Tianjin offers a number of schooling options for expatriates with children, with a level of education that is the same, or often even better than in your home country. There are several high-quality international schools to choose from with state-of-the-art facilities. The curriculum is taught in English, but all international schools offer elective language courses in Chinese. The academic program differs from school to school: British and American curricula, as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) are all options in Tianjin. Three international schools are located in the suburbs of Tianjin city, one near the third ring road, one is in the BeiChen area of the city and one school is located in TEDA. TEDA is approximately 1 hour from downtown.

There are now five international schools in Tianjin:

(1) International School Tianjin (IST) : http://www.istianjin.org/
(2) Tianjin International School (TIS) (strong Christian focus): https://tiseagles.com/en
(3) Tianjin Rego International School (TRIS): http://www.regoschool.org/
(4) TEDA International School (TIS): http://www.tedainternationalschool.net/
and the recently opened
(5) Wellington College: http://www.wellingtoncollegeintl.cn/

Most schools in Tianjin, international or otherwise, have admissions procedures that may include an interview, submission of previous academic records, an entrance exam, or an ESL (English as a Second Language) assessment. You usually need to pay a deposit as part of the application. Non-native English speakers may be enrolled in an ESL program. Detailed information on the application procedures can generally be found on the school website, however before submitting papers it’s important to confirm whether there is availability for the child/children in their particular grade. The process can be long and tricky, but don’t worry! At APA, we can help with this and liaise with the school on a family’s behalf to monitor availability.