Cities / Shanghai / Shanghai Singapore International School
Shanghai Singapore International School
Singapore-affiliated international school founded in 1996, serving around 1,400 students aged 2-18 in Minhang, with IGCSE and IB Diploma pathways alongside Singapore Mathematics and a dedicated golf programme. Annual fees for 2026-2027 range from RMB 210,000 (Early Years) to RMB…
In brief
A Singapore-system K-12 international school in Minhang, working a bilingual English-Chinese line into IGCSE and the IB Diploma, popular with Singaporean and other Asian expat families.
SSIS opened in 1996 and moved to its current Zhujian Road campus in Minhang in 2001, sitting on a 64,000 square metre site with full sports facilities, an aquatic centre and an integrated golf programme. About 1,400 students span ages 2 to 18. The pathway runs the Singapore curriculum at primary, Cambridge IGCSE in middle secondary, and the IB Diploma in the final two years. CIS accreditation. David Shirley heads the school.
Parent voice praises a warm, structured environment with strong moral education and personalised feedback through primary. Long-tenure families describe staying from kindergarten through high school. The recurring concern is rising tuition and a workload that climbs steeply at IGCSE and DP, a pattern Singaporean parents tend to expect. Best fit for families who want bilingual English-Chinese with a Singaporean academic spine, less so for families looking for a US-track or pure British curriculum.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Class to K2 (Early Years) | 2 | Annual | CN¥210,000 |
| Grades 1-2 | 6 | Annual | CN¥273,000 |
| Grades 3-6 | 8 | Annual | CN¥273,000 |
| Grades 7-8 | 12 | Annual | CN¥294,000 |
| Grades 9-10 (IGCSE) | 14 | Annual | CN¥304,500 |
| Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma) | 16 | Annual | CN¥315,000 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | CN¥2,500 | |
| Matriculation Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | CN¥20,000 |
Reviews
- SSIS is a long-standing English-medium international school in Shanghai with a real expat student body and an established place in the city's international circuit. Long-serving teachers describe it as a decent school, part of ACAMIS.
- Working conditions draw the strongest criticism. One teacher said "watch out for SSIS, it's a family business where the profits come first" and described owners who expect staff to "work like a dog". Another reported friends at SSIS being "poorly treated" and leaving for other Shanghai schools during Covid.
- Compensation sits near the top of the global international-school pay scale, with one teacher placing SSIS "not far behind" UNIS Vietnam.
- Reputation among Shanghai families is solid; it is named alongside SAS, Dulwich and Concordia as a top-tier choice in the city.
Head of school
Mr. David Shirley
David Shirley has been an educator for almost 30 years, with the last 15 years spent in leadership roles in international schools in Hong Kong SAR and Beijing. He joined Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS) as Head of School in August 2021. His educational philosophy focuses on developing the unique character of students through education, aligning with the school's mission to support future leaders, creators, and thinkers. He holds a Master of Education from Queensland University of Technology and is passionate about creating symbiotic relationships between school stakeholders to achieve academic excellence.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
Academic results
- IB League Table Rank 8th in China (2024)