Quick summary of key school information
School details
| Number of students |
1200 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
21 |
| Most common nationality |
Hong Kong |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
No Local Students |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
Yes EAL |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish |
| Max. number of students per class |
22 |
| Average number of students per class |
20 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Juniors & Seniors students use computers during certain times in lessons as instructed by their teachers |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Yes |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
No |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
On request |
| External examinations or assessments available |
IGCSE, A Levels |
| Results in these examinations |
All graduating Year 13 students have received 5 offers, with all receiving offers from the World's Top 30 ranked univeristies. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
Juniors - Juniors homework is planned by their classroom teacher and subject specialists. As well as reading each day. Early Years - Y2 will have one hour per week, Y3&4 1.5 hours per week and Y5&6 30 minutes per evening. Seniors - Years 7-11 as well as reading 1-2 hours per night. Years 12-13 2 hours plus per night. |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
100% |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes |
| Learning support offered |
Students are assessed and then individual cases are put forward to the Learning Support Team. We also work side by side with Olivia's Place a provider with specialised staff. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
Through our yearly scholarship programme. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Yes |
| Entry evaluation for students |
Students from Early Years to Year 2 will be invited to a one-to-one assessment.
|
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
Early Years - Year 6: Children entering Juniors undertake baseline assessments to ensure that they can access the curriculum with reasonable ease. Children who cannot access the curriculum can become demotivated and demoralised. As a result they do not make the progress of which they would be capable in a school better suited to their needs. We use standardised Cognitive Abilities Tests (CAT4) consisting of verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial assessments. These tests are taken online. As well as English reading, writing and listening exams. Year 7 - 13: Students applying to the Senior School at MIS must undertake a series of assessments to determine their suitability for the programme offered at the school. These assessments are as follows: Standardised Tests (CAT4): Verbal, Quantitative, Non-verbal and Spatial. |
| Waiting list |
Yes for certain groups |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
N/A |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
| School start time |
08:00 |
| School finish time |
15:30 |
| Supervised care before/after school |
For boarding students supervised care is provided |
| School bus service available |
Yes |
| School provided lunches |
Yes |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Craft, art, painting, clay, board games, story telling, football, swimming, cooking, tag rugby, gardening, dodgeball, tennis dance, gymnastics, martial arts, yoga, creative writing, choir, drama coding, fencing, jewellery making, horse riding, film club, calligraphy, climbing, cricket, golf, hockey, higher level construction, orchestra |
| Sports activities included |
Football, Basketball, Tennis, Badminton, Swimming, Athletics, Handball, T-Ball, Gymnastics, High Jump, Long Jump etc etc.... |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes - The Merchiston Lions "We are the Pride" |
| Sports facilities at the school |
An indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, running track, bouldering wall, a fitness suite |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Merchiston International School in Shenzhen is the first overseas campus of Merchiston Castle School, a top-ranked independent school located in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK with a glorious history of over 185 years. MIS is also the first international school in Shenzhen providing a British international education and boarding system. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
Through an innovative curriculum blending the essence of the best of both western and eastern cultures, MIS aims to inspire young people to become global citizens in the pursuit of personal excellence in all things and a passion for life-long learning. |