Choosing a school for your child(ren) is one of the most important decisions parents ever make. We want to help you determine if UISG is the right fit for you and your family.
Why UISG?
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Families in Guangzhou have been choosing UISG for over 25 years because they want to be part of a diverse international learning community that adheres to our core values: Unique, Inclusive, Successful, and Globally Aware. Nearly two-thirds of new UISG families choose us after receiving positive recommendations from their friends and colleagues who are already part of our community.
Here are a few reasons why internationally-minded families continue to make UISG their first choice for education in Guangzhou.
A Truly International Education – The IB Continuum
UISG is Guangzhou’s oldest International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum school, offering a continuous IB experience from the early years through high school graduation. Our IB journey began in the early years of the school in 2002. We are currently authorized to offer our students the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) to students from Kindergarten through Year 12.
Through the IB continuum experience, students are taught how to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who develop the skills, knowledge, and intercultural understanding to help create a better world for the future. IB graduates receive a challenging and comprehensive preparation for post-secondary studies that is unrivalled.
As an authorized IB school, UISG is part of a global community of over 5700 schools that share a common philosophy – transforming the world through a commitment to high-quality, challenging international education. Being an IB School allows us to attract exceptional educators committed to an IB education’s goals.
Mother Tongue Language Programmes
UISG offers a Mother Tongue Language Programme embedded within the school day. While English is our primary medium of instruction, UISG recognizes that mother tongue language is a fundamental aspect of identity, culture, and expression, which should be valued and supported. Mother tongue language acquisition serves as a catalyst for learning additional languages, where students become more successful in learning a second language as their mother tongue develops.
The comprehensive Mother Tongue Language Programme at UISG enables a return to or entry into the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, and French curricula for students from K2 to Year 6. In Years 7-12, the programme expands to include Spanish.
Our Mother Tongue Language Programme strengthens our students’ cultural background and makes them aware of their identity in an international environment. We believe developing the mother tongue language is also crucial for cognitive development and long-term academic success. In 2023, 85% of our graduating class graduated with a bilingual diploma, an achievement typically met by less than 25% of IB diploma students globally.
Community
Community is an integral part of any school. Being a UISG family means being part of an inclusive worldwide community of students, parents, teachers, and alumni who are part of the UISG Wolfpack! Our students and families forge lifelong connections that span the globe and last long after departing from Guangzhou.
From each prospective family’s first visit to our campus, we strive to ensure everyone feels welcome and supported as valuable community members. Once families enrol, we strengthen their connection to the community with the support of the Utahloy Parent Teacher Association (UPTA). Current UISG parents support new parents’ transition to the school community through parent language groups and year-level groups. Annual community events such as the UPTA Welcome Picnic and International Festival of Light provide key opportunities for school community members to connect and build relationships with other members of the community.
There are many opportunities for parents to participate in their child’s education. Parents regularly engage in opportunities to understand and provide feedback on our school programmes. At UISG, we work with our parent community to develop the best programme for our students.
We encourage you to explore our website or contact us today to learn more about life in the UISG Wolfpack!
Strong Academic Performance
As an international school with a diverse student body, our academic programmes are designed to support the long-term success of students who seek to matriculate to various programmes and countries.
And, while some students stay with us long-term and graduate from our IB Diploma Programme, many remain in Guangzhou for only a few years before transitioning home or to a new country. We are mindful of these paths and are internationally oriented.
We measure student performance using various internal and external assessment tools and ensure parents are well-informed about their child’s academic development. Like many international schools, we utilise the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), assessments used to monitor student academic growth and enable our teachers to tailor instruction to the needs of our students.
UISG graduates continually outperform world averages in IB Diploma results and are accepted to some of the most prestigious universities worldwide. Our Secondary leadership team and dedicated College Counselor work closely with families to ensure that every student is on the path to success at the post-secondary institution that best fits their future goals.