Grades: elementary, junior high and high school
Chinese students: Yes
Keystone School is located in Houshayu, Shunyi District, Beijing, and was founded in 2014 by Malcolm McKenzie to serve Chinese students, not strictly an international school. Only four years after its establishment, Keystone School has sparked discussion among parents with its excellent teachers and rigorous school spirit. In the 2017 Hurun Rich List's Top 100 International Schools in China, Keystone School beat out many established international schools to achieve a proud fourth place.
FACULTY IS A PROUD ASSET OF KEYSTONE, AND THE FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF KEYSTONE SCHOOL IS EDWARD SHANAHAN, A LEGEND IN THE AMERICAN EDUCATION INDUSTRY, WHO SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY AND DARTMOUTH COLLEGE (ONE OF THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS), AND IN 1991, HE SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL, ONE OF THE FAMOUS "EIGHT SCHOOL ALLIANCES", AND WAS ELECTED AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE "EIGHT SCHOOL ALLIANCE". Malcolm, the principal, has served as the principal of three well-known high schools on three continents, with more than 20 years of management experience, not only Malcolm, but also the principals of all divisions of Keystone School have more than 30 years of teaching management experience, and other department leaders have many years of experience working in schools around the world.
Keystone School is a Chinese school that is more suitable for Chinese students than international schools that are only foreign. The ratio of Chinese and foreign teachers in the school is close to 1:1, and the average teaching experience of teachers is more than 12 years. Keystone School strives to achieve small class sizes with an average of 18 students per class in primary schools and 14-16 students in middle schools.
In 2016, Keystone schools were accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). After obtaining the IBO certification, Keystone School officially began to apply the IB curriculum, using the IBMYP curriculum for middle school (grades 6-9) and IBDP for high school (grades 10-12). At the primary level, Keystone School chooses to use the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) to develop and enhance students' interest and ability to learn. Unlike many private aristocratic schools, Keystone School has high fees and strict requirements for students, allowing but restricting the use of computers and mobile phones, and the learning tasks borne by students are still relatively heavy and not easy.
Keystone is a boarding school with day school in the elementary school stage, with day boarding options for grades 7-8 and boarding options, and boarding schools for students from grade 9 onwards and leaving school on weekends. The boarding conditions of the school are very good, the dormitory is 2 people per room, equipped with an independent bathroom, the space is spacious, there is an activity center on each floor, and each building is arranged with 4 teachers, and the teachers live at the end of the corridor on each floor. Dormitory teachers will not only help students study during evening study time, but also conduct dormitory meetings, mediate conflicts, and discuss and communicate adolescent emotional issues with students.
Keystone's academic performance is not yet known, as the first batch of Keystone students have not yet graduated as of January 2018, but the experienced leadership team, rigorous teaching requirements, and state-of-the-art facilities give us reason to expect high. By far Keystone has the highest tuition fees in Beijing, with 235,000 yuan per year for primary school, 265,000 yuan per year for middle school day students, and 365,000 yuan per year for middle school boarding students. In addition, Keystone's admissions standards are very high, and students need to go through interviews and exams to apply, and there are many eliminators every year, and it is not a school that does not refuse to come.
