BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH-ORIENTED
AND INNOVATIVE TOP CHINESE SCHOOL
Shanghai High School was established in 1865, originally known as the Longmen Academy. For the past 160 years, Shanghai High School has been guided by the educational mission of "cultivating talents for the nation's use." It has played a significant role in nurturing outstanding talents for the nation's development and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, becoming a classic representation in the modern history of Chinese education.
According to incomplete statistics, there are 105 individuals who are currently or have been leaders at the provincial and ministerial levels, a total of 57 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 30 generals in the People's Liberation Army, and more than 200 university presidents, and countless experts in various fields among the alumni of Shanghai High School. The school currently occupies an area of 340 acres, with a green coverage exceeding 45%, earning recognition as a national model for greening and a national civilized unit. It is also designated as a pilot unit for education system reform in Shanghai.
THE LOCAL DIVISION
The Local Division enrolls high school students from Shanghai, offering a three-year high school program with over 1,200 students currently enrolled. It strongly promotes the early cultivation of outstanding innovative talents guided by the principle of "focusing on interests and stimulating potential" and has received the first prize in the inaugural National Basic Education Teaching Achievement Awards.
THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
The International Division, established in 1993, admits children of foreign nationals and residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It provides a complete 1-12 grade system, with a cumulative student body of over 3,200 from more than 60 countries and regions. It serves as a "Golden City Card" for high-quality international education needed for Shanghai's construction as a socialist modern international metropolis with global influence.
·EMBRACING CHANGE AND INNOVATION-
PROMOTING EARLY CULTIVATION OFOUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE TALENTS
Shanghai High School's Local Division upholds the educational tradition of "continuously improving oneself, innovatively thinking, and cultivating talents." As one of the first national model schools implementing the new curriculum and textbooks for ordinary high schools, it focuses on grasping the pulse of building an education, a scientific and technological, and a talent powerhouse. The school vigorously promotes the early cultivation of outstanding innovative talents whose interests align with their potential. It emphasizes the early identification and guidance of talents in foundational fields. Since 1990, the school has pioneered the establishment of mathematics classes, cultivating thousands of students with strong potential in mathematics. Our students have won 16 gold medals in International Mathematical Olympiads, ranking first in the country.
The International Mathematical Olympiad Committee announced that the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad will be held in Shanghai, making Shanghai High School the first high school globally to host the IMO. The school's experimental exploration results, Shanghai High School Exploration and Practice: Early Cultivation of Outstanding Innovative Talents Based on Academic Interests Navigation, have been compiled into special reports and submitted to the Central Education Work Leading Group and other departments for exchange.
Since 2008, Shanghai High School has been a pioneer in the city, leading the way in implementing a combined approach to cultivating innovation literacy among high school students.
At the individual level, the school focuses on cultivating talents needed in national strategic areas, pioneering the establishment of science and technology classes and engineering classes. It has delved into the development of specialized courses and inquiry courses in 13 fields, including physics, chemistry, medicine, communication, environment, energy, and marine sciences.
On a broader scale, the school provides over 500 developmental course combinations to foster innovation. It also offers 14 specialized courses in experimental groups, such as neuroscience and artificial intelligence, geographic information systems, software engineering, and bionic robotics, promoting the early cultivation of innovative talents in various interest areas. The school has led a research project titled "With World-Renowned Schools: Practical Research on Research-oriented and Innovative High Schools," winning the second prize of the Sixth National Outstanding Educational Science Research Achievement Award issued by the Ministry of Education. It has become a demonstration and radiation source among similar schools, earning the reputation of being the most university-like high school.
In alignment with the implementation of innovative experimental courses, we have taken the lead in establishing, continuously updating, and currently utilizing 28 modern and digital innovation laboratories. Through various forms of mentorship collaboration with 17 universities, research institutions, and enterprises, we have propelled talent development in different fields, fostering a diverse mentorship system. This approach has facilitated the exploration of students' potential guided by academic interests.Notably, collaborations with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in advancing experimental courses and groups, as well as the "Academic Interest and Innovative Literacy Cultivation Mentorship Program" conducted with Fudan University, have extensively expanded the academic knowledge domain. This initiative has ignited students' academic interests, enabling the school to consistently lead in exploring new paths for cooperative education between high schools and top-tier universities under the vision of a high-level talent cultivation system (awarded the National Basic Education Teaching Achievement Award, Second Prize). It has become a pioneering exploration of extending the "Strong Foundation" plan from universities to high schools in the new era. Each year, more than 70% of our students enter top-tier universities such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and over 99% enter "Double First-Class" universities.
SPREADING CHINA'S VOICE THROUGH HIGHQUALITY INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Shanghai High School has pioneered educational system reforms in the enrollment of children of foreign nationals. It has been 30 years since its establishment of the first public school international division in China in 1993, and Shanghai High School has become a prestigious "Golden City Card" as a city service brand in the international metropolis, Shanghai.
The school has developed a structural model referred to as "One Body (Shangzhong Road Campus) and Four Wings (Zhangjiang Campus, Lingang Campus, Hongkou Campus, and Fengxian Campus)."
Shanghai High School International Division focuses on integrating Chinese and foreign elements while providing high-quality international education deeply rooted in China, making it a leader among similar schools both domestically and internationally. The school has been authorized to offer testing services for TOEFL, GRE, SAT, PSAT, PACT, ACT, and A-LEVEL. The International Division mainly offers international courses such as US-based curriculum, International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and A-Level programs. The school offers 21 AP courses and 29 IB courses, with an average score of above 4.5 (out of 5) for AP subjects and an average total score of above 42 (out of 45) for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP), ranking at the forefront globally. More than 90% of International Division graduates are accepted by prestigious overseas universities, and about 50% of International Division graduates choose to study in the United States each year, with students being accepted into top-tier institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Shanghai High School International Division continues to strengthen the autonomy of Chinese self-management, making it a high-quality platform for telling China's stories, spreading the Chinese voice, and showcasing the Chinese image. Emphasizing Chinese language education and the integration of various aspects of Chinese civilization, the school aims to permeate and blend education throughout the international student body, enabling them to root themselves in the outstanding Chinese civilization. By effectively narrating China's stories and upholding Chinese characteristics, the school demonstrates the core competitiveness of Chinese self-management in international education. This effort has molded thousands of overseas students' children with a strong attachment to China, making them friendly ambassadors for the dissemination of Chinese civilization.
PROMOTING EDUCATION REFORM FROM AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
WITH THE INTEGRATION OF TWO DIVISIONS
The school's most innovative and dynamic feature is the coexistence of the Local and International Divisions within the same campus, endowing the school with the most forward-looking perspective and a global vision in its internationalized environment. The exchange of ideas and teaching methodologies between the Local and International Divisions, such as the Bilingual Debate Competitions and the dialogue on technology and art, all demonstrate the harmonious blending of diverse cultures and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. This also provides the school with the space for integrating Chinese and foreign education, facilitating educational reforms with an international perspective in the field of basic education in Shanghai.
Shanghai High School has taken the lead in conducting practical research on high-level international courses, especially in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. The Secretariat of the Shanghai Basic Education International Curriculum Comparative Research Institute, the first research institute in the country focusing on international curriculum exploration in basic education, is located at Shanghai High School. It pioneered the concept that pilot international courses in ordinary high schools need to strengthen and integrate the teaching of international curriculum elements into the four compulsory courses:ideological and political education, Chinese language, history, and geography, based on the Chinese national curriculum framework.
Shanghai High School was the first to publish seven volumes of research results on the practice and localization of high-level international courses based on school practice. These achievements were awarded the Special Prize for the First Shanghai Basic Education Teaching Achievement Awards. The school also led the publication of Comparative Research on Practical Science Textbooks in Chinese and American High Schools (Junior High School Volume, Senior High School Volume). This initiative provided early guidance for incorporating advanced elements of international science courses into the Chinese curriculum, and laid a solid foundation for Shanghai to take the lead in the country in implementing pilot international courses in ordinary high schools while exploring practical application and localization standards.
Most importantly, the school has cultivated a group of teachers with an international perspective (including over 150 instructors proficient in English for subject teaching) and talents well-versed in the localization management of international curricula (including over 30 examiners accredited by international standards in IB and AP, who have become the first group of inspection experts in Shanghai's pilot international curriculum for ordinary high schools, possessing extensive experience in local practices). Their expertise has provided valuable insights based on practical exploration to enhance the core competitiveness and global perspective of Chinese students, promoting the development of essential qualities with an international outlook.
Looking toward the future, Shanghai High School will continue to advance educational reforms and strive toward the goal of building a world-class research-oriented and innovative leading school in China's basic education!