Built around a single year-level (Year 10/US 9th grade), our Hangzhou CIS programme fosters close-knit relationships and inclusivity, creating an unparalleled environment for student growth and learning.

Our Hangzhou CIS programme is committed to whole-person growth and character development. Our students are encouraged to become more confident young people, attentive to their own wellbeing, and also that of other community members living with them.

Our Hangzhou CIS programme fosters growth by presenting students with appropriate challenges. In addition to the challenge of living in a new environment, students also learn in new ways and are explicitly challenged to keep an open mind, foster a growth mindset and build resilience.

Our Hangzhou CIS programme achieves its aims within the context of the Chinese mainland. As students get to know their new home city and region, rich opportunities are created for students to develop and apply their language skills and cultural appreciation in authentic and experiential settings, both inside and outside the classroom.

Hangzhou CIS students enjoy a high degree of personal attention.

Hangzhou CIS teachers have been specifically hired to ensure experience in and commitment to international education and boarding school life.

At Hangzhou CIS students follow the Hangzhou CIS school-based curriculum , which is called  the“Modern Quadrivium", using the old Latin term for what were once upon a time the essential areas of learning for an educated person (arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy). 

In the Hangzhou CIS case, we emphasise four recognised focuses of contemporary practice, which we have renamed “Autonomy”, “Better Being”, “Collaboration” and “Disciplines”. These four interconnected parts are intended to ensure that our students connect to the fullest with their living and learning environment in Hangzhou and acquire the skills needed for success in the 21st century.

(A) " AUTONOMY"

i.e., Learning in Depth
When a student is encouraged to become an expert in an area of personal interest, the student becomes engaged, experiences mastery and becomes better able to govern all of his or her learning.

(B) “BETTER BEING”

i.e., Positive Education (CIS’s version of Positive Psychology)
CIS has developed its own version of positive psychology which seeks to equip every student with the ethical core, character, virtue, well-being, self-knowledge and the skills and understanding to achieve his or her fullest potential and live a good life.

(C) “COLLABORATION”

i.e., Project Based Learning
The Arts, Design, “Individuals and Societies”, and Science are taught as an interdisciplinary course across ten areas of academic enquiry.

(D) “DISCIPLINES”

i.e., the traditional disciplines or areas of study
Mathematics, Language Acquisition (Chinese, French and Spanish), Language and Literature (English and Chinese) are taught traditionally as separate areas of exploration.

The following subjects are on offer:

Taken by all students:

• Chinese (Mandarin) - offered at different levels
• English
• Mathematics - offered at different levels
• Sciences
• Physical Education
• Humanities
• Product Design
• Visual Arts
• Performing Arts 

Electives:

• French (optional)
• Spanish (optional)