Soong Ching Ling School vs The SMIC Private School Shanghai

	S Soong Ching Ling School Shanghai, China	T The SMIC Private School Shanghai Shanghai, China
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RMB 84,000 - 200,000	Fees / year RMB 140,000 - 166,000
Age range	Age range 6 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Chinese National Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Chinese National Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP)
Pupils	Pupils 1,700	Pupils 3,000
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin	Instruction language English, Mandarin
Opened	Opened 2008	Opened 2001
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Soong Ching Ling School is on Ye Hui (Yehui) Road in the Zhaoxiang area of Qingpu District, on the western edge of Shanghai; the school gives the campus a suburban, residential setting. The website lists the campus address as No.2 Yehui Rd, Qingpu District (Zhaoxiang), and the school's own profile describes a large, green campus in Zhaoxiang.	Location SMIC Private School is located at No.169 Qingtong (Qing-Tong) Road in the Zhangjiang High‑Tech Park area of Pudong New Area, Shanghai (postal code 201203). The campus sits in a technology-park / suburban part of Pudong that serves many international families and is reachable by road and by the school's shuttle services; local landmark references list the site near Guanglan Road. For exact directions and public‑transport options, the school's address and contact details are on its website.
Stages	Stages The school comprises both Domestic and International divisions and offers primary, middle and high school provision; the International Division serves grades 1–12.	Stages The school runs a full K–12 structure: Early Childhood (kindergarten), Elementary, Middle School and High School within both an International Division and a Chinese Track. The website lists separate pages and curricula for EC, ES, MS and HS (including options such as a Chinese Concentration Class at elementary level).
School type	School type Soong Ching Ling is a co-educational day school with separate Domestic and International divisions operating on the same campus. The public information does not indicate boarding provision.	School type SMIC is a private, co‑educational K–12 day school that integrates kindergarten through high school on a single campus; it was founded by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) in 2001. The school does not provide student boarding — there is no dormitory on site.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support The school describes bilingual/co-teaching arrangements (Chinese and Western teachers in classes) and separate Chinese-language tracks for native speakers and additional‑language learners, which supports language differentiation. The website does not publish a detailed public policy about formal Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, so parents requiring specific SEN services should contact Admissions to discuss individual needs and available support.	Additional learning support The school provides counselling services, small‑group and individual support, and an Academic Recovery Program for students who are struggling academically; it also offers different Chinese language streams (regular Chinese and Chinese as a Second Language) and a Chinese Concentration Class (CCC) in elementary. The website notes meal or other special arrangements can be made with documentation, but it does not describe a separate dedicated Special Educational Needs department — parents with specific SEN needs are advised to contact Admissions to discuss individual arrangements.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation SCLS is a Chinese school founded and funded by the China Welfare Institute (established in memory of Madame Soong Ching Ling); it is not affiliated to a foreign country.	Country affiliation The school was established and is supported by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (a Chinese company) and is based in Shanghai's Zhangjiang High‑Tech Park. It therefore has a direct organizational link to SMIC.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation The school does not list any religious affiliation; its materials present an educational and cultural mission rather than a faith-based one.	Religious affiliation No religious affiliation is stated on the school website; SMIC presents itself as a secular private school integrating Chinese and international curricula.
School day structure	School day structure Public listings indicate a typical school day beginning in the early morning and finishing in the mid‑afternoon (examples found: about 08:00–15:30 or 08:15–15:50 in third‑party school listings). Exact daily start/finish times and break/lunch schedules can vary by division and year, so please confirm current hours with Admissions.	School day structure According to the school FAQ, elementary hours run from 7:50 a.m. to 3:25 p.m., and middle/high school hours from 7:55 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.; students are expected to arrive between about 7:45–8:00 a.m. The published school calendar also shows regular half‑day events and occasional schedule variations (e.g., study weeks and exam‑related half days).
Bus service details	Bus service details The school operates a formal school-bus service with multiple morning and afternoon routes for Primary, Middle and High School; route maps and timetables are published on the school website. The school's published fees (2024–25 pages) list bus transport charges in the range RMB 1,000–1,200 per month (distance-dependent). Parents can view route details and downloadable timetables on the school's School Bus Service pages or contact Admissions for route availability at your address.	Bus service details SMIC operates a fleet of more than 20 shuttle buses serving routes in both Pudong and Puxi; morning pick‑up times depend on the student's home location. Typical afternoon departure times listed by the school are 15:30 for elementary students and 15:30 (or 16:30 for some Pudong high‑school students) for middle/high students; each bus has a chaperone and the General Affairs office arranges routes and seat applications. The school does not provide bus service beyond the outer ring or to very remote areas; contact details for the bus office are published in the admissions/FAQ section.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fees - No application or registration fee is charged during the online application process; applications are accepted without a one‑time registration charge. Tuition fees (per term and per school year) — International Division - Primary (Grades 1–5): RMB 70,000 / semester; RMB 140,000 / school year. - Middle (Grades 6–8): RMB 90,000 / semester; RMB 180,000 / school year. - Secondary (Grades 9–12): RMB 100,000 / semester; RMB 200,000 / school year. Tuition fees (per term and per school year) — Domestic/China Division - Primary (Grades 1–5): RMB 42,000 / semester; RMB 84,000 / school year. - Middle (Grades 6–9): RMB 52,000 / semester; RMB 104,000 / school year. - Domestic high school figures are published separately where applicable (see school listings). Billing schedule and payment terms - Fees are quoted on a per‑semester basis (two semesters per academic year); published tuition amounts are given per semester and per school year. The school notes it may change fees without prior notice. Boarding fees - No boarding program or boarding fees are listed in the school's public fee schedules; published fees relate to day‑school tuition, meals, transport and activities. Other costs and recurring charges - Meal / lunch: Primary day meal shown as RMB 38 / day (Grades 1–4); Grade 5 meal optional. Middle/high school have optional meal arrangements billed separately. - School bus: RMB 1,000 – RMB 1,200 / month (route/distance dependent). - Activity/field‑trip fee: RMB 300 (per stated period). - Uniforms and incidental supplies: costs are not itemised in the public fee pages and are listed separately by the school when required. Refund information and payment methods - The school's public admissions and fee pages do not publish a detailed public refund policy or specific accepted payment methods (bank transfer, card, etc.) on the pages reviewed; the school states only that fees may be changed by the school. Parents should rely on the school's official fee invoice/finance office for payment instructions and any refund terms. Summary of coverage: published per‑semester and per‑year tuition, meal, transport and activity charges for both International and Domestic divisions are provided above; the school's public admissions pages do not publish detailed payment channels or a stand‑alone refund policy on the pages reviewed.	Fee details Application fees - SMIC-I charges a non‑refundable application fee of RMB 1,000 payable as part of the application process. Complete applications include submitting required documents in person and payment of the application fee. Tuition fees (per semester — amounts in RMB) - Early Childhood (EP–EK2): ¥70,000 per semester. - Grade 1–5: ¥75,000 per semester. - Grade 6–8: ¥80,000 per semester. - Grade 9–12: ¥83,000 per semester. These tuition figures are stated on SMIC‑I's tuition page and presented as semester amounts. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is quoted and billed on a per‑semester basis (two semesters per academic year). The school's tuition page lists fees as RMB per semester. - The application fee must be paid to complete the application. Parents are instructed to sign an authorization form and provide a copy of their ID to the Finance Office for payment processing; the site advises not to send the authorization form directly to the bank and provides a Finance contact for arrangements. Specific payment channels (for example, credit card acceptance) are not listed on the tuition page. Boarding / accommodation - SMIC Private School does not provide student housing (no boarding). Other compulsory or additional costs - Book deposit: a RMB 2,000 book deposit is required for every new elementary student (deposit terms are not specified on the tuition page). - Meal fees: charged per meal; listed rates are RMB 23.00 (EP–EK2), RMB 22.00 (G1–2), and RMB 24.00 (G3–12). Enrollment in the lunch plan is required. - School bus: bus service is available for an additional fee; parents must contact the school for routes and fees. - Uniforms: Grade 1–5 formal set ¥455 and summer sport set ¥225; Grade 6–12 formal set ¥470 and summer sport set ¥225. Refund information - The application fee is explicitly stated as non‑refundable. The tuition page requires a book deposit for new elementary students but does not specify refund conditions for that deposit on the published tuition page. Fee payment contact and administration - The Finance Office handles fee authorizations. The tuition page instructs parents to sign the authorization form, provide ID, and contact the Finance Office (contact details and an authorization form link are provided on the school's tuition page). For school bus fees and routes the site provides a separate contact.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options The school has an on-campus cafeteria. The cafeteria area is about 1,900 square meters, including a student cafeteria of about 1,000 square meters, and it serves 840 students at the same time.
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership The school was founded by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) in 2001.
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Soong Ching Ling School's International Division teaches primarily in English and follows an American-style Common Core framework with Advanced Placement (AP) options in the upper years; the school holds Cognia accreditation and operates as an AP and SAT test center. Primary (Grades 1–5) combines the Chinese national curriculum with U.S. Common Core standards; most subjects are taught in English while Chinese and mathematics begin in Chinese and mathematics transitions to English around Grade 5. Middle school covers seven core disciplines (English, math, science, social studies, arts, world languages, PE/health) and requires students from Grade 6 to study an additional language (currently French or Spanish). High school follows a “fusion” model with English-language modules, UCLA modules, and a range of elective AP courses across disciplines (including AP Chinese, sciences and arts) to prepare students for university admission; AP courses are offered as optional accelerated electives. The school also runs extracurricular and competitive programmes (AMC, Waterloo Math, IMMC, robotics, debate, etc.) and maintains separate native‑speaker and additional‑language Chinese tracks to meet differing student language backgrounds.	Curriculum details SMIC Private School's International Division delivers a US‑based K–12 curriculum aligned to research‑based standards (Common Core, AERO, NGSS, ISTE) across its Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle and High School programs. Early Childhood (K1–K2) covers language arts and math in K1, expands to five core subjects in K2, includes Chinese instruction, weekly art/music/PE/computers, and begins MAP assessment in K2. Elementary (Grades 1–5) offers daily math, science, English language arts, Chinese and social studies with weekly music, art, technology and PE; Grades 1–3 are self‑contained and Grades 4–5 transition to subject rotations. Middle School (Grades 6–8) continues the US standards with a balanced core of English, math, science, social studies and Chinese plus electives, physical education and extracurricular options. High School (Grades 9–12) operates on a semester credit system requiring 23.5 credits for graduation (specific credit totals in English, foreign language, social studies, math, science, PE, arts, technology and life skills), requires 100 community‑service hours, and offers 25+ Advanced Placement courses across a wide range of disciplines.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	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 The school publishes an active Student Council (middle and high school councils) that organises events, runs outreach projects (for example donations and student–teacher salons) and acts as a formal channel between students and the school. The International Division describes its learning environment as “loving, encouraging, challenging and rigorous,” and highlights co‑curricular events (culture week, festivals, sports carnival) that contribute to student engagement. Homeroom and faculty structures (Chinese and international staff working together) are emphasised as part of daily student life. These elements together indicate school-level provision for student voice, community activities and pastoral relationships. (Sources: school Student Council page; International Division overview).	Social & emotional learning SMIC's Counseling Office states that it provides school-wide social-emotional learning through Life Skills classes, weekly character/“Character Counts” assemblies, small-group and individual counselling, and an Advisory programme in middle school. The counselling team is named on the site (Head of Counseling Office Phil Chu and grade-level counselors) and works with students, families, and faculty to deliver these services. Elementary–middle–high highlights on the Counseling page describe specific initiatives such as a Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring program, character classes, and an Academic Recovery Program for students who need extra academic support. The school describes counseling as aligned with its Expected School-Wide Learning Results (Healthy Individuals, Motivated Learners, Persons of Character, Global Citizens).
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) The school's public website does not set out a named Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision or a list of the specific types of SEN it can support. The site does, however, list a Director of Faculty Support Centre & Student Service Specialist and a School Counselor among staff, which indicates there are staff roles linked to student support but the school does not publicly describe a formal SEN programme or whether it is a specialist SEN institution. For admissions and detailed placement information the school refers applicants to its admissions guide rather than to a SEN policy on the public site. If you need precise SEN support details (eligibility, assessment, reasonable adjustments) I can contact the school admissions office for clarification or point you to the admissions contact listed on the website.	Special educational needs (SEN) The school's published Admissions Criteria states that SMIC does not have the personnel and equipment resources to work with students who have specialized schooling requirements and that it does not offer programs for students with special needs. This indicates SMIC is not a specialist SEN institution and does not provide dedicated special-education programmes on its site. The Admissions page gives this directly as the school's position rather than listing categories of SEN it can support. Parents of students with identified or complex special educational needs should therefore treat the school as not offering in-house specialist SEN provision.
English as an additional language	English as an additional language The school states that instruction is in English for the International Division and lists multiple English-language teachers and Western faculty in its staff directory. However, the public website does not describe a dedicated EAL/ESL programme, entry-level language assessment, or named EAL specialist provision. The school's staffing model (Chinese and Western homeroom teachers; many English teachers) suggests bilingual classroom support is part of daily delivery, but a specific EAL programme is not published. If you need confirmation about targeted EAL lessons or assessment processes, the admissions office or international division can be asked to provide their current policy.	English as an additional language SMIC's Admissions Criteria requires that all International Division applicants be proficient in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English and describes specific English assessments for entry by grade. The school's public material does not describe a dedicated EAL/ESL programme for students who need staged English-language support; therefore the school does not publicly disclose specific EAL provision. For applicants and families this means applicants are expected to demonstrate English proficiency at entry and there is no detailed, published EAL pathway on the school website.
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing The school lists a named School Counselor role and a Director of Faculty Support Centre & Student Service Specialist on its staff pages, indicating designated staff for student welfare. The Student Council and regular co‑curricular activities (culture week, sports carnival, arts events) are described on the site and are used to foster community and student engagement. The Health & Safety section emphasises protecting children's dignity, privacy and emotional wellbeing as a school priority. The website does not publish a detailed, standalone mental‑health programme (for example, tiered counselling pathways or external clinical partnerships) on the public pages; you can request further detail from the school if required.	Mental wellbeing The school describes mental health and wellbeing as a school priority and identifies mental health, nutrition, functional fitness, and healthy relationships as major focuses of its holistic health provision. Counseling services include personal one-on-one counselling, small-group work, Life Skills courses, and academic recovery supports; the site also states counselors ensure mental, emotional and physical safety in individual counselling. The Counseling page lists staff roles and describes collaborative work with families and faculty to address students' wellbeing needs. These statements and programmes are presented on the school's published Counseling and main pages.
Safeguarding	Safeguarding The school's Health & Safety page states “Safety is Our Highest Priority” and sets out principles about protecting children's rights, dignity and emotional wellbeing, which serves as the school's published safeguarding statement. The site affirms that protecting students' best interests guides all actions involving children, and it provides contact points for admissions and administration. The school also lists counselling and student‑service staff (School Counselor; Director of Faculty Support Centre & Student Service Specialist) who are named on the staff directory. The public site does not reproduce a detailed child‑protection policy text or named Designated Safeguarding Lead on the international pages, so for the school's full safeguarding policy or the named safeguarding lead you would need to request the policy directly from the school.	Safeguarding SMIC's Counseling pages include a Child Protection section stating the school embraces responsibility for child protection, lists types of abuse (neglect, emotional, sexual, physical), and specifies that staff must be vigilant and report concerns immediately to the Child Protection Office (a designated member of the Counseling Office). The page also states students are encouraged to report bullying or abuse and that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where safety is compromised. These child-protection arrangements and reporting expectations are described on the school's published Counseling information.
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview Soong Ching Ling School was founded in 2008 and comprises primary, middle and high schools. It is located in Zhaoxiang, Qingpu district, covering an area of nearly 100,000 square meters with a greening rate of 60 percent. The school currently has about 1,700 students in Domestic and International Divisions. It has state-of-the-art facilities, including a world-class library with books in Chinese and foreign languages, the Soong Ching Ling Theatre, and the Technology and Art Building. Outdoor fields, tennis courts, and football and basketball fields are provided, while indoor facilities include a volleyball, basketball and table tennis hall, a gymnastics room, a temperature-controlled swimming pool, and twenty indoor classrooms used for art, drama, chorus, dance, piano, pottery, instrumental music, and other disciplines.	Facilities overview The Shanghai SMIC Private School International Division operates across four campuses: Private Kindergarten, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Secondary. Classrooms are air‑conditioned and equipped with ceiling‑mounted LCD projectors and air purifiers, with Upper Elementary classrooms also offering interactive whiteboard projectors. The campus features four auditoriums, multiple science labs, and art and music rooms, along with outdoor basketball and tennis courts, a soccer field, and a running track. The cafeteria covers about 1,900 square meters (including around 1,000 square meters for student dining) and serves 840 students at the same time; there are two libraries with about 45,000 volumes and a fleet of 20 school buses to support student life.
Sports facilities	Sports facilities There is a volleyball, basketball and table tennis hall. A gymnastics room is available. There is a temperature-controlled swimming pool. Outdoor facilities include athletic fields, tennis courts, and football and basketball fields.	Sports facilities The gym occupies about 1,900 square meters on the second floor and includes a standard-size basketball court with movable volleyball and badminton equipment, serving as a multi‑functional sports venue. Outdoor facilities include a soccer field, a 400‑meter track, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. A dedicated practice room supports athletic training and activities.
Academic facilities	Academic facilities The library is world-class with a collection of books in Chinese and foreign languages. The Soong Ching Ling Theatre is on campus. There is a Technology and Art Building. Twenty indoor classrooms are used for art, drama, chorus, dance, piano, pottery, instrumental music, and other disciplines. Instructional language is English.	Academic facilities There are seven computer labs, each with 30 PCs, a laser printer, and an LCD projector; color printers and scanners are shared among labs, and two server rooms support IT systems. The science program includes one biology lab, one physics lab, and one chemistry lab, all capable of standard or customized configurations for project-based work; labs are equipped with DIS probes, portable power, and handwashing sinks. There are two libraries located in ES and MHS with about 45,000 volumes, and classrooms are complemented by broadcast and design spaces to support academic learning.
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities Indoor spaces are used for arts-based activities such as art, drama, chorus, dance, piano, pottery, and instrumental music. The Soong Ching Ling Theatre supports performances and arts programs. Outdoor facilities include athletic fields and tennis courts that support sports and recreation. Facilities support a broad range of extracurricular activities to complement core academics.	Extra curricular facilities The Broadcast Room supports distance education, course recordings, and school video productions, with space for special effects to aid student projects. After‑school clubs and activities are offered across divisions, including arts, music, and sports, with student performances such as the ES/EC Winter Concert and poetry projects. Public facilities include an observatory and reading corners, providing spaces for exploration and recreational learning, while AI‑focused design spaces and multi‑purpose rooms support project-based and creative learning outside regular class time.
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History Soong Ching Ling School was established in 2008 in memory of Madame Soong Ching Ling and was founded and funded by the China Welfare Institute. The school comprises primary, middle and high school sections and operates both domestic and international divisions. Its Zhaoxiang (Qingpu) campus covers nearly 100,000 square metres and includes facilities such as a bilingual library, a theatre, a technology and art building, indoor sports halls and a temperature-controlled swimming pool. The school framework and programmes reflect the stated educational philosophy of “Give Children the Most Valuable Things,” carried forward from Madame Soong's work and the China Welfare Institute's educational resources.	History SMIC Private School was established by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) in 2001; SMIC Group invested in the school to serve the families of its Zhangjiang technical campus and the surrounding community. The school expanded quickly and opened enrollment to the public in 2004, graduating its first senior class in 2006. It operates as a privately funded school backed by SMIC and has developed both Chinese-track and international-track programs over time. The school's published materials note ongoing support from SMIC as the founding investor and sponsor.
Community	Community The school maintains an active campus life with regular academic, cultural and extracurricular events — examples on the school site include a Science Fair, Chinese Culture Festival, Hispanic Week, an ECA (extracurricular activity) fair, a World University Fair, TEDx events and seasonal sports days. International and domestic programmes bring together Chinese and Western faculty and support student exchanges and university outreach activities, which the school highlights in its school-life descriptions. Parents, student clubs and community partners regularly participate in festivals, performances and fairs that are listed on the school's news and events pages.	Community The school presents a mixed Chinese and international community: its site and news feed highlight students and faculty from many countries and frequent campus events that bring those communities together. School pages and news items show regular performances, grade-level projects and concerts (for example, a Winter Concert and grade-level poetry project featured in the school's “What's Happening” posts). The official overview also emphasizes combining Chinese and Western cultural activities as part of the school's programming. Overall, the community is described in school materials as diverse and active, with parents, teachers and students participating in curricular and extracurricular events.
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association The SCLS Parent–Teacher Association (PTA) was founded in 2009 and states its aim as supporting the school's educational philosophy through parent–teacher cooperation. The PTA is organised into a PS (primary school) PTA and an MS & HS (middle/high school) PTA; the MS & HS body reports 34 members representing 31 classes and operates a standing committee. The standing committee includes roles such as chairman, vice-chairman, secretary-general and group leaders and is charged with coordinating matters including the cafeteria, school bus service, school uniforms, the library, the yearbook, legal affairs and finance. According to the PTA's published materials, the association convenes regular conferences and seeks to provide practical, all‑round support to the school through those functional groups. Named officers listed on the PTA pages include Buxian Xia as PS PTA president and Ding Chunchun as MS & HS PTA president; the pages give short parent bios and note their roles in liaising between families and school administration.	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual Shanghai SMIC Private School International Division provides access to SAT and AP testing and hosts an authorized ACT testing center. AP courses total about 21–23 offerings each year. SMIC graduates have a 100% acceptance rate to top-tier colleges worldwide, and high school graduation requires 100 hours of community service, supported by a full-service college and career counseling program.
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative Extracurricular activities include International Day, Sports Day, field trips, Model United Nations (MUN), proms, dances, art exhibitions, student plays, and music concerts.
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language K-12 Chinese language instruction and high school Spanish and French courses provide a four-year language sequence; in high school, Spanish and French are electives with AP Language and Culture options by year three.
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies Cross-age mentorship programs and after-school homework support develop social and leadership skills; vibrant extracurriculars include MUN, field trips, performances, and sports.
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service High school graduation requires 100 hours of community service.
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional Counseling and college/career advising support student leadership and post-secondary planning; SMIC is an authorized SAT/ACT/AP testing center and offers AP courses; the division employs more than 70 full-time overseas teachers and administrators. Two bilingual kindergartens (Zhangjiang main campus and Tangzhen) serve early childhood education.
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing Health and wellbeing are prioritized through athletics, mental health support, nutrition, and functional fitness; facilities include a gym, a 400m track, soccer fields, multiple labs, two libraries with about 45,000 volumes, and school buses.
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision The instructional language is English.	Language provision The language program includes K-12 Chinese and high school Spanish and French courses, forming a language-instruction sequence. The Chinese Department offers two curriculums to tailor the needs of non-native versus native Chinese speakers. Spanish and French are offered as four-year sequences in the high school, with AP Language and Culture options after year three. In the International Division, instruction is conducted in English, with a daily Chinese language class.
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching Bilingual Kindergarten is offered at two campuses. The Shanghai SMIC Private School International Division conducts classes in English with a daily Chinese language class.
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards No awards for Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School are listed on the provided Schrole school profile. I reviewed the Schrole page you supplied (the school's profile lists accreditation, curriculum, student and staff numbers and facilities) and it does not show any school-level awards in the past five years. If you'd like, I can search the school's official website or other public sources for school awards (not student awards) and report back; tell me if you want me to proceed.	Awards Following the school's own ‘Awards & Recognitions' page, the only school-level recognition listed on the website within the five-year window from January 1, 2021 through January 1, 2026 is: • 2021 — SMIC Kindergarten became the experimental base for the research and promotion of children's literature in Shanghai: the school's site records this designation for the kindergarten; it indicates the kindergarten was selected as an experimental/pilot base for city-level research and promotion work in children's literature. Note: The school's Awards & Recognitions page lists other institutional recognitions (for example WASC accreditation in 2016 and a 2020 “Special Contribution Award”) but those fall outside the Jan 1, 2021–Jan 1, 2026 window. The items above are the only school-level awards/recognitions dated within the requested five-year period that appear on the school website as of January 1, 2026.
Accreditations	Accreditations Listed on the Schrole school profile: Cognia; Advanced Placement (AP). Cognia is a U.S.-based, non-profit school accreditor that evaluates preK–12 institutions against research-based performance standards and supports continuous school improvement (this indicates the school has undergone or participates in an external accreditation process). Advanced Placement (AP) is a College Board program that authorizes schools to offer college-level courses and standardized AP exams; listing AP indicates the school offers AP course(s) and participates in the AP program framework and audit process.	Accreditations • Accrediting Commission for Schools — Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC): The school's website states that SMIC International Division (SMIC‑I) received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. ACS WASC (often shown on K–12 school pages as ACS WASC) is a U.S.-based accrediting body that conducts a peer-review and ongoing evaluation process for elementary and secondary schools; accreditation indicates the school has met WASC standards for program quality and continuous improvement and supports the integrity of transcripts and credit transfer.
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Confirm eligibility and category. Before you start an application, check that your family meets one of the school's admission categories (for the International Division these include: a working parent who holds a foreign passport with an alien employment permit in Shanghai; families from Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan working in Shanghai; a PRC parent with a child who has a foreign birth certificate; or a family holding a SHMEC waiver). Parents should review these categories carefully because eligibility is governed by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SHMEC) rules and the school requires applicants to fall into one of the listed categories. 2. Download the admissions booklet and check grade/age placement. The school publishes an Admissions Booklet and a Grade Level Placement chart (the Grade 1 age cut‑off is noted on the site — e.g., children entering Grade 1 should be 6 years old with a birthdate no later than August 31). Download and read those documents so you understand age cut‑offs, required certifications and any local policy references before you complete the application. 3. Create an online account and submit the application. For Grades 6–12 the site directs applicants to create an account and apply through the school's online portal (the page links to the school's application portal and confirms you will receive a confirmation email after submission); follow the portal instructions and check your email (including spam folders) for next steps. Use the portal linked on the school's admissions pages and keep the account credentials — the school uses that account for event registration and follow‑up correspondence. 4. Prepare and upload required documents. The school's admissions pages list documents you should have ready: passports or ID, evidence of parent work/permit status (where required), the child's birth certificate, and student school reports (the site specifically requests the past two years' school reports for transfer applicants and notes that Grade 1 applicants are an exception). 5. Note agency/fee and technical details. The school states you do not need to use agencies to apply and that the school does not charge a registration fee during the application; technical recommendations (preferred browsers) are provided to avoid submission problems. Parents should rely on the school's official portal and the admissions email rather than third‑party intermediaries. 6. Expect follow‑up from admissions and (if necessary) requests for additional information. The admissions pages do not provide a step‑by‑step description of assessments or interviews on the public pages, so after you submit the application watch for school emails asking for more documents, interview scheduling, placement checks or other next steps. If you need to confirm whether an assessment or interview will be required for your child's grade, contact the admissions centre directly (phone and email appear on the admissions pages). 7. Offers, acceptance and fees. The school publishes tuition figures and other fees on its admissions pages (see the school's 2024–2025 fee schedule linked on the site) — if an offer is made the admissions office will issue next steps about acceptance and payment. Because published fees can change and the school's pages include a fee‑change disclaimer, confirm the exact fees and payment deadlines with the admissions office for the year you plan to enroll.	Admissions 1. Check eligibility and age rules: Before you begin, confirm that your child meets SMIC-I's nationality/residency eligibility—SMIC International Division admits students holding a valid foreign passport or legal residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Note the age cut-offs (for example, EP2 applicants must be 3 years old by September 30 and Grade 1 applicants must be 6 years old by September 30). The school does not generally permit grade-skipping, so plan grade placement accordingly. 2. Review fees and budget for additional costs: Review the published semester tuition levels for the relevant grade band (2025–2026 example: Early Childhood ¥70,000/semester; Grades 1–5 ¥75,000/semester; Grades 6–8 ¥80,000/semester; Grades 9–12 ¥83,000/semester) and factor in additional, non-tuition charges. Additional items listed by the school include a non-refundable application fee (RMB 1,000), an elementary book deposit (RMB 2,000 for new ES students), meal fees per meal, uniform costs, and optional school bus fees — contact the finance or bus office for current amounts and payment instructions. Because some charges (meals, buses, uniforms) vary by semester or student choices, parents should download the authorization form and speak with the Finance Office before committing. 3. Complete the online questionnaire and gather documents: Start by completing SMIC's online questionnaire so the admissions team understands your child's background and needs. The school publishes an "Eligibility Requirements and Documents List" that specifies which documents must be provided (passport/visa/residency documents, academic records, immunizations, etc.); read that list carefully so you prepare originals and copies in the format the school requests. The school requires the required documents to be submitted and verified in person at the SMIC Education Workshop Center (Qing Tong Road #173); an application is not considered complete until documents are delivered and verified. 4. Create an online application account and submit the application: Create an account and fill in the online application via the school's application portal (the Apply link on the admissions page). You can save progress and return later; use a working email or mobile number for account registration and follow the portal's instructions for uploading or declaring documents. The school's stated complete-application requirement includes (a) finishing the online form, (b) verifying required documents in person, and (c) paying the application fee — check the portal confirmation carefully for next-step instructions and local mailing/submission addresses. 5. Pay the application fee, observe deadlines, and schedule assessment(s): Pay the non-refundable application fee (RMB 1,000 as published) and note the application and assessment deadlines shown for the year you are applying—examples posted for Grade 1 (2026 Fall) show a complete-application deadline of 4:00pm on April 2, 2026 and an entrance-assessment date of Saturday, April 18, 2026. Deadlines and assessment dates differ by entry grade and intake (e.g., Early Childhood entrance events and open houses are scheduled monthly and EC assessments for 2026 were indicated for late March), so confirm the exact dates on the current admissions calendar before making travel or other arrangements. The school explicitly states that a "complete application" must include payment of the application fee, document verification, and the online form — missing any of these may disqualify the application from being processed. 6. Prepare for entrance assessments and language placement: SMIC requires English proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, and writing; assessment content varies by grade (Grade 1: English reading, writing and speaking; Grades 2–12: English reading comprehension, writing and an oral interview plus a grade-appropriate math assessment). All new students also take a Chinese assessment (late August placement) and are placed into either Yuwen (native Chinese) or CSL (Chinese as a Second Language) streams depending on ability. If your child has special educational needs, note that the school states it currently does not have resources for specialised special-needs programs — disclose any learning support needs early so the admissions team can advise whether the school can meet them. 7. Offers, enrolment steps and logistics after acceptance: If offered a place, the school will provide acceptance/enrolment instructions (these typically include signing fee/tuition agreements, completing finance authorization forms, and providing ID copies to the Finance Office). The Finance Office asks parents to sign an authorization form (do not send that form to the bank) and provides contact details for tuition enquiries; families should also confirm meal-plan enrolment (lunch plan is mandatory) and bus arrangements if needed. Because some programs (for example the Chinese Concentration Class) have additional academic or residency commitments, read any program-specific acceptance conditions carefully before paying tuition or deposits.
Scholarships	Scholarships The school's International Division admissions pages do not list any routine tuition scholarships or financial‑aid programs for applicants. The public pages focus on eligibility, application procedures and published tuition/meal/transport fees (for example, the site shows tuition and optional meal and bus charges for the 2024–2025 year) and do not describe merit or need‑based awards for International Division students. The broader Soong Ching Ling/China Welfare Institute history references Soong Ching Ling awards in other contexts, but that is not the same as an advertised school tuition scholarship on the International Division admissions pages. If you are seeking fee assistance, scholarships, or awards, ask the Admissions Office directly which (if any) financial‑support options or external awards may be available to enrolled students and whether there are separate application steps for them.	Scholarships SMIC's public admissions and tuition pages do not advertise scholarships or a financial-aid program for the International Division. The school's tuition and FAQ pages list tuition, application fees and other charges but do not describe need-based aid, merit scholarships, or fee waivers for SMIC-I; no scholarship program is documented on the official admissions pages. If financial assistance or scholarship options are important to your family, contact Admissions (admissions@smicschool.com) or the Finance Office (julia_sun@smicschool.com) to request the most current information and ask whether any internal or external scholarship/discount options are offered in the current school year.
Waitlist	Waitlist The school's public admissions pages for the International Division do not describe a formal waitlist or pool system. The admissions information focuses on eligibility categories, required documents and online application steps but does not state whether applicants who cannot be placed immediately are added to an official waitlist. Because many Shanghai international schools manage limited places and local demand can fluctuate, if you need to know current availability or whether the school operates a waitlist for your child's grade, contact the Admission Center (admission.center@scls-sh.org or the phone numbers listed on the school site) and ask how they handle overflow and waiting applicants.	Waitlist SMIC's official admissions pages do not publish a formal, detailed waitlist procedure. The school's FAQ and admissions information state that transfers and mid-term places are accepted "as long as there are seats available," which indicates seat availability is handled on a case-by-case basis rather than by a publicly described waitlist process. Third-party school directories list SMIC as having a waiting list, but that is not described in detail on the school site; because practices vary year to year, I recommend contacting the SMIC admissions office directly (admissions@smicschool.com or the telephone number on the admissions pages) to ask whether a formal waitlist exists for the grade and intake you seek and how the school manages offers from the wait pool.
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