Among international schools in Shanghai, YWIES occupies a distinct space: a genuinely bilingual school that teaches the Chinese national curriculum alongside a recognised British examination route, rather than a Western international model with Mandarin bolted on. Opened in 2015 in the Lin gang Special Area of Pudong, it was built to develop students who are fully literate in Chinese and English. This profile sets out what GlobalSchoolGuide Editorial has verified about its curriculum, fees, admissions and location.
We are independent and no school pays to be listed, so this is a reference for families weighing the bilingual option against the city's more expensive internationals. Anything we could not confirm is marked as not published.
At a glance
Curriculum and academics
YWIES teaches the Chinese national curriculum at primary and lower secondary level, taught in a Chinese and English bilingual environment by both local and overseas teachers. In the senior school students move onto the British curriculum route, sitting Cambridge IGCSE over two years and then A Levels over the following two, which gives a recognised pathway to universities in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and beyond. The school does not offer the IB Diploma, so families seeking that programme should look elsewhere in the city.
The bilingual model is the point of difference. Rather than treating one language as the medium and the other as a subject, YWIES aims for students who can study, write and present in both Chinese and English, which suits returning Chinese families and mixed heritage households. Because it follows the national curriculum in the younger years, it can admit children who hold Chinese passports more readily than a pure international school. For the wider market, see our roundup of the cheapest international schools in Shanghai.
Budgeting for a Shanghai school place?
Our fee calculator estimates the full cost of a place, tuition plus the registration, deposit and transport extras parents forget, so you can compare Shanghai schools on the real number.
Yew Wah International Education School Shanghai fees
Yew Wah International Education School Shanghai fees sit in the lower to mid band for the city, below the established Western international schools, which is part of its appeal to families who want a recognised English language pathway without the premium price. The school publishes its own schedule and revises it each year, and the senior A Level years cost more to run than the primary years, so confirm the current figures with admissions before you budget rather than relying on a number found second hand.
- Registration: a one off application or registration charge
- Deposit: a place deposit on acceptance, set against later fees where the school allows
- Examination entry: Cambridge IGCSE and A Level entry fees in the senior years
- Extras: the school bus across Lingang and wider Pudong, lunches, uniform and trips
Admissions
YWIES admits for an autumn start in line with the Chinese and northern hemisphere academic year, and considers places through the year where space allows. Because the early and middle years follow the national curriculum, admissions weighs a child's Chinese language background as well as their previous reports, and in the senior years assesses readiness for the IGCSE and A Level courses that lead to external examinations.
Families relocating to the Lingang and Nanhui area, including those drawn by the free trade zone and the universities nearby, often choose YWIES for its bilingual route, so enquire early about the year group you need and ask whether occasional places exist if you arrive mid year.
Location and who goes there
YWIES sits in Lingang, in the Nanhui New Town district at the south eastern edge of Pudong, on a large campus built for the purpose. This is a newer, planned part of Shanghai well away from the older expatriate enclaves of Gubei and Jinqiao, anchored by the free trade zone, advanced manufacturing and a cluster of universities. For families living and working in that southern belt, a school on the doorstep removes the long cross city commute that a central international school would demand.
The community is largely Chinese and returning Chinese families who want a bilingual education and a clear English language pathway, alongside some international households settled in the Lingang area. For the full picture of where families settle across the city and how fees compare, see the Shanghai city hub and our guide to international school fees in Shanghai.
Reviews
We do not yet have verified parent reviews for Yew Wah International Education School Shanghai. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish reviews only once we can confirm they come from real families. If your child attends or has attended YWIES, we would value your account. Share your experience through the school reviews hub and help the next relocating family decide with better evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How much are YWIES Shanghai fees?
Yew Wah International Education School Shanghai sits in the lower to mid band for the city, below the Western international schools. The school publishes its own schedule and the senior A Level years cost more than the primary years, so confirm the live figures and the registration and deposit charges with admissions.
Does YWIES Shanghai offer the IB?
No. YWIES follows the Chinese national curriculum in the younger years and then a Cambridge IGCSE and A Level pathway in the senior school. Families who specifically want the IB Diploma should look at other Shanghai schools.
What curriculum does YWIES Shanghai teach?
YWIES is a bilingual school that teaches the Chinese national curriculum at primary and lower secondary level, then moves students onto Cambridge IGCSE and A Level in the senior years, all in a Chinese and English bilingual environment.
When was YWIES Shanghai founded?
YWIES Shanghai Lingang was founded in 2015 in the Lin gang Special Area of Pudong, part of the Yew Wah and Yew Chung family of schools in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
Where is YWIES Shanghai located?
The school is in Lingang, in Nanhui New Town at the south eastern edge of Pudong, on a large purpose built campus near the free trade zone and university cluster, well away from the older central expatriate districts.
