text. The boarding page notes that boarders follow the same working day as day students and have a structured evening homework period and supervised weekend activities.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details The school refers to school buses in its uniform guidance (students must wear uniform on school buses), which indicates a bus service is used, but the website does not publish detailed route, provider or booking information. For pickup/drop‑off routes, costs and registration, the site directs parents to contact Admissions (admissions@merchistonacademy.cn / 400 999 0978).
Fees	Fees
Fee details	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.	Fee details Application / Seat‑reservation fees - Seat reservation (placement) deposit: RMB 18,000 (payable on offer/booking; treated as a seat deposit). Tuition fees (current academic year — listed as annual amounts by programme) - QingTeng programme (national curriculum + AP): RMB 178,000 per year. - Songshan Lake programme (national curriculum + A‑Level): RMB 158,000 per year. - ZiJing programme (national curriculum + DSE): RMB 98,000 per year. - DeQin (domestic curriculum + Xingzhi特色): RMB 40,000 per year. Per‑term / billing equivalents - The school has previously published semester figures (two semesters per academic year) for international and domestic directions; older published semester examples include RMB 75,000 per semester for international direction and RMB 30,000 per semester for domestic direction. Where an annual fee is published, treat it as the full academic‑year charge unless a semester breakdown is specified. Boarding (annual) - Boarding (6‑person room): RMB 18,000 per year. - Boarding (3‑person room): RMB 30,000 per year. Other charges (paid separately) - Insurance, optional paid CCAs, school bus, bedding/room setup, meals, uniforms, textbooks, international examination registration fees and occasional field‑trip or practical course fees. These items are charged in addition to tuition/boarding. Billing schedule and payment terms / refunds - Tuition is charged according to the published fee schedule for the relevant programme/year. If a student enrolls after a term begins, fees may be charged on a pro‑rata basis. Students are required to settle outstanding fees to receive school reports. If a registered student pays but does not commence, 90% of fees may be refundable; mid‑term withdrawals are calculated pro‑rata by actual days in attendance (school example formula: refund = paid/184 * (184 − days attended), with a minimum month unit). One‑term written notice of withdrawal is normally required; failure to give notice can result in charges for remaining fees. Fee payment options - Publicly available materials do not list a definitive set of accepted payment channels for MAS Songshan Lake. Common channels for campuses in this group include bank transfer and electronic payments; for admissions or payment instructions, use the school admissions contact (admissions@merchistonacademy.cn).
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 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.	Curriculum details Merchiston Academy Songshan Lake delivers UK‑style 14–19 provision with IGCSE, a Pre‑A‑level year where applicable, two‑year A‑levels and vocational BTEC pathways in partnership with Edexcel. Programmes run on three entry models — 0+2 (two‑year A‑level for G11–G13), 1+2 (one year Pre‑A‑level then two years A‑level for G10–G11 entrants) and 2+2 (two years IGCSE then two years A‑level) — with staged academic targets for each cohort. Core and elective subjects include Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Economics (students typically choose three at A‑level), with IGCSE equivalents and wider options such as Biology, Geography, Accounting, Computer Science, ICT, Drama and Art & Design. Language provision includes IGCSE English plus A‑level and Chinese pathways (including Chinese A‑level and HSK for international students), and the school offers extension and admissions‑test preparation (STEP/MAT/PAT) and competition training. The wider scope comprises vocational/internship modules (BTEC, finance, e‑commerce, data analysis), phase‑assessed general education credits (software, media, Mandarin, arts, performance) and a broad co‑curricular activities programme.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
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.	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 —	Admissions 1. Follow the school's official WeChat and make initial contact. Merchiston Academy Songshan Lake (MAS) asks families to follow its official WeChat account as the first step; the Applications Process page on the school website lists this as Step 1 and this is also where open days, application links and contact details are announced. Parents should follow the account so they receive updates (assessment dates, open-day slots and application-link notices) rather than relying on third‑party summaries. 2. Pay the non‑refundable application fee (RMB 1,000). MAS requires a non‑refundable application fee of RMB 1,000 to progress an application; the Applications Process page shows this as Step 2. Keep the payment receipt and proof of payment — the school asks you to submit proof of payment with the application form and will not proceed with assessment without it. 3. Complete and submit the school application form. Parents should complete every section, including declarations about medical conditions and support needs — incomplete forms slow processing and the school uses the information to plan assessments and pastoral support. 4. Attend the interview and complete entry assessments (or arrange online if necessary). Both parents and the student are normally expected on campus for a face‑to‑face interview; an online interview is an alternative when required (for example, COVID‑related restrictions). Students take the entry assessments (the school specifically lists CAT4 and WIDA among the assessments); prepare copies of recent school reports and expect English proficiency testing (WIDA) and cognitive/ability screening (CAT4). 5. Provide required supporting documents at application or assessment. MAS lists the documents they require: mainland candidates should bring ID cards (international/HK/Macau applicants should provide passports), a recent frontal colour digital photo (two‑inch, white background), the application form, and academic transcripts for the last two years; CVs and certificates of awards are optional but recommended where relevant. The Application Information page also notes the school usually requests a confidential report from the applicant's current school and requires disclosure of any special learning needs so the Head of Section can assess reasonable adjustments. 6. Receiving an outcome, accepting an offer and next administrative steps. The school states parents will receive an offer letter by email within five working days after assessments, and offers should be accepted within five working days; if a candidate is declined they may reapply after six months once recommendations (if any) have been completed. After accepting a place, expect follow‑up steps such as fee‑payment instructions, a medical check on entry and placement decisions (year placement is determined by birth date and assessed ability); consult the school fee policy and the admissions team for payment deadlines and refund/withdrawal rules.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships MAS publishes a specific scholarship page describing a range of awards and eligibility rules for 2024. The school runs targeted scholarships for different entry points and programmes: (a) A‑Level and DSE one‑year ‘crash‑course' scholarships (full or half tuition) using gaokao/DSE thresholds and interview performance — thresholds on the page show Guangdong candidates with higher listed score cutoffs (for example, A‑Level full scholarship considered at gaokao 500+ with interview; half scholarship at 470+). (b) Middle‑school/new‑student scholarships ("优才新生奖学金") tied to Dongguan Zhongkao scores (examples on the page show full award at a pure culture score of 700, half award at 650) and renewal conditions requiring the student to remain in the top percentage of the year. (c) Awards for outstanding graduates ("优秀毕业生奖学金") and academic/excellence awards (e.g., 20,000–50,000 RMB and other ranges) for students who achieve high university placements or sustained in‑school performance. Each scholarship page links to the application form and a WeChat/MikeCRM application URL; the page also sets renewal conditions (for multi‑year awards) and clarifies that scholarship value usually applies to tuition rather than extras such as boarding, uniform or activity fees — read the scholarship terms closely and contact admissions to confirm current availability and exact amounts.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist MAS's published Applications Process states that where there are more candidates than available places, applications will be placed on a waiting list. The site gives no further public detail about waiting‑list ordering, typical wait times, or whether priority is given by application date, assessment score, sibling link or other factors; parents on the waiting list should contact admissions directly (admissions@merchistonacademy.cn or phone 400 999 0978) to ask about their position and any expected timeline. If an application is declined, the school's page also notes a candidate may reapply after six months, provided any recommendations have been followed.
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