Cheongna Dalton School

Cheongna Dalton School is located at 344 Cheomdandong-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea. It sits in the Cheongna area within the Incheon Free Economic Zone and serves both Korean families and expatriate residents. The campus is about 25 minutes east of Incheon International Airport and is near the Cheongna International City subway station.

CDS offers Preschool through Grade 12 (Pre-K to 12). It is organised into the First Program (Elementary), Middle School, and High School on a single campus.

CDS is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational school that operates as both a day and boarding school for students from Pre-K through Grade 12. Boarding is available to middle and high school students.

Counseling services are offered; Korean language instruction is provided for certain grades; the High School offers AP courses and college counseling.

There is no formal country affiliation; CDS follows an American curriculum.

CDS is secular with no religious affiliation.

School day starts at 8:00. Kindergarten to Grade 4 finish at 15:40; Grades 5 to 12 finish at 16:00. The school provides lunches.

A school bus service is available.

Cheongna Dalton School teaches an American curriculum in English, implemented through the Dalton Plan (House, Assignment, Laboratory), and is accredited by WASC, with a boarding program available for middle and high school students. The school serves Pre-K through 12, organized into the First Program (Elementary), Middle School (Grades 4–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). Korean language study is required for Korean nationals in the lower grades, while middle- and high-school students study world languages such as Spanish or Chinese; Korea-path students complete about 102 hours of Korean history and Korean language study to access Korean universities. AP coursework is offered, including AP English Language and Composition, with counseling services to support college placement. Daily schedules follow the Dalton Plan's House, Lab, and Silent Sustained Reading, and the school emphasizes the 6Cs—Character, Curiosity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Community.

Cheongna Dalton School supports Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through a PBIS and Restorative Justice framework and conducts a school climate survey to assess safety, inclusivity, and teacher–student relationships.

There is no publicly disclosed information confirming a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) program or specialist SEN staff at Cheongna Dalton School; publicly available materials reference general counseling and language support but do not describe a dedicated SEN unit.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available, with English as a Second Language provided and language support referenced in public directories.

Mental wellbeing is supported via wellbeing-oriented practices such as a school climate survey to monitor the environment and safeguarding measures.

Cheongna Dalton School has a Child Safeguarding Team and has implemented safeguarding measures including a Campus Entry Form and a Visitor Code of Conduct.

1. Step 1 — Eligibility check and initial inquiry. To enroll at Cheongna Dalton School, the student must meet a key eligibility condition: at least one parent must hold a foreign passport, or the student must have been out of Korea for at least 1,095 days at the time of enrollment. This requirement shapes eligibility before you begin formal steps, so families should confirm whether they meet the condition before proceeding. It is helpful to have clarity on grade level and start date so admissions can guide next steps.

2. Step 2 — Submit application and first‑year fee information. Submit the application form along with the required documents for your child. An application fee is charged (publicly listed as 300,000 KRW). First‑year, one‑time charges include a capital fee of 4,000,000 KRW and a technology fee of 200,000 KRW, in addition to the annual tuition which varies by grade. Total first‑year costs are typically presented as a combined figure and are cited by third‑party fee references as around the 32,642,448 KRW range for a first year. Plan for these upfront costs when budgeting for the year.

3. Step 3 — Admissions testing or documents by grade level. For elementary applicants, the process is document‑centric and involves an interview. Middle and high school applicants must complete Math and English entrance tests. Public sources also note that Korean language coursework may be required for students with Korean nationality or background in grades 1–8, depending on the specifics of enrollment. Prepare accordingly for your child's grade level.

4. Step 4 — Admissions decision and notification. Following the assessment of materials and tests (where applicable), the school provides an admissions decision to the family. If admitted, families receive enrollment instructions and proceed with the next steps provided by the admissions team to finalize enrollment. While timelines can vary, decisions are communicated as part of the standard admissions workflow.

5. Step 5 — Enrollment, confirmations, and start of the program. After an offer is accepted, families complete the enrollment process as directed by the school, and students prepare to begin the program in the indicated year. This typically includes agreeing to any terms of enrollment and submitting any required documents or deposits as instructed by admissions.

6. Step 6 — Practical considerations and language of instruction. Cheongna Dalton School operates as an English‑language, American‑curriculum environment. Families should plan for the language of instruction, support needs, and any language support or orientation that may be offered as part of the transition into CDS.

Cheongna Dalton School does not publish scholarship or financial‑aid policies in publicly available sources. There is no CDS‑specific, publicly documented need‑based or merit‑based scholarship program described for Korea. By contrast, the Dalton network in the United States offers need‑based financial aid at its own schools, which is separate from Cheongna Dalton School. Families considering aid should inquire directly with admissions for the latest guidance on any potential assistance options or levies, and note that funds and policies may differ from those of other Dalton campuses.