Application Process Forms School Visits FAQ Admission Events
Application Process To Top
1. Learning about the School: attending an introductory meeting or school visit
We expect parents to support the YK Pao School educational philosophy and teaching approach. We welcome parents who are open-minded, share our School's educational philosophy and are prepared to support bilingual education. Please make an appointment with the Admissions Office to arrange introductory meeting or school visit. Details...
2. Application
Please download the Application Form from our website or request it from our Admissions Office. Submit the required documents together with the Application Form to the Admissions Office.
3. Student Assessment
A. Applicants for Year 1
Student Interview: 45 minutes
B. Applicants for Years 2-5
Ⅰ. Test Papers
Ⅱ. Listening and Speaking test
Parents will have their interview on another day if their child passes the assessment. Details...
During the interview process, the school will consider:
·Family Philosophy Details...
·Attitude (Positive attitude and interest in learning) Details...
·Language Level
4. Principals make admissions decision
5. Admissions notice sent to parents Details...
6. Orientation visit for new students
7. Start of School
Details: To Top
Learning about the School: attending an Introductory Meeting or School Visit
We expect parents to support our educational philosophy and teaching approach. We welcome parents who are open-minded, share our School’s educational philosophy and are prepared to support the bilingual education programme at our school. Please contact us to arrange an appointment with the Admissions Office. Introductory meetings with the Principals are normally conducted on weekends. You are welcome to visit our School for a tour on Tuesday mornings, Thursday mornings or Wednesday morning or afternoon. Please check our website or contact us for more information.
Student Assessment/Parent Interview
We would like to meet each potential student to see whether the School is suited to his/her educational needs. Please contact the Admissions Office to arrange this. For Primary School admissions, certain parents will be required to attend an interview following the interview of their child. For Secondary School admissions, all applicants' parents will be required for interview.
Expectations of Parents
Parents should recognise and be willing to cooperate with the School’s philosophy and methodology, and they should be prepared for the long term commitment necessary to support their child’s bilingual education. Parents are expected to have a high enough level of Chinese and/or English that they can receive correspondence in both languages from the School. Parents and children are also required to have email and internet access.
Acceptance
Successful students will be accepted, provided that a space is available. Parents will be notified by e-mail and a written Acceptance Notice will be mailed. Students who are not accepted at this time may be placed on the waiting list until a space becomes available.
Placement Confirmation
Parents need to confirm their place at YK Pao School by paying the Place Reservation Deposit indicated in the Payment note from the Finance Office. This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Students will receive a notice from the school with regard to activities before the start of the term. If the applicant fails to pay the deposit on time, the applicant’s place will be withdrawn.
Application Form To Top
Please click here to download our application form.
School Visits To Top
We run tours of our primary campus for prospective parents every week.
English tour: Tuesdays 9:30am
Chinese tour: Thursdays 9:30am
Tours take place at YK Pao School, Number 20, Lane 1251 West Wuding Road, Changning District, Shanghai.
We also run regular admissions events to give prospective parents a chance to learn more about the school. For more information please visit our Admissions Events page.
Frequent Asked Questions To Top
1. Admissions
1.1 Q: How do I apply to the School?
1.2 Q: Can we apply for entrance midway through the school year?
2. Curriculum
2.1 Q: What curriculum do you use?
2.2 Q: How is the bilingual programme organised in the Secondary School?
2.3 Q: How will the curriculum be taught bilingually at YK Pao Secondary School?
2.4 Q: How are students assessed?
2.5 Q: What In-School and After-School activities do you have?
2.6 Q: What size are classes? What is the teacher to student ratio?
3.1 Q: Are students required to wear uniform?
3.2 Q: How are school lunches organized?
3.3 Q: Does the School provide transportation?
4.1 Q: Are parents involved in School events?
4.2 Q: How can the parents communicate with the School?
1. Curriculum and Assessment System
1.1 Q: What curriculum will the Secondary School follow and how will it be assessed?
1.2 Q: How will the curriculum be taught at YK Pao Secondary School?
1.3 Q: How is the bilingual programme organised in the Secondary School?
1.4 Q: Will English and Chinese be streamed?
2. Teachers
2.1 Q: Who will teach at the Secondary School?
2.2 Q: Who will be the students in the Secondary School?
2.3 Q: What is the role of the teachers in the Secondary School?
3. Boarding
3.1 Q: What is the difference between boarding at a local school and boarding at YK Pao Secondary School?
3.2 Q: What is special about boarding at YK Pao Secondary School?
3.3 Q: Why did the school decide to build the Secondary Campus in a suburban area?
3.4 Q: Do all students have to board?
4. Tuition Fees
4.1 Q: Is there any discount for the first year of students?
4.2 Q: Are there any scholarships to the Secondary School?
Whole-School Information
1.1 Q: How do I apply to the School?
A:1.We encourage all prospective parents to attend an introduction meeting, visit our School and learn more about our philosophy and methodology. Please call us (+86) 21 61671999 to make an appointment for a visit.
2. Complete the Application Form and submit the completed and signed Form by fax to (+86) 21 6073 0556, email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by registered mail.
3. A student assessment may be required prior to admission to the School. Parents will be notified by phone, fax or email. Back to FAQ
1.2 Q: Can we apply for entrance midway through the school year?
A: We can accept students during the School year if there are vacant places at the appropriate year level. Back to FAQ
1.3 Q: Can I visit the School? Does the School arrange any tours or events through which I can attend to get a better understanding of the School?
A: There are a number of ways you can visit the School. You are welcome to visit the School on school days, attend Weekend Information Meeting with Principals, attend School Open Days, meet with volunteer parents, meet with School teachers and attend School Educational Speech Events. If you wish to arrange a visit, please contact us in advance: tel: (+86) 21 6167-1999*Admissions, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Back to FAQ
2. Curriculum To Top
2.1 Q: What curriculum do you use?
A: In the Primary School and Middle School (初中), the curriculum for Years 1-9 is an integrated curriculum based on the Shanghai curriculum while incorporating extra classes in English as well as resources and approaches from international curricula. Students will gain a broad exposure to a range of subjects as well as focused study in core subject areas. Students from mainland China will take the Shanghai Middle School graduation exam in Year 9 and international students will take IGCSEs.
In Grade 10, students will focus on English development and study skills to prepare them for the International Baccalaureate Diploma in Years 11-12. This transition year aims to create a curriculum that will build on the knowledge students have learned in previous years, while giving them the opportunity to rapidly improve their English level and study skills, to prepare them for Years 11-12.
In Years 11-12 we intend to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. This programme is recognised by all leading universities in the US, UK, Australia and many other countries, including Harvard, Oxford etc. It is known as a mark of high academic achievement, meaning our students will be unrestricted in their university choice, whether they intend to study in China, Europe, the US or elsewhere.
The curriculum will have a number of internal and external systems of evaluation. Internally it will be subject to regular review by the Principal and Head of Curriculum. Externally, it will have to meet national education requirements and the requirements of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (in Grades 11-12). Back to FAQ
2.2 Q: How is the bilingual programme organised in the Secondary School?
A: YK Pao School uses a two-way immersion model. Our teaching team comprises Chinese and English native speakers, meaning that students are exposed to quality language input in both languages. At all levels, teachers prepare word lists for students with subject-specific specialist vocabulary to make it easier for students to transfer knowledge from one language to the other. We have language support classes for learners who are learning Chinese or English as a second language.
Our School has the advantage of being a boarding school, so students are exposed to a genuine immersion environment in both languages inside and outside the classroom. Chinese and international teachers live in dormitory houses with the students, and we will also have a mix of Chinese and international students, so they will enjoy a dual-language environment throughout their waking hours. Back to FAQ
2.3 Q: How will the curriculum be taught bilingually at YK Pao Secondary School?
A: Years 7-9 will follow a pattern of language tuition similar to the successful model we currently use in Primary School. Classes will be taught in a balance of English and Chinese, with increasing emphasis on English over time. In Years 10-12, the emphasis will shift to English as the language of instruction in order to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. We also have Teaching Assistants who give extra support to those students who need more help in their studies. Back to FAQ
2.4 Q: How are students assessed?
A: Our curriculum is process-centred rather than outcome-centred, meaning that we try to avoid letting assessments drive the curriculum. Instead, we ensure our students develop a broad range of skills and knowledge that may not be tested in the national examinations. However, we recognise the need for accountability and do assess students regularly. Class-based unit tests are conducted as appropriate, roughly once a term for core subjects and once a year for other subjects. Students from mainland China will take the Shanghai Middle School graduation exam in Year 9 and international students will take IGCSEs.
In Years 10-12, students work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The IB Diploma is assessed by a combination of ongoing tests over the course of the programme, submitted course work and final examinations. Assessments are organised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).
Students will also sit for specific admissions examinations such as the SAT for American Universities. Back to FAQ
2.5 Q: What In-School and After-School activities do you have?
A: Activities are an integral part of an education aimed at developing the whole person. In Changning Campus, Years 1-6, we have compulsory In-School Activities every afternoon, including sports such as swimming, hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and badminton, and arts such as orchestra, choir, calligraphy, drama, choir, handicrafts and painting.
We also offer a wide range of optional After-School activities to students from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The activities that have been offered include Trinity English, fine arts, design and technology, creative computers, photography, musical theatre, vocal training, rhythmic music, ballet, street jazz, Chinese folk dance, martial arts, Yoga, piano and guitar.
In our Songjiang Campus, Years 7-12, we will also have a large variety of activities, including compulsory and optional activities for all students. Back to FAQ
2.6 Q: What size are classes? What is the teacher to student ratio?
A: In Years 1-9, our average class size is 23 students, and the maximum is 25 students. In Years 10-12, the maximum class size is 20. The ratio of teachers to students is 1:8 in Years 1-9 and 1:7 in Years 10-12. Back to FAQ
2.7 Q: Your school will extend to offer 12 years of education over the Primary and Secondary School. Please tell us more about your development plans.
A: Years 1-6 are taught on a day-school basis. Since the School is situated in the city centre in Changning District, transportation to and from the School is extremely convenient. The Secondary School Years 7-12 will be in the tradition of English and American boarding schools - our new School buildings will provide full boarding in order to give our students an educational programme from sunrise to sunset. Back to FAQ
3. Student Service To Top
3.1 Q: Are students required to wear uniform?
A: Yes, students need to purchase and wear a School uniform. The School uniforms not only give a neat appearance, but also, we believe that the discipline required to dress oneself smartly is useful for students to learn as it is also an approach we hope they will use in their studies. Back to FAQ
3.2 Q: How are school lunches organized?
A: Changning Campus, Years 1-6: hot lunch is served by a licensed catering company. The menu rotates between Chinese and Western food and provides a varied and balanced diet.
Songjiang Campus, Years 7-12: students eat all their meals in School. We provide a healthy and nutritious meal service. Back to FAQ
3.3 Q: Does the School provide transportation?
A: Changning Campus, Years 1-6: We offer a School bus service that operates door to door. After your children have been enrolled by the School, we will provide you with an application form for school transport. Once the School bus fee has been paid, your child will be assigned a bus seat.
Songjiang Campus, Years 7-12: Boarding students will be taken by school bus to meeting points in downtown Shanghai on Friday afternoons, and picked up from meeting points on Monday mornings and taken to School. The bus fee is included in the boarding fee. Back to FAQ
4. Communication To Top
4.1 Q: Are parents involved in School events?
A: Yes, we think that successful education is a partnership between the School and parent. We have a “Parent Teacher Association”. The members of its committee are volunteer parents and teachers. The members meet at the School once a month. Parents are also encouraged to become involved in a variety of class and School activities and school events including celebrations, Friday Assembly and Class Parties. Parents also participate in our reading programme and take part in school outings. Back to FAQ
4.2 Q: How can the parents communicate with the School?
A: Close communication is essential to the parents and School in providing an excellent nurturing environment for our children. In Years 1-6, there is a daily communication diary book sent home by class teachers, and parents can also communicate with teachers by email or phone. Each Friday, the teachers email the outline of the following week’s plan, and the Principals write a letter to all parents with the latest information from the School. Besides the regular meetings held by the Parent Teacher Association, parent meetings are held every semester.
For Years 7-12 on our Songjiang Campus, the School intends to provide an open platform for communication between parents and School. Parents can communicate teachers through emails and can keep in touch with their child’s progress through report cards and parent-teacher conferences. We welcome parents to be closely involved in their child’s school life as this support helps us reach our common goal of making sure our students succeed. Back to FAQ
Secondary School To Top
1. Curriculum and Assessment System
1.1 Q: What curriculum will the Secondary School follow and how will it be assessed?
A: Our curriculum is process-centred rather than outcome-centred, meaning that we try to avoid letting assessments drive the curriculum. Instead, we aim to ensure our students develop a broad range of skills and knowledge that may not be tested in the national examinations. However, we recognise the need for accountability and do assess students regularly. Class-based unit tests are conducted as appropriate, roughly once a term for core subjects and once a year for other subjects. Students from mainland China will sit the Chinese Middle School Graduation Examinations.
In Years 10-12, students work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The IB Diploma is assessed by a combination of ongoing tests over the course of the programme, submitted course work and final examinations. Assessments are organised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).
Students will also sit for specific admissions examinations such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for American Universities. Back to FAQ
1.2 Q: How will the curriculum be taught at YK Pao Secondary School?
A: The Secondary School will follow a similar pattern in terms of language use to the successful model we currently use in Years 1-5 of the Primary School. Classes will be taught in a balance of English and Chinese, with increasing emphasis on English over time. In Years 10-12, the emphasis will shift to English as the language of instruction in order to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
You are welcome to visit the Student Affairs Office to review the Secondary School Curriculum Plan where you will find more information. Back to FAQ
1.3 Q: How is the bilingual programme organised in the Secondary School?
A: YK Pao School uses a two-way immersion model. Our teaching team comprises Chinese and English native speakers, meaning that students are exposed to quality language input in both languages. At all levels, teachers prepare word lists for students with subject-specific specialist vocabulary to make it easier for students to transfer knowledge from one language to the other. We have language support classes for students who are learning Chinese or English as a second language. Back to FAQ
1.4 Q: Will English and Chinese be streamed?
A: In order to ensure a student-centered programme and to make sure all students reach a good level in both languages, we will stream both Mandarin and English tuition in Year 6-9. Back to FAQ
2. Teachers To Top
2.1 Q: Who will teach at the Secondary School?
A: All our teachers have been chosen through a strict selection procedure and have undergone training, ensuring that they can provide a leading bilingual education. Teachers for Year 7-9 will include some current teachers from the Primary School as well as some new teachers with Middle School experience. International teachers will play a central role in class administration and communication with parents.
Our Secondary School Executive Principal, Tony Jaccaci, comes to us from St George’s School, an internationally recognised Secondary School. Tony is choosing exceptional teachers from around the globe to ensure that we will give our students a sure footing in their studies. Our Director of Secondary Planning, Graham Topp, comes to us from Chinese International School, Hong Kong, bringing 22 years of experience in education. Back to FAQ
2.2 Q: Who will be the students in the Secondary School?
A: A portion of our Secondary School student body will be students who have come up from the Primary School. We will also enroll part of the student body from outside Shanghai and abroad. Our mixed student body gives students lots of opportunities to make friends with and learn from those from different backgrounds to their own. Back to FAQ
2.3 Q: What is the role of the teachers in the Secondary School?
A: We use an approach similar to leading boarding schools in US and UK whereby teachers and students live on campus, ensuring that students are given round the clock care and guidance. Breaking away from the traditional model of organisation by which students are overseen by a ‘Homeroom Teacher’, students will be assigned to a ‘Tutor’ for academics, extra-curricular and pastoral guidance. Each tutor is assigned 8-10 students and remains with the students through their entire Junior or Senior High tenure. The tutor helps the student with any academic difficulties they may have and celebrates their successes. Every boarding house also has a ‘House Parent’ who provides students with additional academic and pastoral support. Back to FAQ
3. Boarding To Top
3.1 Q: What is the difference between boarding at a local school and boarding at YK Pao Secondary School?
A: The Secondary School boarding model is based on the successful experience of UK and US boarding schools. As opposed to traditional Chinese dormitories, students are accommodated in individual houses in the American and British ‘public school’ tradition. Each house is a small self-contained community, with resident faculty including Chinese and international teachers who are responsible for all aspects of the development and welfare of the students in the house: academic, pastoral and social. In this way, students get to know teachers in a formal and informal way, building the supportive relationships with adults that are essential to the healthy social development of young people. Houses will dine together each day, strengthening the bonds between house staff and students. Back to FAQ
3.2 Q: What is special about boarding at YK Pao Secondary School?
A: As part of a warm house community, students learn loyalty and tolerance and have the support they need from the resident faculty and their peers to participate actively in both curricular and extra-curricular aspects of life at the School.
Boarding houses provide a central locus of life for students and form a smaller ‘family’ community within the broader school community for students to be part of and identify with. Houses are organised on a vertical basis, with each house accommodating students from a range of year groups. Aside from simply providing accommodation for students, the house also becomes a group for intra-school activities such as sports and performances, for example, a house football competition or musical performance.
The house provides age-appropriate pastoral care throughout students’ school lives. Resident faculty play a central role in students’ domestic lives. In the younger years when students require more support, rooms are larger and free time more closely supervised to help students adapt to boarding life. In the older years when students need to become independent, supervision changes from an active to a more passive role. For example, students in older years are allowed to do homework in their own rooms with teachers nearby. Back to FAQ
3.3 Q: Why did the school decide to build the Secondary Campus in a suburban area?
A: Similar to many of the leading UK and US boarding schools that are located outside the city centre, we chose a quieter location in order to ensure that students are not influenced by urban distractions and can focus their energies on school life.
Our School’s mission focuses on whole-person education, and as part of that, we encourage students to be involved in outdoor activities. In the Secondary School there will be a lot of green space: plantation terraces, outdoor sports grounds and facilities, which is difficult to achieve in the city centre. Nevertheless, with convenient transportation nearby, including several highways and a new light rail line No.9, the School is easily accessible from the centre of Shanghai and surrounding cities.
Great learning atmosphere, 7 nationally well respected further education institutes with over 100,000 students are located in Songjiang. Surrounded by Sheshan National Recreational Park, IT high tech park, and a thousand year old town, Songjiang is an ideal place to learn and grow. Back to FAQ
3.4 Q: Do all students have to board?
A: We encourage all students to board in order to gain the most from the education the School offers. However, there will be a limited number of non-boarding places. Parents who wish to apply for non-boarding places should submit an application to the Principal of the Secondary School prior to the start of the 2011-2012 school year. Boarding students can take the school bus to the downtown area of Shanghai every Friday afternoon and back to School every Sunday afternoon. Back to FAQ
4. Tuition Fees To Top
4.1 Q: Is there any discount for the first year of students?
A: Yes. We are offering a discount by which Year 7 students attending the School in 2011 can enjoy a reduction in fees of RMB 10,000/year for the three years of Junior Middle School. Back to FAQ
4.2 Q: Are there any scholarships to the Secondary School?
A: We plan to offer two types of financial support:
Financial Assistance: Families who are unable to support tuition fees may apply for financial assistance by submitting an application form. Financial assistance may be offered to existing students with financial difficulties in continuing their study at the school.
Scholarships: We are currently considering plans for a scholarship program to help outstanding students in the Secondary School. Details of any scholarships available will be announced at a later date. Back to FAQ
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us by email or phone.
Tel: (+86) 21 6167 1999, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
