Introduction
Overseas Chinese Academy of Chiway Suzhou was established in order to better meet the international education needs of the children of overseas Chinese returnees and leading talents and other high-level talents in the greater Yangtze Delta region. With substantial support from the government of Suzhou Industrial Park, Chiway Education Group and China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. (CSSD) co-founded OCAC Suzhou in April 2016. This is also the first school to be specially built for the children of overseas Chinese and returnees and students who wish to receive Chinese international education.
In September 2017, the North Campus was officially opened for primary students. In May 2018, with the completion of the South Campus and the expansion of the scope of the school, the school as a whole expanded to the South Campus and officially became a private-owned and non-profit K-12 school. The school covers a site area of 66 acres and a construction area of more than 50,000 square meters that can accommodate up to 2300 students. The school implements bilingual education in small classes, with no more than 24 students in each class.
The school was authorized as an IB DP school in May 2018, as an IB PYP school in August 2020, and as an IB MYP school in June 2022. By far, we are the only IB World School in Suzhou that provides a complete range of IB programmes and enrolls Chinese students.
In June 2022, the school obtained accreditation from the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CAIE), officially becoming a globally accredited “Cambridge International School” and one of the few schools worldwide to be accredited for both IB and Cambridge International programs.
From 2020 to 2023, school consistently ranked on both the Hurun Education Top 100 List of China’s International Schools and the Forbes China Top 100 List of International Schools, firmly securing its position among China’s “TOP50 International Schools.” Additionally, it was honored with the “2023 Forbes China Outstanding International School” award and featured on the “2023 REIS·China International School Characteristics List.”
As of December 2023, the school has more than 2,000 enrolled students and nearly 300 teachers, with over 60% of them holding master’s or doctoral degrees. Chinese teachers account for 70% while foreign teachers make up 30% of the staff. These teachers hail from 18 different countries, with an average teaching experience of 10 years.
“Chinese Origins, Global Originality”, the school is committed to cultivating proactive and balanced life-long learners who can work with young people around the world in the future to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. From 2021 to 2023, the school’s three consecutive cohorts of high school graduates achieved outstanding results. 90% of the graduates were admitted to universities ranked in the top 50 globally, while 100% of art students were admitted to world-renowned art universities. A total of 67 graduates received 417 offers from prestigious institutions such as the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, New York University, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, University of Hong Kong, Parsons School of Design, University of Amsterdam, and others.
In 2021, two graduates achieved perfect scores in all subjects of the IB global exams, with an average score of 37.2 points for the graduating class. In 2022, 40% of the graduates scored over 40 points in the IB exams, with a median score of 39 points. In 2023, the highest score among graduates reached 43 points, with a median score of 38 points. Across the three cohorts, students consistently surpassed the global average IB scores, and the diploma pass rate remained at 100%.
Staying true to our founding mission, we have been closely following the development of SIP, and actively responding to SIP’s strategic planning to build a talent highland. By December 2023, 50% of our students come from families with returnee’s background, and half of their parents have a master’s degree, doctorate, or above. There are in total more than 300 groups of children from families of high-level talents identified by the SIP’s Organization Department. OCAC-Suzhou has truly become a distinguished school specializing in the education of children of high-level talents.
Since its foundation, the school has always adhered to the Chinese National Curriculum program and content and incorporated the inquiry-based teaching model. With a student-oriented philosophy and deep roots in education, the school has explored a path of Chinese international education, and is highly recognized for its outstanding teaching quality and achievements by parents, community and the educational industry, becoming a unique international education business in the SIP and even in Suzhou.
