Chinese International School

Chinese International School (CIS) is located on Braemar Hill, Hong Kong Island. The area is residential and home to several other schools, offering a quieter setting compared with busier districts. The campus is about 10 minutes by bus or taxi to Causeway Bay MTR and around 20 minutes to Central.

The school accepts students from Reception (age 4) through Year 13 (age 18). The structure includes Primary (Years 1–6) and Secondary (Years 7–13). Year 10 students spend a mandatory year at CIS Hangzhou, a residential campus in mainland China.

CIS is a co-educational day school. Boarding is not offered in Hong Kong, but Year 10 students take part in a one-year residential programme at CIS Hangzhou.

Support includes Learning Enhancement Teachers, an English Language Support Teacher, and School Counsellors in Primary. In Secondary, Social-Emotional Counsellors and Learning Enhancement staff work with students, families, and teachers.

The school is international and does not have an affiliation with any specific country.

The school does not have a religious affiliation.

The school does not publish daily start and end times on its website.

CIS operates a “Busing for All” programme. Students in Years 3–11 are required to use the bus service, while Reception–Year 2 and Years 12–13 may opt in. This arrangement is designed to reduce congestion in the Braemar Hill area.

Chinese International School offers a bilingual curriculum from Reception to Year 6, with equal instruction in English and Chinese (Mandarin). In Years 7–9, students follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), which emphasizes inquiry-based learning across subject areas. Years 10–11 complete a CIS-developed curriculum, which bridges the MYP and the IB Diploma Programme and includes the residential Year 10 experience in Hangzhou. In Years 12–13, students pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), preparing them for university admission worldwide. Chinese (Mandarin) remains a required subject throughout Secondary, taught at multiple proficiency levels to suit different student backgrounds. The curriculum is supported by co-curricular activities in the arts, sports, and service learning.

CIS has embedded Visible Well-Being into its teaching and culture, drawing from Chinese traditions of self-cultivation and modern positive psychology. The school partnered with Professor Lea Waters from the University of Melbourne to adapt the SEARCH framework, which structures wellbeing through strengths, emotional management, attention, relationships, coping, and habits. This framework is integrated across academics, co-curriculars, and advisory programmes. In Secondary, advisory sessions and Flexi-time include wellbeing activities, while homerooms provide daily check-ins. The aim is to help students recognize, understand, and manage their emotions while supporting each other.

In Primary, student support includes Learning Enhancement Teachers, an English Language Support Teacher, and School Counsellors, who provide both direct and indirect interventions. In Secondary, Social-Emotional Counsellors work alongside Learning Enhancement staff, collaborating with teachers and families. The school does not publicly list the specific categories of SEN it supports, nor is it designated as a specialist SEN institution. Support appears to be offered through flexible, teacher-led interventions rather than dedicated SEN programmes.

The school lists an English Language Support Teacher as part of its Primary Student Support team. Beyond this, CIS does not publicly disclose information on structured EAL programmes, staffing, or provisions for older students. Therefore, details on specific EAL initiatives remain unavailable.

CIS promotes mental well-being through its Visible Well-Being framework and counselling provision. Secondary students can access Social-Emotional Counsellors through self-referral or via teachers and parents. Advisory programmes and homerooms provide daily opportunities for connection and well-being check-ins. Flexi-time includes student choices that support wellbeing, including activities aimed at stress management and healthy lifestyles.

CIS has a formal Child Protection Programme, which is outlined publicly on its website. The school provides a Child Protection Reporting Form for staff, students, or parents to raise concerns. Safeguarding is framed as a shared responsibility, with policies and procedures designed to ensure student safety and well-being.

1. Determine eligibility and year level: Reception applicants must be 4 years old by 31 August of the entry year. The Reception programme is half-day, and there are 96 places available. Year placement is based on the applicant’s age and prior schooling. Families should review bilingual expectations, particularly in the Primary years.

2. Submit an online application: Parents complete the online application form and pay a non-refundable application fee of HKD 2,000. Additional documents, such as academic reports and recommendations, may be requested, especially for Secondary applicants.

3. Attend assessments or observations: Reception applicants take part in observation sessions, while Primary and Secondary applicants complete entrance assessments. An additional non-refundable assessment fee applies: HKD 2,500 for Primary and HKD 2,000 for Secondary. Secondary applicants may also be invited for interviews.

4. Notification of results: Offers for Reception are usually sent by mid-March. Secondary applicants are notified several weeks after assessments. Some applicants may be placed on a reserve list, depending on the availability of places.

5. Acceptance and enrolment: To confirm a place, families must pay a HKD 150,000 reservation deposit, which includes the Annual Capital Levy for the first year. The remaining balance is offset against tuition and annual fees. Some offers may be conditional, for example, requiring confirmation of a Hong Kong visa or right of abode.

CIS offers financial aid beginning from Year 8 onwards. This aid is available to new students who demonstrate financial need and meet eligibility requirements. The aid applies to tuition fees, and families must apply directly through the school’s admissions office for consideration. The school does not publish details of merit-based scholarships or awards beyond this financial aid provision.

CIS maintains a reserve list for each year group, which functions as a pool system. The reserve list is not ranked. When a place becomes available, the school reviews candidates in the pool and selects the student who best complements the available space in that year group.