Cities / Guangzhou / Guangzhou Nanfang International School
Guangzhou Nanfang International School
A small non-profit IB school in Tianhe, founded 2003 and renamed when it moved to its South Industrial Park campus in 2014. Around 200 students aged 2 to 18 across PYP, MYP, IGCSE and the IB Diploma.
In brief
A small, non-profit IB school in Tianhe District, founded in 2003 as Guangzhou Nanhu International School and renamed when it moved to its current South Industrial Park campus in 2014.
Around 200 students aged roughly 2.5 to 17 across PYP, MYP and the IB Diploma, with IGCSE in Years 10 and 11. Jenny Roosmalen leads. Facilities include dedicated art, music and science rooms, interactive whiteboards, and a senior study area. Class sizes are genuinely small.
Parent voice is consistently warm on community, supportive families and an individualised approach. The school is easy to reach from the main expat clusters in Tianhe, which draws families away from bigger campuses further out. Best fit for families wanting a small IB Diploma route, willing to trade the breadth of activities at a 1,500-pupil school for the closer pastoral feel of a 200-pupil one.
Reviews
- Expat directories and city guides consistently describe GNIS as small (around 200 to 300 students, 50+ nationalities) and family-feeling, with parents called out as actively involved.
- The school runs IB PYP through to IB Diploma, with Cambridge IGCSEs in Years 10 to 11; parents highlight that pathway as a draw for expat families wanting an IB continuum without a mega-campus.
- Facilities are described as good for the size: dedicated art, music and science rooms, sports courts and a senior study area, but no oversized sports complex or aquatic centre.
- Parent commentary is consistently positive in tone but the public review pool is small; this is a low-volume, low-noise data set rather than a strongly evidenced consensus.
- No named complaints surface publicly; the school stays out of the negative chatter that hits some other Guangzhou campuses.
Positives
- Community size and feel. Small student body, multinational mix and active parent body are the most-cited strengths.
- Curriculum continuity. Full IB continuum plus IGCSE is repeatedly noted as a fit for expat families wanting one pathway through.
Considerations
- Facilities. Adequate and purpose-built for the school's size; no claims of premium facilities.
- Public review volume. Reviews are positive but the sample is thin; the absence of negative chatter is itself a signal.
Leadership
Jenny Roosmalen
Jenny Roosmalen serves as the Principal and Head of School at Guangzhou Nanfang International School (GNIS). She is dedicated to working with the GNIS community to provide quality education, set high expectations, and create a caring environment for all students. Her educational philosophy emphasizes the school's motto, 'Striving Towards Excellence', applying it to academic, sporting, and personal development. She believes in lifelong learning and aims to equip children with the skills necessary to become lifelong learners. Under her leadership, the school has integrated the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework across all levels, fostering a diverse and respectful community of students and staff.