Shanghai offers phenomenal benefits for teachers who want the BIG city experience in China, working in a prominent international school.
When it comes to mind-blowing teaching experiences in China, no city outranks Shanghai. The sparkling star of the Chinese ‘big megacity’ scene isn’t for everyone. But if you can find your feet and a way to go with its hectic flow, you will have a life-changing experience here.
To find out if you’re cut out for international school jobs in Shanghai, you should get to know the city a little. Your transition to Shanghai living is easier if you are familiar with it before you arrive.
Shanghai – An Overview
Shanghai is a fast-paced, cosmopolitan, and exhilarating metropolis that can be pretty overwhelming for newcomers. It bombards your senses from all angles. Nevertheless, if you’re seeking an unparalleled teaching experience in a vibrant megacity in China and thrive on diving headfirst into new challenges, Shanghai is the perfect fit.
The city’s sheer colossal size and population translate into a wide array of exceptional teaching opportunities. Here, you’ll find the best and largest concentration of international schools in all of China, so if ‘greater choice’ is what you seek, you’ll indeed find it.
Granted, no foreign teacher who kicks off a teaching stint in Shanghai dreams of living here forever. The fast pace and unrelenting sensory overload (the traffic, the people, the neons, the sheer force of life) might not be everyone’s long-term life dreams. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more rewarding teaching destination if you want to be completely blown out of your comfort zone, personally and professionally.
Score a job in one of Shanghai’s best international schools, and you’ll step into the world’s most extensive foreign teaching market. You’ll be among the highest-earning foreign teachers worldwide, boost your CV immensely and – if you play your cards just right – can make tremendous financial steps forward. You could earn and save more in Shanghai in just a couple of years than you arguably would in your home country in a decade.
No, that’s not the only reason to teach in an international school in Shanghai. But it sure helps!
Find out more about what it’s like to live and teach in Shanghai
The 10 Best International Scholls in Shanghai
1. Yew Chung International School (YCIS)
With a rich history dating back to 1932, YCIS has established itself as a Shanghai international education leader. The school follows an international curriculum, offering the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The school prides itself on its diverse and inclusive community, with students from over 50 nationalities. It focuses on a holistic approach to education, emphasising academic excellence, character development, and cultural understanding. With state-of-the-art facilities and a wide range of extracurricular activities, YCIS aims to provide students with a well-rounded education. YCIS runs five campuses in Shanghai, is staffed by over 300 people and recruits about 40 new teachers yearly. At China by Teaching, we routinely and successfully recruit for YCIS.
2. Harrow International School in Shanghai
A subsidiary of London’s Harrow School (est 1572) opened less than a decade ago. Shanghai’s Harrow follows a rigorous curriculum that combines the best of British education with an international perspective. The school boasts a state-of-the-art campus in Pudong, offering outstanding facilities to support students’ learning and growth. The school strongly emphasises character development, fosters leadership skills, and instils a sense of global citizenship in its students. Harrow is a day and boarding school environment and is one of only four campuses outside of London – the others being in Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong. This is also one of our most prolific recruiters.
3. Dulwich College Shanghai
Part of the renowned international institution and the first to be opened abroad, Dulwich College in Shanghai offers a British-style curriculum to students from pre-kinder to Grade 12. The school is known for its outstanding facilities, including modern classrooms, science labs, libraries, art studios, sports facilities, and performing arts spaces. These facilities support a range of academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits. Dulwich runs two campuses in Shanghai: one in Pudong for students aged 2 – 15 and one in Puxi for 15–18-year-olds. We have a great connection with this school and make recurring recruitments for them.
4. Dehong International Chinese School
Dehong offers a bilingual and bicultural education program that complements the educational offerings of its sister school, Dulwich College Shanghai. Dehong aims to develop students’ proficiency in both English and Chinese while fostering cross-cultural understanding. With its rigorous academic curriculum and modern facilities, Dehong Shanghai provides a supportive and inclusive learning environment, aligning with Dulwich’s educational excellence and holistic development. Together, these institutions contribute to the rich educational landscape in Shanghai, offering students a well-rounded and internationally-focused education. Dehong provides a unique learning (and teaching) environment, and we’ve repeatedly recruited qualified teachers for them.
FYI – In China, international schools can only recruit expat students (students with foreign passports). In contrast, bilingual schools can enrol both local Chinese and international students.
5. British International School Shanghai
Through its strong ties to the British education system and its focus on preparing students for success in an international context, the British International School Shanghai offers a truly global education experience – for both teachers and students. State-of-the-art facilities and a bevvy of extracurricular activities are infused into the National Curriculum of England, creating a unique hybrid that’s well-regarded worldwide. The school is part of the Nord Anglia institution, detailed below. The super-modern campus, with superb sporting facilities, is in Puxi.
6. Nord Anglia International School Shanghai Pudong
As part of the esteemed Nord Anglia Education network, the school is globally recognised for its commitment to academic excellence and innovative teaching approaches. With state-of-the-art facilities and a student-centred learning environment, you’ll engage with motivated students, collaborate with educators worldwide, and benefit from professional development opportunities. BISS in Puxi is Nord Anglia’s sister campus on the other side of the river.
7. Concordia International School
Concordia is an American Lutheran Christian school which teaches students from preschool to high school. The campus features modern facilities with advanced classrooms, science labs, libraries, and dedicated spaces for the arts and sports. Concordia promotes holistic development through its traditional Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) curriculum and enrols students of all faiths – even those with no specific belief. The school obviously follows a Catholic philosophy, places an eclectic emphasis on the sciences and athletics, and boasts a solid and welcoming community feel.
8. Shanghai American School (SAS)
SAS is one of Shanghai’s most revered (and largest) international schools, known for its professional and highly experienced teachers and an all-encompassing community. The school proudly states that it is the only institution in the city whose profits are redirected entirely into the two campuses (one each in Puxi and Pudong). Both campuses are enormous (29 and 23 acres, respectively) are boast dedicated centres for swimming, the performing arts, sporting fields, numerous libraries, playgrounds and a whole lot more. With a credo to ‘realise every child’s dream’ taken seriously, the school is intent on offering students every possible life option – a great place to learn and teach!
9. Western International School Shanghai (WISS)
Established in 2006, WISS is an international institution catering to globally-minded students from over 50 nationalities. The well-respected faculty likewise represents an array of backgrounds, completing the cosmopolitan atmosphere and creating a hybrid teaching style that combines the best practices from around the world. WISS holds the distinction of being the sole provider of the complete IB World School programme in mainland China, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP). A close-knit community feel, and immensely dedicated teachers make this a much-coveted school for expats in China. The architecturally designed campus is spread across 16 acres in Puxi.
10. Brittanica International Schools Shanghai (BISS)
The only school in Shanghai to be wholly British-owned, BISS teaches around 500 students aged 2-18 and employs around 60 teaching staff – all trained in the English National Curriculum. The school is coveted because of its small class sizes and dedication to every student. BISS has been running in Shanghai for a decade and recruits about a dozen new teachers every year or so. Recruiting for this school is challenging because you must be UK-qualified, but if you fit the bill – at the right time – you’ll have a high chance of scoring a job interview.
Are you ready to look into teaching options in one of Shanghai’s best international schools? Then send us your CV, and we’ll be in touch!