Keystone Academy is one of the most distinctive schools in Beijing, founded in 2014 in the Shunyi district. It is built around an immersive bilingual model in Chinese and English and follows the International Baccalaureate, teaching children from pre kindergarten through to grade 12. Unusually for the city, it combines day and boarding places on one campus, with boarding becoming central to school life in the upper grades.
Keystone Academy at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | Immersive Chinese and English bilingual model within the International Baccalaureate, alongside elements of the Chinese national curriculum |
| Stages | Pre kindergarten through to grade 12 |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Programmes | IB framework, with the Middle Years Programme in the middle grades and the Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12 |
| Boarding | Optional in grades 7 and 8, and a full part of the programme from grade 9 to grade 12 |
| Languages | Bilingual Chinese and English immersion, moving towards English as students progress |
Curriculum and academics
Keystone Academy is built on an immersive bilingual approach. In the primary years teaching is substantially bilingual in Chinese and English, and instruction moves gradually towards English in the middle and high school. The academic spine is the International Baccalaureate, with the Middle Years Programme in the middle grades and the Diploma Programme in the final two years, set alongside elements of the Chinese national curriculum so that bilingual literacy and a grounding in Chinese culture run through the school.
Boarding is part of the design rather than an add on. It is optional in grades 7 and 8 and becomes a full part of the programme from grade 9 onwards, supported by a campus with residential houses, performance and sports facilities and science laboratories. To compare Keystone with the other IB and bilingual options nearby, read our international schools in Beijing fees and rankings guide, and ask the school for its most recent Diploma results and university destinations directly.
Weighing Keystone against other schools?
Put it side by side with two other Beijing schools on fees, curriculum and stages.
Keystone Academy fees
Keystone sits in Beijing's premium tier, and boarding places carry an additional charge on top of tuition. Our Beijing international school fees guide sets out the band by tier, and a boarding place in the senior years is among the higher cost options in the city. Treat any single figure as indicative, since tuition rises grade by grade and boarding is priced separately.
Beyond tuition and boarding, plan for a registration fee, a deposit and optional extras. Use our compare schools tool to set Keystone next to two other Beijing schools side by side before you apply, and confirm the current published schedule with the admissions office, since fees are reviewed each year.
Admissions
The academic year begins in August and admission is broadly aligned with it, with assessment of prior school reports and an age appropriate evaluation. Because the school is bilingual, families should ask how Chinese and English language background is considered at each entry point, particularly for older applicants joining the more English dominant senior school.
For the boarding grades, the admissions conversation also covers pastoral fit and readiness for residential life. With places running from the early years to grade 12 and boarding from grade 7, apply ahead of your move and ask the admissions team about availability for your child's grade.
Location and who goes there
Keystone Academy is in the Shunyi district in the north of Beijing, the same broad area as several of the city's established international schools and within reach of the northern expatriate housing. The campus is designed to support both day and boarding life, which shapes the rhythm of the school week for senior students who live on site.
The community is genuinely bilingual and draws both international families and Chinese families seeking a bilingual route, which gives the school a different character from the purely Anglophone options. To weigh Keystone against its peers, start with the Beijing city hub, or compare it with the International School of Beijing, Dulwich College Beijing and Daystar Academy.
Keystone Academy reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for Keystone Academy. GlobalSchoolGuide is an independent guide and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have collected enough verified first hand accounts to be fair to both the school and to families reading them. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
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Frequently asked questions
How much are Keystone Academy fees?
Keystone sits in Beijing's premium band, and boarding from grade 7 carries an additional charge on top of tuition. Tuition rises grade by grade. See our Beijing international school fees guide for the band and confirm the current schedule with the school.
What curriculum does Keystone Academy follow?
Keystone uses an immersive Chinese and English bilingual model within the International Baccalaureate, with the Middle Years Programme in the middle grades and the Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12, alongside elements of the Chinese national curriculum.
Does Keystone Academy offer boarding?
Yes. Boarding is optional in grades 7 and 8 and becomes a full part of the programme from grade 9 through to grade 12, with residential houses on the Shunyi campus.
When was Keystone Academy founded?
Keystone Academy was founded in 2014 in the Shunyi district of Beijing.
What ages does Keystone Academy teach?
The school teaches from pre kindergarten through to grade 12, spanning the early years to age eighteen on a single campus.
