Cities / Beijing / Pakistan Embassy College Beijing
Pakistan Embassy College Beijing
Reviews
An embassy-run school inside the Pakistan diplomatic compound in Sanlitun, founded in 1969 and the oldest foreign school in Beijing. It runs a dual track: Cambridge IGCSE and A Level alongside the Pakistani FBISE curriculum, with English as the language of instruction. The community is mixed, roughly half Pakistani and half non-Pakistani drawn from dozens of nationalities, and the school skews small and tight-knit rather than corporate.
Positives
- Community and access. Small, embassy-anchored school with a long-standing role for the Pakistani diaspora and CPEC families in Beijing. Sanlitun location keeps it central and walkable to the diplomatic quarter.
- Curriculum fit. Running Cambridge IGCSE and A Level alongside FBISE means students can sit Pakistani board exams or international qualifications without changing school. Useful for families on rotating postings or planning a return to Pakistan.
Considerations
- Scale and facilities. Around 450 to 500 pupils across the full age range, on an embassy compound rather than a purpose-built international campus. Labs, library and sports courts are in place; expectations should sit closer to a community school than to the larger Chaoyang international campuses.
- Staffing model. Most teachers are hired directly from Pakistan on diplomatic-linked contracts, supplemented by locally based hires. That gives continuity with the Pakistani system but a narrower expat-teacher pool than the larger international schools in the city.