2011: Set Sail
GHCIS was founded in August 2011 by the name of Shanghai Guanghua Cambridge International School (Fudan University High School Campus), also known as "Guanghua Fudan." On the afternoon of August 28, GHCIS held its first opening ceremony at the Danhua Building of the High School Affiliated to Fudan University. At the ceremony, the founder Mr. Lu Yuzong summarized the educational direction of the school as "Civic Education, Scientific Spirit, Global Vision." Principal Dr. Lei Dongdong introduced the school's educational purpose and approach, hoping to build GHCIS into an international school that promotes well-being.
In October, our school was authorized by the Cambridge Assessment International Education to officially become a member of Cambridge international centres.
2012: Move Forward
We continued to grow with the joint efforts of teachers, students, and parents. In May, it held its first CIE examination. It has been highly commended by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) as "exceptional."
In June, Shanghai Morning Post published a full-page report on an exclusive interview with Principal Dr. Lei Dongdong. Dr. Lei's rational views on international high school courses sparked widespread discussion in the field, and our school, committed to "cultivating world citizens with an international view and Chinese soul," received extensive attention from the market and parents.
2013: Emerging
In June, the first batch of 17 graduates from GHCIS received 58 offers from prestigious universities overseas. Three students, Zou Weian, Jing Songshi, and Dong Xinru, were admitted to Oxford University, while Wen Jieyu and Lu Keren were admitted to Imperial College London. The remaining students were all admitted to other well-known universities in the UK.
In November, GHCIS signed an agreement on exchange and cooperation with Varndean College in the UK. This allowed our school to select and recommend outstanding exchange students to study at Varndean College each year.
2014: Rise up
The second batch of 65 graduates received 331 university admission offers. Four students were admitted to Oxford, one to Cambridge, seven to Imperial College London, six to University College London, and two to top 30 universities in the United States.
Professor Keith Gull, Principal of St Edmund Hall at Oxford University, and Dr. Frank Hwang, Chairman of the Oxford Chinese Economy Programme, visited GHCIS.
In October, the GHCIS UK Alumni Association began preparations.
2015: Rapid Growth
The school was renamed Shanghai Guanghua Cambridge International School, abbreviated as "GHCIS."
In May, Principal Dr. Lei Dongdong published "Be the Best of Ourselves" through Fudan University Press. It is the first book in China to share the experiences of Chinese international high schools.
In June, the third batch of over 110 graduates received 602 admission offers from prestigious overseas universities. Two students were admitted to Oxford University, and 28 to the UK G5 Group.
In October, the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) held its first Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award ceremony. Four of our students, Zhu Fujia, Zhang Haojun, Zhou Guanhao, and Zhang Kangning, were awarded Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award certificates for achieving the highest scores worldwide or in China in the CIE exams.
Meanwhile, Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) appointed Principal Dr. Lei Dongdong as the first chairman of the Cambridge East China Alliance.
2016: Promising
In May, we achieved excellent results in the AAPT Physics Bowl competition, ranking first in Shanghai, second in China, and fourth globally.
In June, nearly half of our students ranked in the global top 20% in the Avogadro Exam. Yao Xinyu ranked sixth globally.
In June, our school held its 2016 Graduation Ceremony and the Fifth-Anniversary Celebration. Zhang Chengyuan was admitted to the Engineering program at Cambridge University and received the Jardine scholarship of over a million Chinese Yuan. Two students were admitted to Cambridge, three to Oxford, and 21 to the UK G5 Group.
In December, the GHCIS Debate Team ranked first in the National High School Debate League of China (NHSDLC).
2017: Blossoming
In June, the fifth batch of over 110 graduates received 652 admission offers from prestigious universities abroad and in Hong Kong. The University of Hong Kong awarded twelve full scholarships. Ultimately, two students were admitted to Oxford, one to Cambridge, sixteen to the UK G5 Group, and four to the top 30 universities in the United States.
In August, Liu Xufeng achieved the highest score in the world for CAIE AS Economics, and Jin Chenghao achieved the highest score in China for A-Level Psychology.
In October, the GHCIS Debate Team won all regional championships and runners-up in Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai at the National High School Debate League of China (NHSDLC).
In December, we made another significant progress: students received 25 interview invitations from Oxford and Cambridge.
2018: Break New Ground
In January, nine students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge, ranking first in East China and second nationwide.
In January, Peng Yilong and Zhang Huiyuan won first and second place in China in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO).
In June, the sixth batch of 180 GHCIS graduates received 925 admission offers from prestigious universities abroad and in Hong Kong. Ultimately, six students were admitted to Oxford, one to Cambridge, 49 to the UK G5 Group, and four to the top 30 universities in the United States.
In August, we hit new heights in the CIE exams. Eleven students won the Cambridge Outstanding Students Award for the highest scores gained worldwide or in China.
By the end of August, GHCIS relocated from Yangpu Campus at 2 Zhengxi Road to the new campus at 2788 Chuanzhou Highway, merged with the Pudong Campus. Dr. Lei Dongdong was appointed as the Chief Principal. The improved educational facilities laid a foundation for our school to soar.
2019: A New Step
In January, Tao Sihan and Jin Haoyang won the Top Gold award in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO).
In January, our school set another record, receiving seven conditional offers from Oxford and four from Cambridge. This ranked among the top three nationwide.
In June, the 2019 graduates received over 1,000 admission offers from overseas and Hong Kong universities. Ultimately, seven students were admitted to Oxford, three to Cambridge, 81 to the UK G5 Group, and two to the top 30 universities in the United States.
In September, we received good news from the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). Seventeen students achieved the highest scores worldwide in the CAIE exams.
Guanghua Pudong officially merged with GHCIS. Teachers and students from both campuses gradually integrated and familiarized themselves with each other.
2020: Surpass Ourselves
In January, thirteen students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge, ranking among the top three nationwide.
In February, we started online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June, the university admission results hit new heights - over 1,700 admission offers from overseas and Hong Kong universities. Ultimately, nine students were admitted to Oxford, three to Cambridge, 116 to the UK G5 Group, six to the top 30 universities in the United States, and 35 to the top 50 universities in the United States.
In September, a series of GHCIS tenth-anniversary celebration began.
In December, at the invitation of the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), GHCIS hosted an exchange visit for 18 Cambridge schools from five provinces.
2021: Pursue Excellence
In January, thirteen students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge, another satisfactory result.
In February, our students won six Top Gold awards and eleven gold awards in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO).
In June, we held the 2021 Graduation Ceremony and the Tenth-Anniversary Celebration. Leaders from various departments and principal fellows in Guanghua Education Group, founding team members of GHCIS, alumni representatives from previous years, 2021 graduates and their parents, and all school faculty and staff gathered to witness this glorious moment.
In the 2020-2021 Shanghai International Schools Athletic Conference (SISAC), the GHCIS Hydra sports team set a school record with three championships (men's volleyball, women's badminton, and men's soccer) and four runners-up (women's volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball, and men's badminton). This made our school one of the tops among the SSSA (Shanghai Schools Sport Association) U19 teams.
In the CAIE exams, our students have performed exceptionally well across all subjects. In the October and June exam seasons, 21 students received the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award for achieving the highest scores globally and in China. This excellent result made us the school with the most outstanding learners in East China.
2022: Aim High
In 2022 β a year full of uncertainty, our school demonstrated its prestige with outstanding university admission results: 13 students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge, and nearly 85% of students received at least one offer from the UK G5 Group, the University of Toronto in Canada, or the University of Hong Kong. This set a new record in school history. In various international competitions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, our students maintained a leading position in mainland China. Despite the severe pandemic in 2022, we organized numerous activities to ensure an enriching campus life for students while prioritizing the health of teachers and students. In regard to sports, the GHCIS Hydra sports team entered the first tier of SSSA (Shanghai Schools Sport Association). It competed against top school teams in Shanghai and achieved impressive results.
2023: Steady Progress
In January, sixteen students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge. In March, nine students won ten Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards, and in November, ten students received eleven of the same awards. In total, 72 students have received 78 awards in thirteen CAIE subjects. In terms of university applications, sixteen students received conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge β a new record. We excelled with over 300 offers from UK G5 universities and 145 offers from the University of Hong Kong. Besides the outstanding academic and admission results, we continuously enhanced our "soft power:" diverse and unique campus activities and clubs have become one of our hallmarks. In July, the GHCIS Alumni Association was established to provide graduates with a "new home" after graduation. We also continued to design creative products, such as the little lion mascot. Since then, we have established our own IP. In the 2023 HKPEP Top 100 Global International Schools in Education Competitiveness list, we, along with renowned schools from the UK and the US, ranked among the top 100 globally. We also ranked in the top three nationally in terms of college application results towards the Commonwealth.
2024: Build Momentum
In January, we achieved a strong start with seven conditional offers from Oxford and nine from Cambridge. Following Zhang Chengyuan, a 2016 alumnus who was admitted to the University of Cambridge, Shi Tianxing from the A2-5 class again received the prestigious Jardine Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. This honor is well-known as the pinnacle of international student scholarships.
