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Wahaha International School

China, Hangzhou

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Mandarin
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 6 - 15 years
Pupil numbers 105
Type Co-educational
Opened 2015
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), Chinese National Curriculum, Australian Curriculum
Taught languages English, Mandarin
Typical class size 22
Strengths STEM, Languages, Service and Sustainability
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Primary School, Middle School
Introduction

Wahaha International School (WIS) opened in July 2015 and is an English‑language immersion day school for Grades 1–9. The school uses the IB framework (PYP and MYP) alongside elements of the Chinese National Curriculum and international standards; it highlights STEAM learning and a “strong and vibrant Chinese language and culture program.” The campus is described on the school website as a large, purpose‑built site with a four‑storey atrium, a library and multiple specialist teaching spaces, and the school notes close links to Wahaha Schools. Admission information, fees and curriculum details (PYP and MYP) are published on the school's website.

5 Yaojiang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310008, China

The Essentials

Wahaha International School has 105 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English, Mandarin.

Location
Wahaha International School is located at 5 Yaojiang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou — one block from the Qianjiang River in central Hangzhou. The campus is in the city centre (Shangcheng) and is reachable by local public transport; parents relocating should check local bus/metro routes for exact connections.

Stages
WIS serves Grade 1 through Grade 9 (Primary Years Programme for Grades 1–5 and the IB Middle Years Programme for Grades 6–9). The school is organized into a primary (Grades 1–5) and a middle/MYP section (Grades 6–9).

Type
WIS is a non-profit, English‑language immersion international day school that accepts both boys and girls (co‑educational). It offers an IB‑based curriculum alongside a strong Chinese language programme.

Additional learning support
WIS provides a Student Support team with teacher advisors and a school counsellor; the school runs EAL (English as an Additional Language) and CAL (Chinese as an Additional Language) programmes and uses differentiated instruction to meet individual needs. The Student Support team also guides families through high‑school placement and overseas transition where needed.

Country affiliation
The school is based in China and operates as an international (IB) school; it does not indicate formal affiliation to another country's national school system.

Religious affiliation
WIS does not state a religious affiliation on its official materials; programming is presented as secular and curriculum‑focused.

School day structure
Public information about daily bell times is limited on the school site; third‑party listings indicate a typical school day runs roughly from about 08:00 to 15:40 (confirm with admissions for exact daily bell times, breaks and any grade‑specific variations). The school's academic calendar and admissions team can confirm the precise timetables for each division.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
The school is a day school with no boarding accommodations.

Food Options
There is a cafeteria on campus.

Governance and Ownership
The school is a non-profit English-language immersion international school approved by the Zhejiang Education Department.
Fees
Application fee
- Non-refundable application fee: RMB 2,000.

Tuition fees (by year group)
- Grades 1–5: Annual tuition RMB 162,500 (billed as two equal term amounts of RMB 81,250 each).
- Grades 6–9: Annual tuition RMB 180,500 (billed as two equal term amounts of RMB 90,250 each).

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Tuition is presented on an annual and per-term basis (first term / second term amounts as listed above). Meal and activity fees are shown as either annual or per-term amounts.
- Specific payment due dates, late‑payment penalties, required deposits, invoicing frequency, and detailed contractual payment terms are not published in the school's public fee schedule or FAQ.

Boarding fees
- Wahaha International School is a day school; no boarding accommodations or boarding fees apply.

Other costs and routine charges
- Meals: PYP RMB 8,000/year (or RMB 4,000/term); MYP RMB 8,600/year (or RMB 4,300/term).
- Activity fee: PYP RMB 4,000/year (or RMB 2,000/term); MYP RMB 6,000/year (or RMB 3,000/term).
- Uniforms: Two sets of school uniforms and two sets of PE uniforms are required and are purchased by parents from a designated online shop.

Refund information
- No published refund policy or schedule for tuition, meals, activity fees, or application fees appears on the school's public fee schedule or FAQ pages.

Fee payment options
- Accepted payment methods (for example: bank transfer, credit card, or other) are not specified in the public fee schedule or FAQ.
Academics

Wahaha International School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), Chinese National Curriculum, Australian Curriculum for students aged 6 to 15.

Curriculum
Wahaha International School delivers an IB-based program for Grades 1–9 and is authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). The PYP is taught in Grades 1–5 and uses six transdisciplinary inquiry units per year with daily instruction in language acquisition (English and Chinese), mathematics, sciences, social studies, the arts, and physical/social/personal education. The MYP covers Grades 6–9 across eight subject groups—language and literature, language acquisition, mathematics, sciences, individuals and societies, design, arts, and physical and health education—and includes specialised options such as Chinese language and literature, programming, public speaking and maker courses. WIS maintains a distinct Chinese language and culture programme with separate curricula and school‑based textbooks for native and non‑native speakers and specified weekly Chinese lesson allocations. The overall curriculum integrates the IB framework with standards such as Common Core, NGSS and elements of the Chinese national curriculum, and emphasises STEAM, EAL support, design/innovation and service learning (including UN Sustainable Development Goals).
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
WIS assigns every student a teacher advisor who tracks academic, social and emotional development and supports home–school communication. The school states it uses restorative practices and positive-discipline approaches to give students a voice in creating class and school rules. Classroom-level examples of SEL-focused practice appear in PYP posts that describe mixed-class collaborative projects that develop caring, open‑minded and cooperative behaviours. The Student Support team is described as working with teachers to provide differentiated and pastoral support.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
WIS describes a Student Support Team that collaborates with classroom teachers to provide differentiated teaching and extra support, and notes language and counselling support are available. The school emphasises purposeful differentiation to meet individual learner needs. The website does not provide details about specific categories of special educational needs it can support, nor does it state that it is a specialist SEN institution. For this reason, the school does not publicly disclose which types of SEN it supports or whether it offers specialist SEN provision.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
WIS states it offers English as an Additional Language (EAL) and groups students by English proficiency, with specialised EAL courses and small‑group instruction to build social and academic language. The school says EAL teachers collaborate closely with homeroom teachers and the language‑support team to help students access the curriculum. EAL staff and programmes are listed among the faculty and in articles describing differentiated learning at the school.

Mental Wellbeing
The school lists a School Counselor role and describes counsellors working with families; counsellors are named on faculty pages and have counselling and PSHE experience. A recent faculty profile names a counsellor (Ashley Zhang) with qualifications in social work and experience in youth mental‑health, suicide‑prevention and PSHE teaching. The Student Support page notes the counselor works closely with families and advisors as part of student guidance and transitions. These descriptions indicate dedicated staff and pastoral structures for student mental‑wellbeing, but the site does not publish a detailed mental‑health policy.

Safeguarding
The school's website does not publish a standalone safeguarding or child‑protection policy. WIS does describe pastoral arrangements — teacher advisors, counsellors and restorative/positive‑discipline approaches — but there is no publicly available page labelled as a formal safeguarding or child‑protection policy on the site. Therefore, the school does not publicly disclose a dedicated safeguarding/child‑protection policy document online. For further clarification, contact the school's admissions or administration office.
Parent Experience

History
Wahaha International School was established in July 2015 following approval by the Education Department of Zhejiang Province. The school operates as a non-profit and is part of the Wahaha Schools network; Jane Du is named on the school site as the founder and board president of the Wahaha Schools group. Municipal listings note that Hangzhou Sanjie Education Consultancy Co., Ltd. acted as the founding sponsor and that the school was created as a support facility for the Yuhuang Shannan Fund Town. From its opening the school was planned as a purpose-built, nine-year campus serving primary through junior-high grades.

Community
The WIS community includes domestic and international families and staff and organizes regular school-wide cultural and performance events. Two recurring community events are the annual Winter Show, which brings together students and teachers in a large end-of-year performance, and International Day, which features a parade of national flags, family food stalls, crafts, and student performances. The school also runs an extensive after-school activities programme offering more than 50 clubs and classes across arts, athletics, and STEAM, creating frequent opportunities for student and family engagement outside regular classes.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
WIS's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) states its mission as promoting contact and communication between the school and parent community, delivering important school information through multiple channels, and actively collecting and relaying parents' comments and suggestions to school leaders. The PTA also commits to helping resolve home–school issues in a timely way and to creating organized, planned spaces for parents to participate in school activities. In practice, parents participate in events such as International Day—contributing food, crafts and performances—and in other school functions where teachers and families come together. The PTA page describes its role primarily in facilitating two-way communication and constructive feedback rather than as an event-only volunteer group. The PTA helps coordinate parent involvement and volunteer support for classroom and campus activities and serves as a liaison for parent concerns.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Facilities at Wahaha International School include a 19,550 square meter campus with 30 classrooms, a science laboratory, a library, a STEAM room, and a multi-purpose sports field. The campus also features two art studios, two theatres, a music room with six practice rooms, a choir room, a dance studio, and a gymnasium. The playground includes a Corocord Spacenet imported from Denmark to support physical development and imagination. The school is located at 5 Yaojiang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310008, China.

Sports Facilities
The school has a multi-purpose sports field and a gymnasium for physical education.

Academic Facilities
The curriculum is based on the IB framework with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP), enriched by Chinese and international curricula. It emphasizes high-level thinking, problem-solving, creativity and innovation, and the development of collaboration, communication, self-management and intercultural understanding. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are integrated throughout the curriculum. The language of instruction is English for all subjects except Chinese classes.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The school offers After School Activities and an extension courses program with MYP electives. Courses include English public speaking, English writing, programming, maker, library and child protection, along with enrichment options such as Math Club, Science Club, Service as Action, and Student Band.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
ASA defines project curriculums based on real-life practice to spark students' interest in cultural innovation. The program includes science and technology activities such as STEAM, robotics, and programming. Wahaha International School offers more than 50 After School Activities classes in total.

Arts & Creative
Arts include music, dance and studio art. Specialities such as the Art of Emceeing, Shakespeare Club, drama and conversational English are offered. The program provides a breadth of arts-related activities within the after-school activities.

Cultural & Language
Shakespeare Club and conversational English are part of ASA. The Art of Emceeing contributes to language use and cultural expression. ASA offers language-centered experiences as part of the after-school program.

Social & Hobbies
ASA provides social and hobby opportunities through after-school activities across arts, sciences and athletics. Examples include Shakespeare Club and drama. The program includes a variety of project-based clubs and performances to engage students outside regular class time.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Athletics include climbing, Wushu and football. These activities support physical health and wellbeing and promote teamwork among students. The after-school program offers numerous athletic options as part of campus life.
Languages

Language Provision
The school teaches English and Chinese. All subject teachers use English except for Chinese classes. The Chinese language and culture curriculum is delivered with separate materials for native and non-native speakers, along with Chinese cultural activities. The IB framework guides the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the curriculum incorporates Common Core, NGSS, and the Chinese National Curriculum.

Immersion Programs
WIS runs an English-language immersion program. English is the language of instruction for most subjects, with 50% of classroom communication in English in the Primary Years Program and 80% in the Middle Years Program. A Chinese language and culture program is integrated, and English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Chinese as an Additional Language (CAL) support are offered.
Reputation

Accreditations
1) Cognia accreditation (granted November 2023) — Cognia is an international, non‑profit school accreditation organization; its certification indicates the school has met Cognia's standards for leadership, teaching and learning, and continuous improvement.

2) International Baccalaureate (IB) authorization for the PYP and MYP (authorized in 2020) — IB authorization means WIS has been evaluated and approved to deliver the IB Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme and must maintain IB standards for curriculum, assessment and teacher qualifications.

3) Approval by the Education Department of Zhejiang Province (school establishment/registration, July 2015) — this is the provincial government approval allowing the school to operate in Hangzhou and indicates compliance with local regulatory requirements.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Initial inquiry and tour. Start by scheduling a school tour or classroom visit so you can see teaching and student interaction in person; WIS recommends this as the first step and offers campus tours. During the visit ask for the Admissions calendar and whether there are upcoming assessment dates for your child's grade. (Source: WIS admissions/FAQ).

2. Confirm eligibility and prepare documents. WIS admits students in Grades 1–9 and gives priority to dependents of foreign nationals legally residing in China, residents of Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan with appropriate documentation, and Chinese nationals with foreign permanent residence — you will need passports, residence permits, Home Return Certificates or green cards as applicable. Before applying, gather those identity/residency documents, past school transcripts, recommendation letters (if available) and any standardized-test records the school requests. If you are unsure which documents apply to your family, request a short checklist from Admissions.

3. Submit the application and pay the application fee. Applications are submitted through the school's online application system (the site points families to hwis.openapply.cn) and require a non-refundable application fee (listed on the site as RMB 2,000). Complete the application form and upload the required documents carefully — the application fee confirms your application is processed but does not guarantee a place. If you have questions about forms or file formats, contact the Admissions office before submitting.

4. Assessment and parent interview. After the application is received, WIS's process typically includes a classroom observation/assessment and an interview with parents; for primary applicants there is a reading diagnostic and for middle-year applicants expect diagnostic tests plus English and math testing. The classroom observation shows how your child behaves in a real class setting; parents should prepare to discuss their child's academic history, learning needs, and family plans during the interview. If your child uses additional learning support or has health/IEP needs, disclose this early so the school can explain available support.

5. Decision timeline and offer. The school states applicants are usually notified within about two weeks after assessment, and WIS accepts applications year‑round and offers places on a rolling basis; this means decisions can come relatively quickly but availability depends on class capacity. Ask Admissions at your visit whether the specific grade you are applying to currently has spaces (each grade is divided into two classes with a maximum of 22 students per class). If offered a place, read the offer letter carefully for deadlines to accept and for any deposits or paperwork required to reserve the seat.

6. Enrollment, fees and next steps. If you accept an offer you will move to the enrollment stage, sign the school contract and arrange payment of tuition and associated fees; WIS publishes a fee schedule for each academic year (for 2025–2026 the site shows annual tuition of RMB 162,500 for Grades 1–5 and RMB 180,500 for Grades 6–9, plus meal and activity fees and uniform arrangements). Verify which fees are annual vs term, whether meals and activities are charged per year or per term, and how uniforms are purchased (the site indicates uniforms are bought by parents from a designated online shop). Confirm due dates, refund rules, and the school's preferred payment methods before completing enrollment.

7. Mid‑year and practical points. Because WIS runs rolling admissions, mid‑year applications are accepted but the school will place students according to available space and assessment results; ask Admissions how the school handles curriculum continuity and any pro‑rated fee arrangements. Also confirm start‑of‑school orientation dates, immunization or medical form requirements, and whether the school has any restrictions or requirements for international travel/visas relevant to enrollment. Keep copies of all submitted documents and receipts, and maintain contact with the Admissions office during the final steps.

Waitlist
WIS's public materials state the school accepts applications year‑round and offers places on a rolling basis, and the FAQ notes that parents are usually notified within about two weeks after assessment. The school website does not include a published, detailed waitlist or pool policy (it does not describe how a waiting list is maintained, the order for offers, or conditions for moving off a waitlist). If you are applying to a grade that is full, contact Admissions directly (phone or admission WeChat listed on the site) to ask whether the school operates an internal waiting list and how to register or keep your application active; Admissions can confirm current capacity and any family actions needed.
School Events
The school has not added events
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