Hangzhou International School

HIS runs a schoolwide Counseling and Wellness Program that uses the CASEL framework and ISCA student standards to teach social‑emotional skills across divisions. Lessons and seminars cover topics such as self‑awareness, social awareness, personal safety, transitions and academic/career readiness, and are delivered by school counselors, classroom teachers, advisors and homeroom teachers. The program is described as proactive and preventative and is integrated into classroom units in the Lower School, advisory periods in Middle School, and whole‑grade seminars in the Upper School. The Middle Years Programme also includes an advisory/pastoral class to support student pastoral development and leadership skills. These provisions and the Wellness Program are described on the school website and the Dragon Tales wellness article.

HIS states it provides individualized inclusive support for students with mild learning or sensory differences and employs learning support specialists for both Lower and Upper School. The Learning Support team works with students, teachers and parents to identify needs, and formal services are documented in an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) after internal or external assessment. The school notes that some support is delivered in‑class (classroom strategies and push‑in) and some in small groups or mini‑lessons; after‑school tutoring is offered in the Upper School. Learning Support Program (LSP) fees are charged according to the level of support provided. The school describes this provision as inclusive support for mild needs rather than as a specialist SEN institution.

HIS publishes an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program that welcomes students for whom English is an additional language and aims to develop communicative and academic English proficiency. The school provides both push‑in and pull‑out ESOL services for Grades 1–8 and reports student progress in reading, writing, listening and speaking; ESOL teachers co‑plan with classroom teachers to support language across content areas. High School students are expected to be proficient enough to access the curriculum; all students are placed in grade‑level classrooms regardless of ESOL level. The ESOL pages describe expected timelines for language development and how teachers collaborate to support multilingual learners.

HIS's Counseling Program promotes personal, interpersonal, emotional and academic development through individual services, small groups and whole‑class/seminar lessons as part of a proactive, preventative approach. Students receive lessons on topics including transitions, personal health and safety, conflict resolution and life beyond school; the counseling team also provides seminars and lectures for parents. Counselors are described as qualified to administer a range of psychological evaluation tools to identify needs and inform interventions. The school publishes information about the Wellness Program and counseling services on its website and in school news posts.

HIS publishes a detailed Child Protection Guidelines document (updated January 2024) that sets out the school's child protection belief statement, reporting procedures, safe recruitment protocols, code of conduct and curriculum responsibilities. The guidelines specify a Child Protection Response Team that includes all school counselors, administrators from each division and the school nurse, and name the Designated Child Protection Officer (Upper School Psychologist Dr Ryan Beddows) and other response contacts. Procedures cover steps for reporting suspected abuse or neglect, confidentiality, training and follow‑up, and the school states its policy aligns with WHO, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Chinese law. The Child Protection Guidelines and the School Policies page are published on the HIS website.