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Fettes College Guangzhou

China, Guangzhou

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Mandarin
Fees RMB 100,000 - 150,000
Ages 2 - 17 years
Type Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 2020
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), EYFS (Early years foundation stage), Chinese National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Taught languages English, Mandarin, Spanish
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, STEM
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Fettes College Guangzhou (FCG) is a 15-year continuous K–12 school established as a joint project between Fettes College (UK) and Country Garden Education; the Guangzhou campus began recruiting internationally in 2020. The school runs an early-years programme built on the IB PYP framework combined with EYFS, a bilingual primary and middle programme that integrates the Chinese national curriculum (CNC) with the IB MYP, and a senior programme offering Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level pathways. The campus is located in Zengcheng (Phoenix City) on a large, forested site about one hour by car from central Guangzhou and Baiyun Airport. Boarding provision is a named feature of school life and the school operates a bilingual (Chinese/English) instructional model across grades. For full details and source pages, see the linked school pages cited below.

Fettes College Guangzhou, No. 2, Xinxue Road, Phoenix City, Nan 'an Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City

The Essentials

Fettes College Guangzhou has instruction in English, Mandarin.

Location

Fettes College Guangzhou is on a large campus in Phoenix City, Nan'an Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou (No. 2 Xinxue Road, postcode 511340). The school is set on a suburban campus about an hour's drive from Guangzhou city centre and Baiyun International Airport, so most families travel to the site by car or school-arranged transport.

Stages

The school is a K–12 provision with an Early Years section plus Primary, Middle and Senior (high school) divisions listed on the school site. Age entry is shown as approximately 2 to 17 years.

Type

FCG is a day and boarding school; the website describes boarding as an integral part of the Fettesian model and details house/boarding staff arrangements. The site presents the school as a full-year K–12 provision (no religious or single‑sex designation is stated).

Additional learning support

The school describes a pastoral ‘humanistic care' system that provides individualised support and wellbeing services; Early Years and other pages note small class sizes and targeted activities (for example sensory-integration work in EY). The website also describes EAL/IELTS support and one-to-one or small-group tutorials for students needing extra help. For specifics about formal SEN assessments or named specialist staff, the school requests enquiries via admissions.

Country affiliation

Fettes College Guangzhou is a joint venture between Fettes College (UK) and Country Garden (Country Garden Education Group); the partnership and British heritage are stated on the school site.

Religious affiliation

The school site does not list any religious affiliation; its materials present the provision as an international, secular K–12 school.

School day structure

The website does not publish a standard daily timetable (start/end times or exact break/lunch times) in its public pages. Prospective parents are directed to contact admissions or consult the School Handbook/policies for detailed daily schedules.

Bus service

There is no detailed information about a daily school-bus network or external provider on the public website. If a dedicated bus service or route information is important for your move, contact the admissions team (phone numbers and contact page are on the site) to request current bus routes, pick‑up points and costs.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements

Boarding is an integral part of FCG and mirrors the boarding ethos of Fettes College UK. Boarding fosters independence and practical life skills such as resilience, timekeeping, self-motivation and tolerance. The Primary School has dedicated boarding houses, Arran and Iona, which host boarders.

Uniform Requirement

The uniform features magenta and chocolate stripes; senior pupils wear magenta and chocolate stripes as part of the uniform.

House System

Arran and Iona are the Primary School boarding houses.

Governance and Ownership

FCG is a joint venture between Bright Scholar Education Group and Fettes College. It is a 15-year all-through private school. The school uses bilingual instruction in English and Chinese, with about 40% of curriculum taught in English.
Fees

Annual tuition at Fettes College Guangzhou ranges from RMB 100,000 to RMB 150,000 for 2026/27.

Application fees

- The school's public admissions pages do not publish a specific application or non‑refundable registration fee; no application fee is listed on the school's admissions information.

Tuition fees (per term and per year group)

- Early Years (EY): commonly reported around RMB 120,000 per year (equivalent to approximately RMB 60,000 per semester) in recent school listings.

- Primary (compulsory stage): RMB 120,000 per semester — therefore RMB 240,000 per academic year (two semesters). This level is set as a government‑approved semester rate.

- Middle / Junior secondary (compulsory stage): RMB 135,000 per semester — therefore RMB 270,000 per academic year. This level is set as a government‑approved semester rate.

- Senior / High school: published market‑rate semester ranges are RMB 132,500 to RMB 162,500 per semester; this corresponds to RMB 265,000 to RMB 325,000 per academic year (two semesters). Where applicable, differentiation is reported between day and boarding arrangements.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Tuition for the compulsory stages (primary and middle) is charged per semester (semester billing). Several school notices and the official local fee approval state semester billing is the basis for fee collection.

Boarding fees (where applicable)

- Officially approved boarding charges for the compulsory levels are: Primary boarding RMB 9,000 per semester; Middle boarding RMB 14,000 per semester.

- For Senior School there are reported options and different boarding packages: examples published for senior students include day student vs 5‑day and 7‑day boarding differentials (e.g., RMB 132,500 per semester for day; RMB 152,500 for 5‑day boarding; RMB 162,500 for 7‑day boarding in recent reports).

Other costs and typical extras

- Meal / catering fees are reported per semester as approximately: Primary RMB 9,000; Middle RMB 10,000; Senior RMB 11,000.

- Typical one‑off or periodic extras reported in market summaries include: activity / enrichment / international examination or expedition fees (examples around RMB 2,000), and school uniform kit charges (reported examples: Primary ~RMB 3,000 per set; Middle/High ~RMB 3,800 per set in past published lists).

Refund information

- Refunds and charge‑back calculations for the compulsory (义务教育) stages are governed by Guangdong provincial rules on private school charging and refunding. The provincial rules set out clear refund methodology (for example, pro‑rata refunds based on months in attendance and defined percentages for students who register but do not attend) and require schools to process refunds within statutory timelines. These provincial rules apply to the school's compulsory stages.

Fee payment options

- The school's public admissions pages and policy pages do not list specific accepted payment channels (for example, named bank accounts, online payment gateways or card acceptance) in the materials available online. Parents are typically expected to observe the school's published invoice / payment instructions at registration.

Note: figures above are drawn from the school's admissions information and recent local fee approvals and market summaries; compulsory‑stage semester rates are recorded in the local government fee approval. The entries above present per‑term amounts followed by the corresponding per‑year totals where applicable.
Academics

Fettes College Guangzhou teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), EYFS (Early years foundation stage), Chinese National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels for students aged 2 to 17.

Curriculum

Fettes College Guangzhou operates a K–12, China–international blended curriculum that integrates the Chinese national curriculum with British and IB frameworks and delivers much of its teaching bilingually.
In the kindergarten the programme is EYFS‑informed within the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) framework and includes a wide range of enrichment activities and CCAs.
The primary school explicitly combines the Chinese national curriculum with the IB PYP framework and elements of the Fettes (UK) programme to deliver cross‑curricular, inquiry‑based learning.
The middle school teaches the national compulsory curriculum while drawing on the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) framework to structure bilingual, inquiry‑led study and project work.
The senior school offers externally assessed international qualifications—Cambridge IGCSE followed by A‑Level courses—providing multiple academic pathways and university preparation.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Fettes College Guangzhou describes a formal pastoral system that places students into Houses and uses boarding tutors, house parents and boarding carers to provide day-to-day pastoral support and to develop social skills, resilience and a sense of belonging. The school's website explains a named “humanistic mind‑care” (pastoral) approach that monitors both learning and physical/mental health and aims to help students with individual difficulties. House competitions, age‑appropriate boarding activities and a high staff‑to‑student ratio are highlighted as mechanisms to promote social and emotional development. The school also publishes a Pastoral Care and Student Behaviour policy as part of its policies list.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

The school's public website and published policies (language policy, safeguarding, pastoral care) describe pastoral, medical and language support but do not set out specific provision, staff roles or named programmes for Special Educational Needs (SEN). Fettes College Guangzhou does not publicly specify which kinds of SEN it can support or that it is a specialist SEN institution in the materials available online. For SEN details and any individual arrangements the school would make, families should contact the Admissions or Pastoral teams directly.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

FCG publishes a detailed Language Policy stating it provides English Language Acquisition / EAL (and Chinese as an additional language) and that provision is made “wherever possible” for students without English or Chinese as a mother tongue. The school describes co‑teaching with expatriate teachers and dedicated EAL teaching in Senior, Middle and Primary phases, and recent news articles describe interactive EAL classes and Cambridge/IELTS preparation. The website also references EAL/IELTS courses using digital platforms and exam preparation for Cambridge English qualifications.

Mental Wellbeing

The school's Safeguarding page lists a counselling policy and a Student Psychological Crisis Screening and Intervention guideline among downloadable documents, and the Pastoral Care page describes pastoral staff (house parents, tutors and boarding carers) who support students' personal matters. FCG states that staff receive child‑protection training and that the pastoral system monitors students' wellbeing and helps resolve individual difficulties. These published policies indicate the school has formal counselling and crisis‑intervention documents, although the downloadable PDFs require access for the full details.

Safeguarding

Fettes College Guangzhou publishes a Safeguarding page explaining its child‑protection responsibilities, staff training, site security, DBS/international police checks for adults who work with students, anti‑bullying procedures, and first‑aid/medical arrangements. The page lists a Safeguarding Handbook, Child Protection Policy and other related documents (including the Safe‑Touch policy) as downloadable attachments. The school states that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and sets out the types of abuse it addresses and how staff should respond to concerns.
Parent Experience

History

Fettes College Guangzhou was established as a joint project between Country Garden Education Group and Fettes College (UK), bringing the Fettes name and traditions to a new campus in Guangzhou. The school launched global recruitment and began operating as an overseas extension of Fettes in 2020. Its identity explicitly ties to the historic Fettes College in Edinburgh — founded in 1870 by Sir William Fettes — and draws on that boarding-school heritage as part of its model. The Guangzhou campus and masterplan were developed with international architects (Broadway Malyan) and sit on a purpose-built site in Zengcheng as part of the joint-venture structure.

Community

The school community combines day and boarding cultures and a mix of Chinese and international staff and families; school life includes regular assemblies, co-curricular programmes, and boarding routines that shape daily student life. Fettes Guangzhou runs a calendar of large, campus-wide events — for example an International Culture Festival, an annual sports carnival/“运动嘉年华”, arts and music festivals, and a technology festival — that bring students, teachers and families together. Parents commonly participate as volunteers and attendees at these events (the International Culture Festival featured parent volunteers and multiple food stalls), and the school promotes student-led activities and exchanges with its UK partner as part of community life.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

Rather than a single publicly described “PTA” page, the school engages parents through structured academic reporting and event-based collaboration. Primary policies describe regular Parent–Teacher Conferences, three‑way conferences (student, parent, teacher), and student‑led conferences as formal opportunities for parent–teacher dialogue and student reflection. Early Years and Primary sections run termly meetings and workshops for parents (for example an EY mid‑term parent meeting and curriculum workshops), and parents are routinely invited to participate or volunteer at major events such as the International Culture Festival and the Spring Carnival. Volunteer roles cited on the school site include supporting food stalls and event logistics at the International Culture Festival; parents also attend open days and curriculum workshops to review progress and school programmes. These touchpoints (conferences, meetings, volunteering at festivals and open days) appear to be the primary mechanisms the school uses to involve families in school life.
Facilities

Facilities Overview

The campus is designed by a world‑class design firm to blend Eastern and Lingnan cultural elements with China's educational requirements. The international campus is green and tranquil, with a layout that integrates education and technology in a smart learning environment. It offers modern learning spaces that support independent study, exploration, and holistic development in a natural setting. The school has three libraries, more than fifty independent piano practice rooms, two heated swimming pools, two large theatres (including a professional black‑box theatre), a climbing wall, a squash court, tennis courts, a gym, a FIFA‑certified football pitch, and a FIBA‑certified basketball hall. The arts and performing spaces include dedicated studios and buildings for art, music, and drama, with spaces for instrument practice and performances.

Sports Facilities

The school supports nearly twenty sports facilities and venues to support physical development. Facilities include equestrian facilities, field hockey, tennis, indoor golf, squash, swimming, basketball, football, badminton courts, and more. There are a 50‑meter heated swimming pool and a 25‑meter pool, along with a fencing room, multiple tennis courts, a volleyball court, and indoor golf facilities. The football pitch is FIFA-standard and the basketball hall is FIBA-standard. The school's sports staff includes national‑level athletes and internationally certified coaches.

Academic Facilities

The school houses multiple academic and specialized spaces. It includes three libraries and more than fifty independent piano practice rooms, biology labs, computer classrooms, and dedicated spaces for arts and design—visual arts, ceramics, fashion design—as well as instrument rooms and a dedicated building for instrument performance and drama. The campus provides 3D printing rooms and other technology-enabled learning spaces to support project work.

Extra Curricular Facilities

The co-curricular program centers on arts, sport and practical experiences to complement academics. Art education is a core component with extensive courses, master‑level instructors, and comprehensive art facilities, including spaces for painting, design, ceramics and fashion design, plus dedicated rooms for instrument study and rehearsals. A purpose-built performing arts complex supports instrumental performance and drama, and private music lessons (piano and clarinet) are offered, along with online master classes.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual

The school provides Comprehensive Development-EY, Primary, Middle, and Senior CCA Courses (Extension Courses). Nearly 70 options across eight curriculum categories promote comprehensive development. Sports options include equestrian, golf, swimming, rock climbing, ultimate Frisbee, baseball, squash, rugby, hockey, tennis, boxing, football, fitness, and fencing; art options include orchestral music, ballet, English drama, dance, chorus, fashion design, floral art, tea, pottery, oil painting, cartoon painting, baking, and hard-pen calligraphy; humanities and social sciences include Spanish, English speech, English debate, Chinese extended reading, and bilingual reading; science and technology include artificial intelligence, young makers, 3D animation programming, 3D printing, and drones; subjects include math competition and chemistry club.

Arts & Creative

Arts Academy is a collaboration with the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts (CSVPA). It features a Performing Arts Centre with a Concert Hall and a Black Box theatre, five art classrooms for 3D design, photography, woodwork, painting, and textile and sewing, and more than 50 independent music practice rooms. CSVPA offers Diploma, Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses across Art & Design, Fashion, Music and the Performing Arts; the Extended Diploma and Foundation are quality assured by the University of the Arts London (UAL), and BA and MA courses are quality assured by Falmouth University. An average of 70% of CSVPA students have gained entry to UAL in the last five years.

Cultural & Language

Eight major curriculum categories include languages such as Spanish. In Humanities and social sciences, languages include Spanish, English speech, English debate, and Chinese extended reading; bilingual reading is supported.

Social & Hobbies

Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) cover nearly 70 options across eight categories. Sports options include equestrian, golf, swimming, rock climbing, ultimate Frisbee, baseball, squash, rugby, hockey, tennis, boxing, football, fitness, and fencing.

Leadership & Professional

College guidance is provided by Country Garden College Guidance Center, serving middle and senior levels and rooted in primary education. The service includes professional counseling and practical opportunities to access top universities; Country Garden has admitted 94.3% of the world's top 50 universities for five consecutive years, and offers programs such as Ivy League + Elite Camp and Oxsword + Sprints Camp to support university access. In senior school, students focus on their own development with guided planning for next steps.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing

Boarding life is inspired by Fettes College UK and combines British traditions with Chinese culture. The pastoral care framework supports student well-being, and safeguarding policies guide safety and welfare. Boarding is led by a mix of Chinese and foreign staff, and the school emphasizes a caring, community-focused environment.
Languages

Language Provision

The curriculum combines Chinese and Western education through a joint venture. The Early Years School uses the IBPYP framework with elements from EYFS, and bilingual reading is available as part of activities. A dual-homeroom system supports an immersive English-language environment.

Bilingual Teaching

The school uses a co-teaching model with Chinese and expat teachers who work together to plan lessons and differentiate materials. This cross-cultural approach blends Chinese and Western education.

Immersion Programs

Boarding is an integral part of the education, providing a truly immersive experience. A dual homeroom system creates an immersive English-language environment.
Reputation

Awards

(Only awards shown on the school website and awarded to the school in the past five years.)

• “Special Contributing School” — awarded at the IB China Education Forum for the IBMYP Curriculum Integration Guide (2023). Significance: a formal recognition from the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Chinese IB Schools Association (CISA) for the school's contribution to curriculum‑integration work; the school's site records it as one of five schools to receive this honour in 2023.

• Forbes China — placement on the Forbes China “Internationalised Schools” lists (listed on the school site for multiple recent years; the site cites a 2024 national ranking of 18 and earlier placements in 2022/2023). Significance: these are external rankings reported on the school's site that identify the school among a group of China schools featured by Forbes China in those years. (The school's website text and pages reference its consecutive appearances and the 2024 ranking.)

• Hurun list — listed on the school site as one of “Hurun China: Top 20 Most Beautiful International School Campuses” (2022). Significance: Hurun's 2022 recognition for campus aesthetics appears on the school site as an institutional honour.

Accreditations

• International Baccalaureate (IB) — Fettes College Guangzhou is listed as an IB World School; the school's IB authorisations and programme coordinators are shown on the official IB directory (school code 062034). Significance: IB authorisation means the school has met IB standards for delivering IB programmes (PYP/MYP as shown on the IB directory).

• Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) authorisation — the school's website states it is authorised by CAIE and lists a centre number (School Number CX162). Significance: CAIE authorisation allows the school to offer Cambridge examinations (e.g., IGCSE/A‑level pathways) and indicates compliance with Cambridge's centre requirements.

• Boarding Schools Association (BSA) membership — the school's site states it is a member of the BSA (described there as the global boarding‑school association). Significance: BSA membership indicates the school is connected to an international network of boarding institutions and follows related professional/boarding best practices promoted by the association.

• “Child‑Safe School” / Safeguarding designation on the school site — the school's pages present a formal safeguarding/child‑protection policy and describe FCG as a Child‑Safe School. Significance: this is an explicit, public school commitment to meet safeguarding standards and to train designated safeguarding leads and staff. (This is a designation and policy published by the school on its site rather than an external accreditation body's certificate.)
Admissions

Admissions

1. Pre-registration and first contact. Start by completing the school's online pre‑registration (the site asks families to scan the QR code or fill the registration form) so the admissions office can record your interest and assign a dedicated admissions officer. Parents should expect the school to use that officer as their main point of contact for scheduling visits, tests and next steps—keep their contact details and any reference/registration number the school gives. Refer to the school's admissions page for the QR/registration instruction and to ask about current vacancies.

2. Visit / open day (recommended before formal application). The school explicitly asks families to visit campus with the child so you can see curriculum, facilities and pastoral arrangements in person; visits are arranged through the admissions officer. When you book, confirm whether the child should bring school reports, portfolios, or evidence of special talents (art/sport/music) because those can matter for assessment in some years. Bring photo ID for both child and parent to present if requested on arrival.

3. Formal application and documents. After pre‑registration and/or a visit, complete the Student Information Registration Form online and upload the required documents: child's ID (household register, birth certificate or passport), guardian ID/passport, a clear recent photo of the child, and a medical/physical examination report. The admissions page lists those exact document types—prepare certified copies where applicable and check whether originals are needed for verification on registration day. Missing or incomplete documents are a common cause of delay, so confirm the file formats and any translation/notarisation requirements with your admissions officer.

4. Assessment: tests, interview and portfolio. For most entry years the school will invite the child to an assessment that typically includes age‑appropriate testing and an interview or teacher observation; in some cases the school will also request a portfolio or evidence of extracurricular achievement. Ask the admissions officer in advance what the assessment includes for your child's year group (Early Years assessments differ from Year 7 or Year 10 entry). If English is a second language for your child, check whether there is an EAL/ESL assessment stream or additional language support options.

5. Offers, acceptance and deposit. If the assessment and documentation are satisfactory the school will issue an offer (places may be limited by year group). Ask the admissions officer exactly what the offer letter includes—start date, tuition and boarding fees, deposit or payment schedule, and any conditions (for example submission of original documents or medical clearance). Confirm payment methods, deadlines and whether the deposit is refundable or applied to first‑term fees. (The admissions pages recommend communicating with your assigned admissions officer for these details.)

6. Registering and enrolment checklist. On acceptance you will need to complete the final enrolment/registration process (the school lists the same identity and medical documents required at application) and pay the fees required before the start of term. If you are requesting any special arrangements (boarding, dietary needs, medical care, international student paperwork), submit those requests early to the admissions office so the school can make placements and arrangements. If your child holds Chinese school registration (学籍), note the school's national‑exam policy (students with Chinese school registration are in principle required to take the local high school entrance exam unless a waiver is filed).

7. Boarding placement and pastoral induction (if applicable). If you plan boarding, confirm whether places are offered immediately with the academic offer or require a separate application—board placement, house allocation and levies are managed by the boarding office and should be confirmed early. Ask about the boarding ratio of staff to students, whether there are expatriate houseparents, arrival/adaptation schedules and any additional boarding fees or deposits. The school's public pages describe boarding as integral to their model; contact the admissions officer for the boarding‑specific checklist.

8. Transfers and mid‑year entry. The school accepts in‑year transfers/插班生; for transfer students you will be asked for recent school reports and to complete the same assessments to determine placement. If you are moving mid‑year, ask about catch‑up support, course equivalencies (IGCSE/A‑Level/IB alignment) and whether there are any termly intakes with available places. Confirm with admissions what fees are prorated for mid‑term starts and whether waiting lists exist for the requested year group.

Scholarships

The school operates a scholarship programme but the public web pages give only a high‑level description; they state that Fettes has a scholarship system intended to encourage well‑rounded, academically‑strong students. The admissions page notes the existence of scholarships but does not publish detailed eligibility categories, award levels, or the formal application/timetable on that page—families should ask their admissions officer for the current scholarship prospectus, application deadlines and assessment criteria.

Independent reporting and school announcements indicate named scholarship categories and significant awards in recent years: for example, a school report published in 2024–2025 records about 60 scholarship recipients whose combined awards totalled close to RMB 7,000,000; the report also describes multiple named scholarships (different tiers and talent‑based awards) and a scholarship review committee that evaluates candidates on academics, conduct, co‑curricular participation and competition results. The school has also publicly described a further‑education scholarship for students who enter certain top global universities, linked to more substantial financial support for university tuition (reported examples appear in school news coverage). These third‑party reports and school news items show scholarships are active and awarded annually, but amounts and specific criteria can change year to year—confirm current programmes and any application dates with the admissions office.

Waitlist

Public information on the school's admissions page refers to a pre‑registration system for families but does not publish a formal waitlist or ‘pool' policy on the website. The site advises families to pre‑register and to contact the admissions officer to arrange visits and assessments; it therefore appears the admissions office manages place availability and any internal waiting arrangements directly rather than publishing a standard public waitlist process. Parents who need clarity about whether a specific year group has a waitlist or how places are prioritised should contact the admissions office and ask for the school's current availability, the procedure for holding a place, and whether a formal waitlist will be used for their child.
School Events
The school has not added events