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Western Academy of Beijing

China, Beijing

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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 146,500 - 376,700
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1400
Type Co-educational
Opened 1994
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages Mandarin, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Finnish, Swedish
Typical class size 22
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, STEM
Clubs Arts and Creative, Academic and Intellectual, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Middle School, High School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) is an independent, non-profit international school offering IB programmes from Early Years through Grade 12; the school was founded in 1994. The campus covers about 99,000 m² and includes sports facilities (indoor pool, three full-size gyms, a FIFA‑approved football field and the ‘Tiger L'Air' sports dome) plus three libraries and multiple arts and technology studios. WAB runs the WABX co-curricular programme with several hundred club, language, service and sporting options and includes student-led activities such as Model UN, a student magazine (Inkblot), and robotics teams. The school's language instruction is in English and it offers curricular language programmes in Chinese, French and Spanish, with several home‑language programs available. Note: the campus latitude/longitude below was taken from public mapping sources because WAB's website does not publish coordinates.

www.wab.edu

10 Laiguangying E Rd, Chaoyang, Beijing, China, 100102

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

Western Academy of Beijing has 1,400 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
WAB's campus is in Laiguangying, Chaoyang District (10 Lai Guang Ying Dong Lu), northeast Beijing — about 500 m off Jingmi Lu. The school is near bus stops on Jingmi Lu and is reachable from Line 15 (Cui Ge Zhuang) with local buses to the Ma Nan Li stop; visitor parking is available on campus.

Stages
WAB is an Early Childhood–Grade 12 international school, organised into an Early Childhood Center, Elementary School (Junior/Senior Grade 1–Grade 5), Middle School and High School (Grades 9–12). The school follows IB programmes across the sections.

Type
WAB is an independent, non-profit international school and an authorised IB World School. It is co-educational and operates as a day school (no boarding facilities).

Additional learning support
WAB uses an integrated student-support model; services include learning support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), counseling, educational psychology and psychological services, and access to therapies such as speech and occupational where needed. Teachers work with the Student Support team and parents to create individualised plans and reasonable adjustments.

Country affiliation
The school is an independent international school founded to serve the expatriate community and is not affiliated with a particular country.

Religious affiliation
WAB is nonsectarian and does not have a religious affiliation.

School day structure
Standard school hours are 8:30am–3:20pm Monday–Friday. Elementary and Early Childhood bell times and break/lunch windows are published (for example, ES morning break and a lunch window around midday; detailed bell times are available on the school's ‘School Day' page).

Bus service
WAB runs a student bus service to and from campus; buses typically arrive between 8:00–8:30am and afternoon buses depart around 3:25–3:30pm. The school also offers ASA (after-school activity) buses and a limited ‘late bus' service; families must communicate changes to the Transportation Manager and follow the school's procedures for bus changes. Public city bus lines and subway connections are also listed for families using public transport.
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees

Annual tuition at Western Academy of Beijing ranges from RMB 146,500 to RMB 376,700 for 2026/27.

Application fees
- Application fee: RMB 2,100 per applicant (non-refundable).

Annual tuition fees (by year group) — published for 2025–2026
- Early Years (3/4 years old, half day): RMB 146,500 per year.
- Early Years (3/4 years old, full day): RMB 246,500 per year.
- Junior Grade 1 – Senior Grade 1: RMB 293,100 per year.
- Grades 2–5: RMB 314,300 per year.
- Middle School (Grades 6–8): RMB 333,500 per year.
- High School (Grades 9–10): RMB 367,100 per year.
- High School (Grades 11–12): RMB 376,700 per year.

Per-term (per-semester) guidance — calculated
- WAB's academic calendar is structured in two semesters. The per-term figures below are calculated by dividing the published annual fee by two to provide a per-semester amount (this is an inferred per-term breakdown for database use; WAB publishes annual fees).
- Early Years (half day): RMB 73,250 per semester (RMB 146,500 ÷ 2).
- Early Years (full day): RMB 123,250 per semester (RMB 246,500 ÷ 2).
- Junior Grade 1 – Senior Grade 1: RMB 146,550 per semester (RMB 293,100 ÷ 2).
- Grades 2–5: RMB 157,150 per semester (RMB 314,300 ÷ 2).
- Middle School (Grades 6–8): RMB 166,750 per semester (RMB 333,500 ÷ 2).
- High School (Grades 9–10): RMB 183,550 per semester (RMB 367,100 ÷ 2).
- High School (Grades 11–12): RMB 188,350 per semester (RMB 376,700 ÷ 2).

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Returning students: full annual tuition is due by April 30, 2025.
- Newly admitted students: tuition fees must be paid within 21 calendar days of the invoice date.
- A non-refundable portion of RMB 30,000 of the annual tuition is required each school year to secure a student's enrollment.
- Prorated tuition is available for students enrolling after the October break: a 10% reduction of tuition per calendar month applies from October (excluding the non-refundable RMB 30,000).
- Late payments incur a surcharge of 2% per month on overdue balances.

Boarding fees
- Boarding is not applicable; WAB does not operate a boarding programme.

Other costs and common additional fees
- Laptops and calculators: students are required to purchase their own laptops and calculators (cost borne by the family).
- Lunch and snacks: not included in tuition; lunch purchases via SmartCard typically range from RMB 30 to RMB 45 per meal.
- Optional/extra-cost items not covered by tuition: intercity travel for competitions, conference-related travel, individual music lessons, additional after-school swim lessons, and home language programs.
- Enriched Inclusion Program Fee (if applicable) is non-refundable.
- Transportation: standard WAB school bus service within the designated WAB network is provided without an additional tuition charge.
- Any school uniform costs or optional activity fees are treated as additional charges when applicable (families should expect occasional optional fees for external activities or equipment).

Refund information
- Application fee (RMB 2,100) is not refundable.
- RMB 30,000 of the annual tuition is non-refundable.
- The remaining portion of the annual tuition (the refundable Grade Level Tuition Fees) is refundable according to a tiered schedule when the Admissions Office receives written withdrawal notice. The published refund schedule (examples of key cutoff points) is: on or before May 30, 2025 — 100% of the refundable portion; August — 90%; September — 80%; October — 70%; November — 60%; December — 50%; January — 40%; February — 30%; March — 20%; April — 10%; May and June — no refund. Specific dates and percentages are published by the school. Refunds require return of the original WAB fapiao and must be claimed within three months of the student's last school day.

Fee payment options and instructions
- Invoices are issued in RMB. WAB accepts bank transfers in RMB or other currencies (families should ensure the full invoiced amount is received after any bank charges). The school provides CITIC Bank account details and requires the invoice number or student number to be included with the remittance. SWIFT code and account information are published with invoices. Overseas RMB cash deposits may also be accepted.
- Card payments: overseas debit/credit cards incur additional fees (example published rates: Visa/Master 2.8%; AMEX 3.0%; JCB 3.5%). Local credit/debit card handling fees are also noted (example: 0.6% for local credit cards plus RMB 20 administration on debit transactions). All bank fees are the payer's responsibility.
- Fapiao (official Chinese tax receipt) will be issued for tuition only after full payment; WAB Finance issues fapiao on request and provides instructions for corporate and personal payers.

Notes for records
- The figures above are WAB's published annual tuition rates for 2025–2026 and the school's published payment and refund rules. Per-term numbers shown under “Per-term (per-semester) guidance” are calculated by dividing the published annual tuition by two to align with WAB's two-semester calendar and to provide a per-semester amount for database use (this division is an inferred breakdown; WAB's official invoices are issued as described above).
Academics

Western Academy of Beijing teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
Western Academy of Beijing delivers the full IB continuum: Primary Years Programme (Early Years–Grade 5), Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10) and the IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12).
In Early Years and Elementary students follow the inquiry-based PYP framework (ages 3–12) with transdisciplinary subject coverage and a PYP Exhibition as an extended inquiry.
Middle School runs the MYP across Grades 6–10 with eight subject areas taught concurrently, MYP objectives and assessment approaches, and a culminating Personal Project.
High School (Grades 11–12) offers the IB Diploma Programme: students choose subjects across the six DP groups and complete the DP core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service) with a wide range of SL/HL course options.
WAB's curriculum covers literacy/language and literature, language acquisition, individuals & societies, sciences, mathematics, the arts, design, PHE and school-wide social‑emotional learning, and it is informed by additional reference standards such as ACARA, CEFR and HSK while providing personalised pathways and experiential learning opportunities.
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. Submit an enquiry (OpenApply enquiry form). Start by submitting the online enquiry form (OpenApply) so the Admissions team has your basic family details and can set up an account for you; this lets you save progress and return to the application. Parents should use the same email address they plan to use for official communications and check spam folders for replies.

2. Complete the OpenApply application (one form per child) and upload documents. Each child needs a full OpenApply application with supporting documents (school reports, passport copies, student and parent statements, and a confidential teacher reference); check the online checklist so nothing is missed. Be prepared to pay the non-refundable application fee (listed on the school's fees page) and note that WAB requires a non-refundable portion of tuition (enrollment deposit) once a place is accepted. Parents should confirm their child's birthdate against WAB's August 31 cut-off and have scanned copies of passports and recent school reports ready.

3. Admissions review and timeframe. After you submit a complete application, the Admissions team reviews documents to understand academic background, language needs and any support requirements; the school aims to respond within a few working days but the review can take longer (for example if additional documentation or specialist reports are needed). If your child has identified learning support needs, expect the review to include follow-up with student-support staff. Parents should upload full and clearly legible documents and respond quickly to any Admissions requests to avoid delays.

4. Interview / assessment stage (if required). WAB will schedule interviews or assessments as appropriate: language assessments for students from JG1 who are not native English speakers and math placement testing for Grade 10+ applicants; other assessments or conversations may be used to check fit and to identify required support. Prepare your child by explaining the purpose of the assessment (it is to place them correctly and identify support needs, not to “pass/fail”) and bring originals of documents to any on-campus meetings. If your child needs English-language support, ask Admissions about the school's EAL arrangements before enrollment.

5. Decision, offer and enrolment paperwork. Admissions decisions are made by a committee (section leaders and support teams) and families are notified by OpenApply email; a formal offer will include invoicing instructions, deadlines and the non‑refundable enrollment amount (the tuition page lists payment deadlines and the 30,000 RMB non‑refundable portion required each year). Newly admitted families must meet the invoice payment deadline (typically within 21 calendar days for new students) and returning-student payment deadlines are published annually; review the Tuition & Fees page for proration rules (e.g., reductions for mid-year entry) and late-payment surcharges. Parents should read the Tuition & Fees Terms & Conditions carefully before accepting an offer.

Scholarships
WAB's public website does not advertise a general, school-wide tuition scholarship or needs-based financial-aid program for families; the official Tuition & Fees pages and Admissions materials describe fees, deposits and limited fee-related policies but do not list routine tuition scholarships. There are a few exceptions and related supports to be aware of: the Swiss School Beijing section (a WAB section) has a Tuition Fee Discount Policy for Swiss families; the school also publicises project and student grants (for example Global Citizenship / changemaker grants that fund student projects, not tuition), and staff contracts commonly include dependent tuition benefits for employees' children. If you need information about any exceptional financial support or one-off awards, contact Admissions directly (they can confirm whether any limited bursaries, discounts or staff-dependent rates apply and advise on documentation and eligibility).

Waitlist
WAB does use a waitlist approach when the requested grade is full. Admissions policy and the Swiss School section both note that places are offered based on availability and that later applications are more likely to be waitlisted; when a place opens, Admissions will contact waitlisted families through the OpenApply system. Your position on the waitlist depends on timing, the completeness of your application and the school's assessment of fit and support capacity, so submitting a complete application early improves your chances. OpenApply (the platform WAB uses) also supports explicit “Waitlisted” statuses and re‑application workflows, which is how WAB typically manages offers, notifications and any subsequent moves from waitlist to offer. If you're time-sensitive (for relocation or visa steps), tell Admissions your preferred timelines so they can advise on realistic likelihoods and timing.
School Events
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