- What is the placement deposit? What is it used for?
- How is YCIS Chongqing unique? What makes YCIS Chongqing special?
- What is the background of your teachers?
- Are your teachers qualified?
- What are your school hours?
- What curriculum do you use?
- Does the school have after-school activities?
- Does YCIS Chongqing require a uniform?
- What kind of footwear should my child wear?
- Does the school have a discipline policy?
- Does YCIS Chongqing accept non-English speakers?
- When does your school year start and finish?
- Where is your school located?
- Does the school provide school bus transportation?
- Do you accept new students during the school year?
- What are the class sizes?
- Does your school provide hot lunches?
- What amount of homework should students expect?
- Do you guarantee places for students in your school?
- What colleges and universities do your students attend?
- Can you guarantee a place for my child at a college or university?
- Does the school have a parent organisation?
- Besides English, does YCIS Chongqing offer any other language training?
- Would my child be expected to take any external exams for Chinese?
- Do you have further questions?
1. What is the placement deposit? What is it used for?
The placement deposit is a one-time, refundable, non-interest bearing deposit required to secure your child(ren)'s place when you accept the offer of placement issued by the school.
The purpose of the placement deposit is two-fold:
- To secure a place at the school for the following school year, and
- To settle any outstanding fees after the student’s withdrawal
Once a placement deposit is received, we issue you a receipt. Please keep this receipt as you will need to return it when we refund the placement deposit. The placement deposit will not be credited against the tuition fees, and will not, in and of itself, guarantee a school placement; all other admission and school requirements still must be met.
2. How is YCIS Chongqing unique? What makes YCIS Chongqing special?
Yew Chung International School of Chongqing (YCIS Chongqing) is special due to its unique philosophy and objectives which describe the pioneering of a new paradigm in international education.
YCIS Chongqing combines the best of Eastern and Western cultures by promoting fluency in two major world languages, creating a truly bilingual learning environment, and providing excellent role models through the Co-Teachers and Co-Principals. The Yew Chung international curriculum equips children not only to be bilingual, but also global-minded, competitive, appreciative and caring global citizens. Students are nurtured in a multicultural environment with a fully rounded and balanced education which transforms them into global thinking individuals.
This holistic approach to education involves co-operation with parents, family, community and the world around us.
3. What is the background of your teachers?
YCIS Chongqing’s teachers are fully qualified and come from over many different countries. In most cases, the Western teachers are from countries/regions such as Australia, Canada, England, the USA, Ireland, New Zealand and Scotland. We also have teachers from our host country of China as part of our Co-Teaching bilingual programme offered at YCIS Chongqing.
4. Are your teachers qualified?
Yes. Both our Western and Chinese teachers are required to have undergraduate degrees and teaching certificates or degrees from their respective countries as well as at least two years of teaching experience.
5. What are your school hours?
School hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
6. What curriculum do you use?
The school follows the Yew Chung international curriculum. The Early Childhood Education programme (K3-K4) is fully bilingual and based on the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage from the UK. For Years 1-9, an internationalised version of the National Curriculum for England is used, which is augmented with Chinese language and culture lessons, violin instruction, and character education. The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is used for Years 10 and 11, while the YCIS International Curriculum is used for the last two years of Secondary Section, Years 12 and 13.
7. Does the school have after-school activities?
Yes, for students from Kindergarten to Secondary. Through its After School Activity Programme (ASAP), YCIS Chongqing offers a wide range of after school activities to students. Some examples of activities that have been offered in the past are soccer, basketball, floor hockey, fencing, Chinese cultural crafts, cooking, Lego technology and many more. Many of these activities are free, but there are some run by outside companies which require payment.
8. Does YCIS Chongqing require a uniform?
Yes, for students in K3 and above. The uniform is an important feature of our school. Upon enrolling in the school, one uniform set is provided free of charge. A summer and winter regular dress uniform and a summer and winter sport uniform are provided; additional sets may be purchased from the school at an extra cost. Students are required to acquire the uniform prior to commencing classes.
As ambassadors for the school, students are representatives of the school's high expectations and standards. With this in mind, the school attempts to maintain a high standard with its uniform code, which includes guidelines on how to wear the uniform (e.g. no mixing of summer and winter sets), what jewellery can be worn, what type of footwear, and hair requirements.
After the main uniform distribution in August each year, the uniform room is open twice a week throughout the year.
9. What kind of footwear should my child wear?
Students are required to supply their own footwear: one pair of black, leather lace-up or velcro shoes and one pair of black or white, or combination of black and white sport shoes.
10. Does the school have a discipline policy?
Yes. The school has a progressive discipline policy that aims to develop the students along a continuum toward becoming self-disciplined, moral, ethical and socially responsible individuals. The discipline system is implemented through a cohesive whole-school approach, and addresses such matters as conduct, behaviour, the uniform code, homework, etc.
11. Does YCIS Chongqing accept non-English speakers?
YCIS Chongqing always endeavours to accept students of ranging from those with low English ability to those who are native English speakers. YCIS Chongqing has created several different specialised English programmes in order to serve a variety of English ability needs. Please note that the IGCSE programme for Years 10 and 11, and Years 12 and 13 YCIS International Curriculum demand an especially high level of English ability. Interested applicants to these programmes should consult the Admissions Office regarding entrance requirements.
12. When does your school year start and finish?
Aside from slight fluctuations to the starting and finishing dates, the academic year starts in mid-August and ends in late June. The academic year runs on a semester system. Please refer to the school calendar on the “School Services” page under the “About Us” section for a more detailed description of the academic year.
13. Where is your school located?
YCIS Chongqing is located in the International School Garden in the New Northern Economic Zone. Please refer to the map under the “Contact Us” section.
14. Does the school provide school bus transportation?
Yes, the school has many bus routes available. The school bus is optional, as some families prefer to make alternate arrangements for transportation. Normally the pick up/drop off point is at the main gate or clubhouse of each housing compound. Three working days are required to process new bus request applications, if indeed the addition is possible. Please check with the School Office for details of times and routes.
15. Do you accept new students during the school year?
Yes, as a service to the mobile global community, we attempt to accept students throughout the entire current academic year. Some restrictions may apply, however, with respect to certain programmes offered i.e. the IGCSE programme, or limited seating for certain year levels.
16. What are the class sizes?
The class sizes vary by the year level. The following list shows the maximum size for each year level:
| Class / Age | Teacher-Student Ratio for Maximum Class Size |
| K3 (3-4 years old) | 2:22 |
| K4 (4-5 years old) | 2:24 |
| Primary, Years 1-6 (5 to 11 years old) | 2:25 |
| Secondary, Years 7-11 (11 to 16 years old) | 1:25 |
| Secondary, Years 12-13 (16 to 18 years old) | 1:20 |
17. Does your school provide hot lunches?
Yes. While students are able to bring home lunches to school, hot lunches are available in our school cafeteria. The school lunches are not included in the school fees.
18. What amount of homework should students expect?
The school will ensure that homework is an integral part of the curriculum and is planned and prepared alongside all other programmes of learning. Teachers will give homework according to the age, ability and circumstances of the students, taking into account special educational needs.
In the Primary Section, all students are expected to read every night, in addition to Chinese assignments and other subject work, as assigned. Depending on the child, year group and nature of the homework, times vary between 20 and 90 minutes per night. For the Secondary Section, homework time varies between 90 and 150 minutes per night in Years 7-9, and between 180 and 210 minutes per night in Years 10-13. There is no official homework assigned for the Kindergarten students.
19. Do you guarantee places for students in your school?
No. Only after a complete application is submitted to the school (please see the “Admissions” section of this website) and the application fee is paid can the application proceed through the remaining part of the application process. In addition to an extensive review of the application materials, there may also be an interview, a placement test, and/or a subject selection process involved (depending on the year level). If the application is approved, an Offer of Placement letter will be issued and a seat reserved upon payment of school fees (by the specified deadline). Existing students have automatic seat reservations (due to the placement deposit) until school fees are due.
20. What colleges and universities do your students attend?
Graduates from YCIS schools attend a wide variety of colleges and universities around the world, with studies in a broad range of disciplines. Our graduates have been accepted into universities such as Stanford and Cornell Universities in the USA, Fudan University in China, Han Yang and Koryo Universities in Korea, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology in Australia, the Universidad de Chile in South America, the University of Cambridge in the UK, Laurentian University in Canada and many more. For a complete list, please contact the Admissions Office.
21. How can you help my child successfully enter a college or university?
This is a commonly asked question by parents at introductory meetings and during interviews. YCIS Chongqing prides itself on how it prepares students for university entrance and university studies and commits itself to providing a curriculum of studies that nurtures, guides and strengthens the aptitudes and abilities of each student toward this goal. If a student's dream is to go to university, YCIS Chongqing is committed to providing the appropriate learning environment, encouragement and support in making it happen. In addition, the school will use its good connections through the Yew Chung Education Foundation’s International Education Services Office to obtain university placements for students.
YCIS Chongqing recruits qualified, trained, and committed teachers to provide a school environment that is conducive to students' learning. Good parenting, good teachers and good schools are all important in helping your child be successful at school.
22. Does the school have a parent organisation?
Yes. The Parent Organisation is very active groups of parents who play a very important role within the school and the community.
23. Besides English, does YCIS Chongqing offer any other language training?
Yes. As a bilingual school, we make Chinese (Putonghua) a compulsory course. Primary and Secondary students study Chinese language for a full period every day, with the addition of a Chinese culture class (also taught in Putonghua) once per week in the Primary Section. The Chinese curriculum at YCIS Chongqing is divided into two sections: Chinese as First Language (CFL), and Chinese as Additional Language (CAL). Students are placed into different levels according to their language background, needs and ability. Please refer to the “Chinese Curriculum” page under the “Academic Programmes” section of this website for more Chinese curriculum information.
We recognise the value of our multilingual students and encourage our students to become at least bilingual during their time at YCIS Chongqing.
24. Would my child be expected to take any external exams for Chinese?
Yes. For our IGCSE students (Years 10 and 11), external exams for either IGCSE First Language Chinese or IGCSE Foreign Language Chinese are taken after completing the two-year IGCSE course.
25. Do you have further questions?
If you do have further questions, please do not hesitate to email the school at enquiry@cq.ycef.com.
