Hangzhou Private Kindergarten: What Are The Top Schools Now?

Introduction

Hangzhou is a very old city in China. A long time ago, it was a capital city and became famous as the "House of Silk" and a center for tea. It has always been a place for business, art, and new ideas. Today, more than 12.6 million people live here, including many families and professionals who work in technology.

Hangzhou has always believed education is very important, from its old schools to making sure all children go to school for nine years. This love for learning can now be seen in its private kindergartens. Top schools like Hangzhou International School,  BASIS International School Hangzhou, etc. help young children learn and get ready for the world by mixing fun play with serious school work.

This article takes a close look at Hangzhou private kindergartens that welcome children from other countries.

Top 07 Hangzhou Private Kindergarten Schools

01. Hangzhou International School

Language Courses & Support: The main language for teaching is English. The school has the full IB program (PYP, MYP, IBDP). Other languages you can learn are Chinese, Spanish, and French. There is also an EAL (English as an Additional Language) program for students who are not native English speakers.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: The school follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) rules, which help the "whole development" of a child. For kids in Kindergarten to Grade 5 (called PYP), learning is about asking questions about many subjects like math, reading, and science all together.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: There are over 65 activities after school, such as robotics, model UN, drama, and music. The school has a professional theater, a black-box theater, an art gallery, an indoor swimming pool, a design innovation center, three gyms, and outdoor fields for soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: You must have a foreign passport, a major country green card, or permanent residency from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan.

Tuition & Fees: For kids ages 2-11 (Kindergarten to Grade 5), the cost is about 232,500 RMB per year. For kids ages 11-14 (Grades 6-9), the cost is about 250,000 RMB per year.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents say they like the international feel, the good teachers, and all the activities that help their kids learn about the world. Students say they enjoy learning by asking questions and seeing other cultures.

Facilities: The school area is over 50,000 square meters. It has a theater that fits 650 people, a black-box theater, an art gallery, an indoor swimming pool, a design innovation center, three gyms, and fields for soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

Awards/Recognition: Newsweek magazine called it a "Top Asian IB World School" in 2014. In 2019, the highest IB score was 42 out of 45, and the average was 36. The SAT/PSAT scores are in the top 1% of North America.

02. BASIS International School Hangzhou (BIHZ)

Language Courses & Support: The school uses the American BASIS way of teaching, and all classes are in English. It has AP courses for high school. A "language preparation program" helps kids in Kindergarten to Grade 1 who are new to English.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: It follows the American BASIS system and wants students to do very well in school. They teach by letting students ask questions and also by teaching them directly. They start getting students ready for AP classes when they are in middle school.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: After-school activities include robotics, model UN, science clubs, and arts like painting and music. The school has labs, gyms, and soccer fields for these activities.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: Students must have a passport from another country or be from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. New students cannot join Grades 10-12, as only students already at the school can move up to these grades.

Tuition & Fees: For Pre-K, it costs about 211,220 RMB for one year. For Grades 1-5, it costs about 236,580 RMB for one year. For Grades 6-8, it costs about 258,020 RMB for one year.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents say the school work is serious and the teachers work very hard. Students like doing science experiments and building robots.

Facilities: The school area is more than 19,600 square meters. It has a 5,000 square meter playground, a 200-meter running track, fields for soccer and volleyball, an 800 square meter gym inside, and labs.

Awards/Recognition: It was approved by AdvancED in 2018. It was an official place to take the SAT test in 2019-2020. In 2024, all of the students who finished high school went to a top 50 U.S. university or a school just as good. 67% of them went to a top 30 school in the U.S., a top 5 school in the UK, or the top 1 school in Canada.

03. Wellington College International Hangzhou

Language Courses & Support: The school uses the British National Curriculum and IPC and teaches in English. Students can learn Chinese as a second language. The school also helps students who are not native English speakers.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: It follows Wellington College’s idea of "whole person education." This means they think doing well in school and growing as a person are both important. For kids in Kindergarten to Grade 5, they learn by asking questions and also by building their skills.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: Kids can do drama, music (like piano and violin), sports (like football, basketball, and swimming), and arts (like painting and ceramics). The school has a theater that fits 560 people, gyms, swimming pools, and soccer fields.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: Students must have a passport from another country or be from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. The school is for kids from ages 2 to 18.

Tuition & Fees: For kids ages 2 to 11 (Kindergarten to Grade 5), it costs about 298,750 RMB for one year. For kids ages 11 to 14 (Grades 6-9), it costs about 313,180 RMB for one year.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents say they like the beautiful school grounds, the good teachers, and how the school helps their kids grow in every way. Students enjoy drama and sports because it helps them build confidence and work in a team.

Facilities: The school area is more than 74,000 square meters. It has labs, rooms for art and design, gyms, three soccer fields, a 400-meter track made of special material, two swimming pools (one is good enough for competitions), and a theater that fits 560 people.

Awards/Recognition: For the students who will finish in 2025, 77% will go to a QS top 20 university, and 85% will go to a QS top 50 university. Together, they have earned scholarships that are worth almost 3 million RMB.

04. Wahaha Bilingual School Hangzhou

Language Courses & Support: The school offers the IBPYP and teaches in English. It also gives Chinese support to students who are not native speakers.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: The school follows the IBPYP. It focuses on learning by asking questions, which helps students learn on their own and understand different cultures. It mixes learning about themes with learning skills for getting along with others.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: Kids can learn about Chinese culture (like calligraphy and painting), meet students from other countries, and play sports (like football and basketball). The school has a library, a gym, and art rooms.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: The school is open to students with a passport from another country or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Expats who live here legally can also apply.

Tuition & Fees: For kids ages 2 to 11 (Kindergarten to Grade 5), it costs about 162,500 RMB for one year. For Grades 6-9, it costs about 180,500 RMB for one year.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents like that the school mixes Western and Chinese ways of teaching. Students enjoy the classes about traditional culture.

Facilities: The school has a library, a gym, art rooms, and labs.

Awards/Recognition: It is an official IBPYP primary school. The school focuses on STEM and has small class sizes. The teacher-student ratio is 1 to 4.

05. Hangzhou World Foreign Language School

Language Courses & Support: The school uses the IBPYP and teaches in English. It also offers support for the Chinese language.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: The school focuses on the IBPYP. It uses inquiry-based learning to help students become global citizens. It mixes learning about themes with social and emotional development.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: There are international exchanges, sports like football and basketball, and arts like painting and music. The school has a library, a gym, and art rooms.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: The school is open to students with a passport from another country or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Expats who live here legally can also apply.

Tuition & Fees: For Grades 1-5 (kids ages 6-11), it costs about 160,000 RMB for one year. For Grades 6-9, it costs about 160,000 RMB for one year.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents like that the school helps their children develop a global view. Students enjoy the international exchanges.

Facilities: The school has a library, a gym, art rooms, and labs.

Awards/Recognition: The primary school is an IBPYP-authorized school. The middle school is a candidate for the IBMYP program. It was the first school in Hangzhou to offer the IBDP to Chinese students.

06. Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science

Language Courses & Support: The school has a bilingual (Chinese-English) program that focuses on English. It also offers support for the Chinese language.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: It mixes Chinese and Western education and focuses on helping students grow in every way. It uses learning by asking questions and also helps students build their skills.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: Kids can learn about Chinese culture (like calligraphy and painting), meet students from other countries, and play sports (like football and basketball). The school has a library, a gym, and art rooms.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: The school is open to students with a passport from another country or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Expats who live here legally can also apply. It is for kids from ages 2 to 18.

Tuition & Fees: For kids from toddler age to Grade 12, the cost is about 138,000 RMB a year for toddlers, 188,000 RMB a year for primary school, 208,000 RMB a year for middle school, and 228,000 RMB a year for high school.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents say they like the balanced way of teaching and the good teachers. Students enjoy all the different things they can do.

Facilities: The school has a library, a gym, art rooms, and labs.

Awards/Recognition: The school was started by King’s College School Wimbledon. It was approved by the Zhejiang Education Department in 2018.

7. Hangzhou Victoria Kindergarten (JiaRun Campus)

Language Courses & Support: The school has a bilingual IBPYP program that focuses on English. It also offers support for the Chinese language.

Educational Philosophy/Methodology: The school is based on the IBPYP. It focuses on learning by asking questions. This helps kids learn on their own and understand other cultures. It mixes learning about themes with helping kids grow their social and emotional skills.

Special Programs/Extracurricular Activities: Kids can do arts like painting, music, and dance. There are also international exchanges. The school has a library, a gym, and art rooms.

Admission Criteria:

• Criteria: The school is open to students with a passport from another country or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Expats who live here legally can also apply. It is for kids from ages 2 to 6.

Tuition & Fees: For kids ages 2 to 6, it costs about 63,000 RMB for one year. This price includes a bus fee of 700 RMB per month.

Parent/Student Reviews: Parents like that their kids learn two languages. Students enjoy the art classes.

Facilities: The school has a library, a gym, art rooms, and labs.

Awards/Recognition: It was the first bilingual kindergarten in Hangzhou to be authorized by the IBPYP. This happened in 2019.

Key Takeaways for all the Kindergarten admission process

Following these steps will help you get your child ready for school.

Step 1: Choose a SchoolFirst, select an international kindergarten you like. This can be a school just for children of foreign families or a private international school that is open to others.

Step 2: Get Your Papers ReadyNext, prepare all your basic documents. You will need your child's passport, birth certificate, and vaccination record. The school will tell you if they need more.

Step 3: Apply to the SchoolAfter your papers are ready, you can apply to the school. This usually means you fill out a form to show that you are interested in joining.

Step 4: Go to an InterviewThe school will then invite you and your child for a friendly meeting or interview. This helps them get to know your family and your child better.

Step 5: Receive an OfferIf the interview goes well, the school will send you an offer. This means they have a place for your child and would like them to join.

Step 6: Complete a Health CheckBefore starting school, your child will need to have a physical examination or a health check. This is to make sure they are healthy and ready for class.

Step 7: Enroll Your ChildOnce the health check is done, you can complete the final steps to enroll. This means your child is officially a student and ready to start learning.

Practical Advice for Choosing a Kindergarten

When you choose a kindergarten for your child, it is good to think about these things too:

Verify the Latest Information

School costs and rules can change every year. It is very important to call or email the schools you like. Use their real website or phone number. This way, you can get the newest information about how to join the school and how much you have to pay.

Match the Curriculum System

Schools teach in different ways, like IB, American, or British style. Each way has its own ideas and goals for teaching children. You should learn about these ways. Then, you can pick the school that teaches in a way that you think is best for your child’s learning.

Focus on Community and Support

It is very important for kids from other countries to feel welcome and safe at school. You can ask the school if they have special classes to help kids who are learning English. Also ask if there are groups that help new families make friends and feel comfortable.

Choose a School Nearby

It is a good idea to pick a kindergarten that is close to your home. If the school is less than two kilometers away, it makes taking your child to school and picking them up every day much easier.

Summing Up

Hangzhou has many great private kindergartens for families. This guide shows there are different choices, like bilingual, IB, or British schools. 

Remember that school fees and rules can change, so it is a good idea to contact the school directly to get the newest information. 

We hope this helps you find the perfect Hangzhou Private kindergarten schools where your child can be happy and begin their journey of learning in this beautiful city.