“It’s an honour for WAB to be recognised so highly as an innovative and effective international school,” said Stephen Taylor, director of innovation for learning and teaching of Western Academy of Beijing, which was among 22 Beijing-based schools in the top 100.

“It’s an honour for WAB to be recognised so highly”

“The school’s strong foundations, accreditations, curriculum, and operations provide our students with an education that is interesting, energising, and globally competitive.

“We are thankful for the hard work of faculty and staff in all capacities of the school, as they ensure that we run smoothly and are able to continually think about and take action on innovation in international education.”

Photo: KingLead

Beijing National Day School International Department and the Affiliated High School of Peking University International Department were ranked second and third, respectively.

The company said it “has been conducting continuous and in-depth research and analysis on the competitiveness of international schools in China, deeply exploring the characteristics of international schools, in order to optimise evaluation standards, promote industrial upgrading and promote the cultivation of international innovative talents”.

“Professors from Harvard University, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and experts who are well versed in international education and data analysis, were invited to review school-running initiatives and innovative abilities of international schools in China,” the company noted on its WeChat account.

KingLead based its rankings on four “core dimensions” – certification, faculty, innovative curriculum and expert evaluation – with schools able to gain points for criteria such as the proportion of faculty with a masters degree or above and the number of foreign faculty members.

However, 60% of the score was determined by expert opinion that looked at brand development, educational philosophy, curriculum integration, and school-running characteristics.