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Canadian International School Kunshan

China, Shanghai

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

Independently researched by doris.
Not yet claimed by the school
The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees RMB 130,000 - 206,000
Ages 3 - 19 years
Pupil numbers 400
Type Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 2012
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages English, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, German
Strengths Languages, Sport, STEM
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Canadian International School Kunshan (CISK) is a K–12 IB-continuum school located at No.555 Chuanshi Road, adjacent to Duke Kunshan University and Kunshan High School, in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes from early years up to grade 12; CISK was founded in 2012. The campus includes a dedicated kindergarten building, academic blocks, student dormitories and sports facilities; boarding and a school-bus network are provided. Annual tuition for 2025–2026 ranges from RMB 130,000 (Early Years) to RMB 206,000 (DP Years); additional fees apply for bus and dormitory services. Classes are small (caps commonly listed as up to 22 students per class) and instruction is in English; Mandarin is compulsory and the school runs Mandarin (MFL/MSL) and short taster programmes in Japanese, Spanish, Korean and German. Key leadership includes the Secondary Principal Christopher Hoddinott and Primary Principal Dr. Sarah Salazar.

www.ciskunshan.org

555 Chuanshi Road, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

Canadian International School Kunshan has 400 pupils, instruction in English.

Location
Canadian International School Kunshan (CISK) is on 555 Chuanshi Road in Kunshan, Jiangsu province — the campus is described as near Duke Kunshan University and Kunshan High School, with convenient local transport links. The school sits within the city of Kunshan (between Suzhou and Shanghai), so commuting from nearby districts such as Suzhou Industrial Park or Huaqiao is common for families.

Stages
CISK is a K–12 school offering the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP), serving students roughly from ages 3 to 18. It is presented as an IB Continuum World School delivering PYP→MYP→DP across the campus.

Type
The school is co-educational and operates both day and boarding options; the boarding provision is described as family-style student apartments on campus. CISK began with an Ontario (Canadian) curriculum background but now operates as an IB continuum school.

Additional learning support
CISK lists a Coordinator of Student Support Services and refers to learning-support/individualised plans and services for students with additional needs. The school also runs an English Learner pathway (Transitional English Program) using WIDA proficiency assessment for placement and regular progress review. Parents are notified of placements and the school references ongoing evaluation and learning-support planning.

Country affiliation
The school uses a Canadian identity (Canadian International School) and has historical links to the Ontario curriculum and an affiliation with St. John's Kilmarnock School (Ontario). Its branding and early curriculum origins reflect those Canadian connections.

Religious affiliation
No religious affiliation is listed on the school's public profile; CISK presents itself as a secular international school.

School day structure
For primary visitors, the school's published ‘A Day in CISK' schedule starts with arrival around 8:20am, morning classes from about 8:30–11:35, lunch and break around 11:35–12:30, afternoon lessons from about 12:35 and a typical primary day end at 3:30pm. End times vary by age group (secondary timetables commonly finish later on weekdays and may differ by day), so exact start/finish times depend on the programme and year group.

Bus service
The school operates a school-bus service with multiple routes (the site states seven routes) covering Kunshan and neighbouring areas such as Suzhou and Taicang; each bus is staffed with a senior bus-care teacher. The website posts a bus code of conduct and an application form for families, and route details are published by the school — parents are advised to contact Admissions for current route maps and pickup points.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at Canadian International School Kunshan ranges from RMB 130,000 to RMB 206,000 for 2026/27.

Application and Registration Fees

- Application Fee (non‑refundable): RMB 2,000.
- Registration Deposit (one‑time, refundable): RMB 10,000. This deposit is invoiced and due with tuition fees and is refundable when a student leaves after proper notification and clearance.

Tuition fees (by school division)

- PYP — Early Years (Nursery / JK / SK): Annual RMB 130,000. Annual amount published by the school.
- Per‑term equivalent (annual ÷ 2, shown as an inferred semester figure): RMB 65,000 (inference based on two equal terms).
- PYP — Grades 1–5: Annual RMB 150,000. Per‑term equivalent (inferred): RMB 75,000.
- MYP — Grades 6–10: Annual RMB 170,000. Per‑term equivalent (inferred): RMB 85,000.
- DP — Grades 11–12: Annual RMB 206,000. Per‑term equivalent (inferred): RMB 103,000.

(Note: tuition amounts are published as annual payments in the school fee schedule; the per‑term figures above are simple half‑year equivalents inferred from the annual totals because the published schedule lists annual payments.)

Billing schedule and payment terms

- The registration deposit is invoiced and payable with tuition fees. The school issues a School Payment Notice with the school RMB or USD bank account after receipt of the application form. Bank charges arising from payment methods such as swiping or QR code scanning are borne by the payer. The published fee schedule lists annual payments and does not specify an installment timetable within the document.

Boarding (dormitory) fees

- Dormitory (5‑days program): RMB 18,500 per school year.

Other costs and typical additional charges

- Bus transportation: Within downtown Kunshan RMB 9,000 per school year; outside downtown RMB 12,000 per school year.
- Tuition does not include school lunches, uniform, transportation, individual music‑instrument tuition, or voluntary trips and events; these are charged separately. Uniforms are required for all students.
- Families may incur other variable costs (optional activities, special programs, trips) depending on grade and participation.

Refund information

- The Application Fee is non‑refundable. The Registration Deposit (RMB 10,000) is refundable when a student leaves, subject to proper notification and clearance procedures.

Fee payment options

- Payments are made to the Canadian International School Kunshan bank accounts (school provides RMB or USD account details on the School Payment Notice). Payment methods mentioned in the fee schedule include bank transfer and electronic methods that may incur bank charges (swiping / QR code scanning); any bank fees are to be borne by the payer. The school will provide the formal invoice/payment notice with account details after application submission.
Academics

Canadian International School Kunshan teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 3 to 19.

Curriculum
Canadian International School Kunshan (CISK) delivers the International Baccalaureate continuum: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged about 3–18.
Early Years and Primary follow the PYP (play‑based early years; six transdisciplinary themes and English as the language of instruction) alongside a schoolwide Chinese immersion program.
The MYP covers the middle‑school years (roughly ages 11–16 / Grades ~6–10) with a concept‑based, interdisciplinary curriculum and Mandarin offered as an additional language; CISK completed MYP authorization in mid‑2023.
Years 11–12 follow the IB Diploma Programme, with students taking DP subjects across language, mathematics, sciences, individuals and societies, arts, and core elements (TOK, extended project/EE) leading to the IB Diploma.
The school also serves as an Oxford AQA IGCSE/A‑Level test centre and initially operated an Ontario (Canada) curriculum before becoming an IB continuum school.
Wellbeing
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Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Initial enquiry and research (what to prepare). Contact the Admissions Office to request the current enrolment timetable, the year-group vacancy status and the school's document checklist. CISK asks families to submit applications via OpenApply, so you should create an OpenApply account in advance and gather identity documents (child's passport and parents' visas/residence permits), recent school reports and any learning-support records; the Admissions Criteria page lists the specific residency documentation the school requires for eligibility.

2. Complete and submit the online application. Use the school's OpenApply form and upload the documents from the checklist (the How to Apply page explicitly instructs applicants to upload required documents when creating an OpenApply account). Make sure uploaded files are clear and that you include the items the school requests for your child's age/grade (for example prior school reports for primary/secondary applicants).

3. School review and eligibility check. After you submit, the admissions office reviews the application and supporting documents to confirm the child meets the school's legal and programme admission criteria (CISK is licensed to enrol children of foreign nationals and has specific documentation rules for Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan residents, Chinese citizens settled abroad and other eligible categories). Expect the school to contact you for clarification if documentation is missing.

4. Assessment (age-appropriate tests). CISK arranges an age-appropriate assessment after the application is complete. The How to Apply page specifies that kindergarten applicants will be reviewed and attend a family interview; Primary (Grade 1–5) applicants take a school-organised admissions assessment (parents are asked to reserve at least two hours); Secondary (Grades 6–11) applicants take a written test (English and English-language math). Plan travel/online-test timing accordingly and ask whether an English-language support assessment will be provided if your child is not a native English speaker.

5. Family interview and, where applicable, further meetings. The school requires a family interview: kindergarten and primary applicants meet the Head of the Academic Department; secondary applicants' parents join a roughly 30-minute family interview. For scholarship candidates the school will invite shortlisted students to further testing and an interview with leadership. Bring originals of identity/visa documents to the interview as the school may verify them in person.

6. Decision timeline and offer. CISK aims to communicate admissions decisions within three working days (this can extend to five working days during peak admissions season). Successful applicants receive a digital offer letter; the offer will include instructions and any deadlines for accepting the place (for example a deadline to respond and pay a registration/confirmation deposit). If your application is unsuccessful the school closes the file and notes that applicants may reapply after six months.

7. Securing a place and fee steps. To secure a place you will be required to follow the offer instructions (typically accepting the offer in writing and paying whatever deposit or registration fee the offer specifies). The school's tuition-and-fees page explains what tuition covers and what it does not (see the fee schedule for current amounts and the exact deposit/application fees for the academic year). Always confirm whether deposits are refundable and the deadline for the payment directly with Admissions before transferring funds.

8. Final enrolment and orientation. After finance and paperwork are complete the school will confirm enrolment and advise about orientation dates, uniform, lunch plans and transport options. Note that tuition typically excludes lunch, uniforms, transport and optional music lessons or voluntary trips—budget for these separately. Keep a copy of the signed enrolment/fee paperwork for visa/residency or employer-reimbursement needs.

9. If you need help or have special circumstances. If your child requires English language support, has special educational needs, or you need a language service during admissions, contact the admissions team early (the school lists English/Mandarin/Korean admissions support and asks families to notify the office about other language needs).

Scholarships
CISK offers a limited number of full and partial scholarships and describes them as awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. The school's Scholarship page sets out the selection stages used in previous cycles: application submission, subject testing (English, Mathematics and Sciences), a cognitive‑ability test, and a final interview with school leadership; top-scoring candidates are invited to interview and the results are announced at the end of the selection period. The Scholarship page references a selection window (for example March–June 2023 for MYP and DP candidates) and says more details will be posted on the page; for the current cycle you should ask Admissions for the application opening date, the exact tests to be used, and whether the scholarship covers tuition fully or partially and any associated conditions (renewal criteria, behavioural/academic expectations). For questions or to request the latest scholarship guidance email admissions@ciskunshan.org.

Waitlist
CISK's public admissions pages do not publish a formal waiting‑list policy. The site states that “enrolment is subject to class vacancies,” which indicates that admission depends on available places in the requested year group, but it does not set out a published process or ranking for a waitlist or candidate pool. If a grade is full you should contact Admissions directly (phone or email) to ask whether the school maintains a waitlist for that specific year group, how they prioritise candidates, whether there are any deadlines to remain on the list, and what documentation you should keep current—these operational details are not posted on the public admissions pages.
School Events
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