Britannica International School Shanghai

At a glance

Where a detail is not officially published we mark it clearly rather than guess. Always confirm current figures with the school.

Curriculum and academics

Britannica follows the English National Curriculum from the early years through to Year 13, preparing pupils for IGCSE examinations in the middle years and A levels in the sixth form, with Cambridge and Edexcel as the awarding bodies. Teaching is in English, and the school keeps classes small, describing a roll of a few hundred pupils and class sizes below the numbers common at the largest Shanghai campuses.

A distinctive feature is an extensive native language programme, with specialist teaching in languages such as Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, French, Italian and Spanish, so that pupils can keep up a home language alongside an English medium education. For families weighing the British route, our guide to the British curriculum explains how IGCSE and A levels lead to university, and our Shanghai city guide maps the wider field.

Britannica suits families who want a British education in a smaller, more personal setting than the large flagship campuses, and who value strong home language provision. Because it is a compact school, families should ask directly about the year groups and subjects that matter to them.

Britannica International School Shanghai fees

Britannica publishes its tuition, and it sits in the premium band for Shanghai. For 2025/26 annual tuition ran from about RMB 252,300 in the youngest nursery classes up to about RMB 356,700 in Years 12 and 13, rising through the year groups. The school offered a discount for fees paid in full early in the year, and sibling discounts for a second and third child.

On top of tuition there is a registration fee and an enrolment deposit. For the wider picture, our guide to international school fees in Shanghai divides the market into bands, and you can line up the senior figures in our Shanghai secondary fees breakdown. Confirm current figures with the school, since it revises them each year.

• Registration fee: a one off charge of about RMB 2,500 when you apply.
• Enrolment deposit: a deposit of around RMB 20,000 to secure a place.
• Annual tuition: billed per year and rising through the year groups.
• Sibling discount: a reduction of about five per cent for a second and a third child.

Admissions

The main intake aligns with the August start of the school year, with applications generally accepted through the year where places exist. Families apply with the registration fee, then submit school reports and sit an assessment appropriate to the child's age, and the school interviews the family. As a smaller school it can offer a personal process, but popular year groups still fill.

Families relocating partway through the year should contact the admissions office directly about availability, and ask about the native language programme if keeping up a home language is a priority.

Location and who goes there

The campus is in Shanghai, serving the city's international community on a compact site rather than the very large grounds of the flagship schools. The smaller scale is part of the appeal for families who prefer a more intimate setting, and the school draws pupils from a wide mix of nationalities.

The community is international and mixed, built around families who want a British education with strong home language support. Many families comparing Britannica also look at the larger British campuses, so our Shanghai city guide shows how the options compare on curriculum, stage and fee band.

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions