Shanghai Singapore International School vs Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei
Shanghai Singapore International School and Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei are both in Shanghai, about 12 km apart. Both schools offer Cambridge IGCSE programmes. Shanghai Singapore International School also offers Singapore, IB and IBCP, and Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei also offers Cambridge International AS Levels and Cambridge A Levels. Published annual fees are close, at RMB 130,000 - 300,000 for Shanghai Singapore International School and RMB 220,000 - 238,000 for Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei. Shanghai Singapore International School takes pupils from 2 to 18, and Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei from 14 to 18.
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels
Pupils
Pupils
1,400
Pupils
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Typical class size
Typical class size
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Typical class size
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Instruction language
Instruction language
English, Mandarin
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
1996
Opened
2001
Bus service
Bus service
No
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Campus address: 301 Zhujian Road, Minhang District, Shanghai (201106). The school is in Minhang, a residential/urban district of Shanghai; it's primarily reached by private car or by the SSIS school-bus network that serves many neighbourhoods around the city.
Location
YWIES Shanghai Gubei is in the Gubei area of Changning District, central-west Shanghai — the school gives an address of 600 Gubei Road (postcode 200336). The campus page notes it sits near Shanghai fashion and design districts and is within the city's Gubei/Former French Concession area, so many residential compounds and transport links are nearby; contact the admissions office for specific commute options.
Stages
Stages
SSIS is a K–12 school with three main divisions: Preschool (Early Years), Primary School and Senior School. The senior pathway includes IGCSE preparation and the IB Diploma for upper secondary students (the school serves ages roughly 2–18).
Stages
The Gubei campus is an Art & Design-focused secondary campus; the website describes programmes for secondary and upper-secondary students (including Phase/Year 1–3 of upper secondary). Course lists and an ‘Upper Secondary' timetable are published on the school site.
School type
School type
SSIS is a co-educational day school for expatriate students (no boarding provision). Official IB listing notes gender as co-educational and boarding status as day.
School type
YWIES Shanghai Gubei operates as a co-educational school and states a non‑discrimination admissions policy (accepting qualified students regardless of gender). The campus also offers boarding services for students; dormitory supervision is mentioned on the facilities page.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
The Student Services team provides Academic Learning Support (personalised learning plans, small-group and one-to-one interventions and exam accommodations), English Language Acquisition support, and social–emotional counselling; the school describes collaborative, integrated support across divisions.
Additional learning support
The school publishes subject-support and English-support options in its upper‑secondary programme (e.g., ‘YWIES Subject Support' and extra English classes for students who need them). Admissions interviews are used to assess academic, social and language needs so the school can plan support; for complex or specialist SEN needs you should contact Admissions to discuss case‑by‑case arrangements.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
The school does not indicate a formal national or governmental affiliation. Its programmes explicitly include a Singapore curriculum pathway alongside Cambridge/IGCSE and the IB Diploma.
Country affiliation
YWIES Shanghai Gubei is part of the Yew Chung Yew Wah (YCYW) education network (a mainland China / Hong Kong network of Yew Wah and Yew Chung schools) rather than being affiliated to a single foreign country.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
No religious affiliation is stated on the school website (SSIS presents itself as an international, secular K–12 school).
Religious affiliation
The school website and network pages do not indicate a religious affiliation; the school presents itself as an international educational organisation without a stated religious denomination.
School day structure
School day structure
Published secondary sources list a typical school day of about 8:30 am to 3:30 pm for students; after-school activities run later (SSIS's ASP sessions and related bus runs extend to around 5:00 pm). Parents should confirm exact daily timings with admissions, as timetables can vary by division and year.
School day structure
For upper‑secondary students the site shows a typical school day beginning at about 08:00 with morning lessons, a core class block and a mid‑morning break around 10:15, then further lesson periods; exact start/end times and breaks can vary by year group and are set by the school.
Bus service details
Bus service details
SSIS runs an optional, school-managed bus service in partnership with professional bus companies. The fleet is described as more than 70 buses equipped with CCTV, GPS tracking and first-aid supplies; each bus has a trained monitor. Routes cover roughly 300 neighbourhoods across 11 Shanghai districts, and SSIS provides free ASP (after-school programme) drop-offs to a set of locations. For route maps, schedules and booking you should consult the school's bus pages or contact Admissions.
Bus service details
The school's public website and campus pages describe campus facilities and boarding but do not publish detailed school‑bus routes or a bus timetable for the Gubei campus. If you need a daily bus service or route details, contact the Admissions office (telephone and enquiry form are provided on the site) to confirm whether bus transport is available for your address and which routes are operating.
Annual Tuition (by year group) — Academic Year 2025/2026 - Toddler / Pre‑N (Half day): RMB 130,000 per year. - Pre‑Nursery to Kindergarten 2: RMB 200,000 per year. - Grade 1 to Grade 6 (Primary): RMB 260,000 per year. - Grade 7 to Grade 8 (Lower Secondary): RMB 280,000 per year. - Grade 9 to Grade 10 (IGCSE): RMB 290,000 per year. - Grade 11 to Grade 12 (IB Diploma): RMB 300,000 per year.
Per‑term (Trimester) amounts - The school offers an annual or termly (trimester) payment option; per‑term figures below are one‑third of the annual tuition (rounded). This per‑term breakdown is an arithmetic division based on the school's stated trimester payment option. - Toddler / Pre‑N: approx. RMB 43,333 per term. - Pre‑N to K2: approx. RMB 66,667 per term. - Grade 1–6: approx. RMB 86,667 per term. - Grade 7–8: approx. RMB 93,333 per term. - Grade 9–10: approx. RMB 96,667 per term. - Grade 11–12: RMB 100,000 per term.
Optional / Additional Fees - English Language Acquisition (ELA) Programme (Grade 1–6): RMB 25,000 per year (payable in full before service). - Transportation (regular bus service): RMB 18,500/year (below 5 km) or RMB 20,000/year (5 km and above). Refunds prorated per school day (less handling fee). - Paid After‑School Programmes (selected ASPs): RMB 1,400–3,800 per 8‑week session (paid ASPs are charged separately). - Uniforms: ordered through the school's contracted vendor; a complimentary uniform credit is offered to eligible early re‑enrolling students. Actual uniform costs are charged via the vendor.
Billing schedule, payment terms & methods - Payment options: Annual (one‑time) or Termly (trimester) payments. Accepted currencies: RMB and USD. Methods: point‑of‑sale (credit/debit cards, local UnionPay for RMB), and bank transfer (email proof to invoice@ssis.asia). Exchange rate for overseas remittances follows the People's Bank of China central parity rate on the first working day of the month. - Discounts: 10% sibling discount; 10% corporate discount for companies paying for five or more children (not cumulative). - Late payments: RMB 300 per day up to 7 days; persistent non‑payment may lead to suspension and withholding of records.
Boarding - SSIS operates as a day school; boarding facilities are not provided.
Refunds & withdrawal - Matriculation fee and other non‑tuition fees are non‑refundable. - If a student does not attend any school days in a term, that term's tuition will be refunded in full; if a student attends any day in a term, that term's tuition is payable and non‑refundable. - Late withdrawal without 30 days' written notice: 10% of the annual tuition is charged in lieu of notice. Optional service refunds (transport, ASPs, ELA) follow the terms in the registration pack.
Registration / acceptance payment - The school requires payment of the Registration Fee as part of the application/acceptance process; the Admissions Office issues a Notice of Payment and requires payment to confirm an Offer of Placement within 10 working days of the offer. Payment by bank transfer is documented and the school provides bank account details.
Tuition fees (annual and inferred per-term) - Published public listings for YWIES Shanghai Gubei show typical annual tuition in the mid-RMB 200,000s for secondary-aged students, with example figures around RMB 238,000 per year. Sixth-form (A‑Level) annual fees have been reported lower in some listings (example RMB 220,000). These representative figures are shown in third‑party fee summaries. - Inference for per‑term instalments: the school operates on a three‑term year; dividing the annual tuition by three gives an approximate per‑term amount. For example, using RMB 238,000 per year → per term ≈ RMB 79,333 (this per‑term figure is an arithmetic inference, not an officially published per‑term rate).
Boarding fees (if applicable) - Boarding has been reported as an additional annual charge in third‑party listings; example ranges reported are approximately RMB 36,000–42,000 per year. Boarding is offered but listed separately from tuition.
Other costs and typical additional charges - Other costs commonly applied by international schools and referenced in market listings for this campus include uniforms, activity and course materials, examinations and portfolio or specialist materials (art/design). Specific published amounts for these items at the Gubei campus are not publicly listed in the school's online admissions notices.
Refund information - A specific, publicly posted refund policy for registration, deposits or tuition is not shown in the school's admissions notices available in public listings; formal refund terms are typically set out in the Notice of Payment/Acceptance documentation provided to families at offer stage.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The Offer of Placement must be confirmed by returning the signed Acceptance and payment of required fees as set out in the Notice of Payment within 10 working days of the offer. The school provides bank transfer details for payment. Parents will receive the Notice of Payment with the exact billing schedule and amounts once an offer is issued.
Fee payment options - Bank transfer is explicitly documented (school provides bank account details in admissions notices). Other payment methods (credit card, Alipay/WeChat, etc.) are not specified in the publicly available admissions text.
Note: where per‑term figures are shown above these are arithmetic inferences from published annual amounts and the school's three‑term year; they are not published per‑term rates from the school.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
SSIS operates a K–12 pathway: Preschool (Pre‑Nursery–Kindergarten 2), Primary (Grades 1–6), Lower Secondary (Grades 7–8), a two‑year IGCSE course for Grades 9–10, and a two‑year IB Diploma for Grades 11–12. The Preschool programme aligns with Singapore's Nurturing Early Learners framework, and the Primary curriculum draws on Singapore Math and Science together with Cambridge Primary English. Lower Secondary follows the Cambridge Lower Secondary programme to prepare students for the IGCSE years, which in turn lead into the IB Diploma in Senior School. Chinese language and culture are taught across all stages with banded Advanced/Standard/Foundation classes from Grade 1, immersive culture lessons, and options to take Chinese at IGCSE and within the IB Diploma. The academic programme is complemented by structured co‑curricular activities (CCA/ASP) and specialist sports and arts offerings—examples include formal after‑school clubs as well as school programmes in golf and swimming.
Curriculum details
Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai Gubei is an art-and-design–focused campus delivering a mainly English-medium secondary programme with dedicated portfolio and university guidance. For primary and lower-secondary provision within the Yew Wah Shanghai network the school integrates the Chinese National Curriculum with bilingual and international content, alongside arts and character education. Upper secondary operates a two-phase pathway: Phase 1 covers core national-curriculum subjects and a broad range of electives, while Phase 2 prepares students for external qualifications and college entry with options including IGCSE and A Level pathways, the International Project Qualification (IPQ), and English/IELTS/TOEFL support. Compulsory and elective offerings include multiple English pathways, Chinese, Mathematics (including Additional/Further Mathematics), sciences, humanities, art & design, digital media, music, drama, and STEM/technology courses. Specialist facilities and subject choices—fine art, fashion/textiles, graphic communication, digital media, design & technology—are provided to support practical learning and portfolio development for domestic and international art-school progression.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
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Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
—
Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Create an OpenApply account. SSIS requires every applicant to register an OpenApply account before submitting an application or signing up for an Open Morning; this account is how the school sends all application notifications. Parents should register on SSIS's OpenApply link and keep the account login details and email address current because the admissions team uses it for test schedules, invoices and final offers.
2. Complete and submit required documents via OpenApply. The school lists specific document sets depending on the applicant's family status (for example: expatriate families, Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan citizens, children born in foreign countries to Chinese citizens, and families with SHMEC approvals), and documents must be translated into English or Chinese by an authorised translation company. Bring original documents to the Admissions Office for verification on the day of the Admissions Assessment; common items include the SSIS Registration Kit, Code of Conduct (G1+), Confidential Recommendation (G1+), birth certificate, vaccination record, latest school report and parent residency/employment paperwork. Review the document checklist carefully because omissions will delay processing.
3. Pay the application fee (and note its timing and refund rule). After you submit documents you will receive a proforma invoice from SSIS Finance; the application fee must be paid at least five working days before the scheduled Admissions Assessment. The SSIS tuition-and-fees page lists the Application Fee for AY2025/2026 as 2,500 (amounts published by the school) and states the fee is non‑refundable and valid only for the applying school year — plan to submit payment promptly using the accepted methods (bank transfer or on‑site by card/cash). Keep the bank receipt or card payment confirmation; the admissions office will require proof on occasion.
4. Attend the Admissions Assessment. All applicants must complete an Admissions Assessment; once SSIS has a complete application they will contact you with the assessment date and details. Register for a test date through the Admissions Test page (the form asks for applicant name, passport, DOB, grade applied and preferred test date); parents should arrive on campus prepared to show originals and arrive early so the child can settle — the school provides test dates and registration instructions via OpenApply or the Admissions Test form. If your child requires language support or special arrangements, contact admissions in advance to discuss accommodations.
5. Receive outcome and pay the matriculation (registration) fee. Successful applicants receive an SSIS Admissions Notification; once you receive the notification you must pay the Matriculation Fee within five working days to confirm the place. For AY2025/2026 the Matriculation Fee is shown as 20,000 on the SSIS fees page and is described as non‑refundable and not applicable against tuition — budget for this payment and retain the confirmation for school records.
6. Complete enrolment payments and service selections. After place confirmation you will be invoiced for tuition and any optional services (examples published for AY2025/2026: annual tuition by grade, the ELA programme, and school bus fees). Tuition amounts published by SSIS for AY2025/2026 are shown on the school site by grade band (examples: Pre‑N to K2 ≈ 200,000; Grade 1–6 ≈ 260,000; Grade 11–12 ≈ 300,000) and the ELA programme (Grade 1–6) and bus fees are listed as separate charges — check the Registration Pack download for payment deadlines, instalment options and refund/withdrawal policies. Confirm preferred services (bus route, ELA enrolment) before the school start date because some services require full pre‑payment.
7. Practical notes and contact details. Keep copies of all submissions and receipts, and check OpenApply frequently for messages from SSIS during the process.
Admissions
1. Submit an application and required documents (online or by email). Parents should apply online through the school's admissions portal and send copies of the child's ID (passport/residence card/birth certificate), the parent/guardian's ID, the child's most recent school reports (in Chinese or English or with an authorised translation), two passport-sized photos, and an artwork collection that shows the child's art/design work. The school requires payment of a registration fee by bank transfer as part of the application; the site gives the account name (上海长宁区耀华专修学校), account number (4546 5922 3465) and the receiving bank (中国银行上海市长宁路支行) — keep a copy of the transfer receipt to attach to your application. Mainland Chinese students must have completed nine years of compulsory education before enrolling; contact admissions if you are unsure about eligibility.
2. Entrance assessment (academic English and artwork). After the Admissions Office has your complete application package they arrange an entrance assessment that normally includes English written and oral tests (listening, speaking, reading, writing) plus an artwork review to assess the student's art and design competence. Parents should plan for the student to bring the recommended number of artworks/portfolio items and be prepared that the English assessment may be used to place the student in the appropriate class or recommend additional language support. The school's published notes emphasise that the assessment is used to understand academic, social and language levels so be candid about the child's current abilities.
3. Principal's interview (student and parent together). If the assessment is completed, the Admissions Office schedules a meeting with the principal; the principal will outline the school's education objectives and ask questions to learn more about the child and family. The principal may ask the family and student to sign a tripartite “Charter for Success” during this meeting — parents should read that document and ask for clarification about expectations before signing. Expect the interview to cover the student's academic goals, art/design interests and any pastoral or learning support needs.
4. Offer, acceptance and seat reservation. If the student passes the assessment and interview (and the Charter is signed where applicable), the school issues an Offer of Placement — the website says offers are issued within five working days. To confirm and reserve the place you must sign and return the Acceptance of Offer of Placement and pay the required fees shown on the school's Notice of Payment; the offer will expire if the signed acceptance and required payment are not received within ten working days. Because a place is definitively reserved only after the signed acceptance and payment, plan ahead so you can meet the deadline (especially when arranging international bank transfers).
5. Transfer students and campus visits. If you are a transfer student the Admissions Office asks that you contact them directly so they can advise any additional documentation or transfer procedures required. The school welcomes weekday campus visits but asks families to make an appointment in advance because the school's calendar does not follow public-school holidays; use the admissions contact channels to arrange a visit. If you are applying to specific year-level intakes such as Year 10, the school recommends following the published procedure early because those intakes often have a fixed start date (typically mid-August).
Scholarships
Scholarships
Historic scholarship programmes and current status: SSIS has run scholarship programmes in the past and published details in a school news update (posted April 23, 2020) that described three scholarship types — IBDP scholarships (two tiers: an ‘Excellence' award covering 100% of tuition and a ‘Merit' award covering 50% tuition for the two‑year IB Diploma intake) and Aesthetics and Athletics awards (each described as covering 50% tuition with annual renewal conditions). The 2020 news post also described an application process that included submission of papers, interview by a scholarship committee, specific eligibility by grade band and published deadlines for that year. Because the SSIS Scholarships page currently shows a placeholder message (“Stay tuned for more info on scholarships”), these published 2019/2020 details should be treated as historical and subject to change. For current scholarship availability, eligibility criteria, application forms and deadlines contact scholarships@ssis.asia or the Admissions Office — they can confirm whether the IBDP, Aesthetics or Athletics scholarships (or any other financial assistance) are being offered for the intake year you are applying to. Additionally, SSIS lists a School Services Request form that references a Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS); if you need need‑based support or formal financial‑assistance information, request the school's FAS documentation directly.
Scholarships
YWIES Shanghai Gubei participates in the Yew Chung Yew Wah (YCYW) scholarship programme and also publishes its own enrolment incentives. At the network level, the YCYW Scholarship Programme offers several types of awards (examples published by the network):
- Madam Tsang Chor-hang Memorial Scholarship (Overall Achievement Award) — recipients may receive a 50%–100% tuition waiver for up to four years. - YCYW Subject & Talent Award — awarded for excellence in a particular subject or talent; typical awards are 25%–50% tuition waivers for one year. - IGCSE / IB / A Level Award — for strong performance in upper-secondary programmes; recipients may receive 50%–100% tuition waivers for two to four years. - Special scholarships — individual campuses occasionally run special awards for particular talents or needs. External applicants normally must submit admissions materials and take the network-specified tests (CEM and CPT) before applying to the scholarship programme. The YCYW scholarship announcement also lists the campus-level rollout and deadline for each campus; for YWIES Shanghai Gubei the network's 2025–26 scholarship rollout was announced on 2 Jan 2025 with an internal/external deadline shown as 28 Feb 2025 in that announcement — always check the current year's schedule with the Admissions Office because deadlines change annually.
At the school (YWIES Shanghai Gubei) level the admissions/news pages also list entry‑related incentives: for the 2025–26 admissions notes the school published an “early‑bird” tuition incentive (a 10% reduction in the tuition portion if full tuition is paid by April 30) and a “new‑student scholarship” track that can include awards for art or academic performance lasting up to three consecutive years; the page asks families to contact the Admissions Office for details and application procedures (amounts and eligibility vary by year and by programme). If you are applying for a scholarship, start with the school admissions team (admission.shgb@ywies.com or +86 21 6275 4365) to confirm current scholarship categories, the application timeline, supporting documents required, and whether the scholarship is competitive or linked to a particular intake.
Waitlist
Waitlist
SSIS does not publish a public waitlist or central ‘pool' policy on its website pages for admissions; the admissions pages and the online admissions sections do not describe an open waiting-list procedure. Because many international schools manage places internally (for example holding offers, running year‑level capacity checks, or placing applicants ‘on hold' when classes are full) the most reliable way to learn current availability or whether you would be placed on a waitlist is to contact the Admissions Office directly (admission@ssis.asia, +86 21 6221 9288 or the enquiry form on the SSIS site). If you need a formal waitlist status for planning (work visas, housing, or timing) ask the admissions officer to confirm in writing whether a place is available or if your application will be held on a waiting list and what position or expected timeframe applies.
Waitlist
No public waitlist details are published on the school's admissions pages. The school's admissions information states that an offer is only guaranteed when the signed acceptance and required payment are received within ten working days of the offer; this implies a first-come, first-served seat reservation based on completing the acceptance/payment steps rather than an openly published waitlist procedure. If a cohort is full the school's Admissions Office can advise whether they hold a waiting pool, estimated wait times, or whether they will keep late applicants on a contact list — the site directs families to contact admissions for transfer or capacity questions. For short-notice or high-demand intakes (for example some spring or year-entry intakes where the school posts limited places), third‑party admissions notices also report small class sizes for particular intakes, so contact the admissions office as early as possible if you need to know whether a wait pool exists for the specific intake you are targeting.