Beijing's oldest British school, built from a single Sanlitun campus

The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun opened in 2003, making it the oldest and most established British school in the capital. That single fact has defined its identity ever since. Before it opened, the Chinese capital had no dedicated British-curriculum school downtown. Nord Anglia Education, the group that founded it, changed that, planting a school in the middle of Chaoyang's Embassy District, at 5 Xiliujie on Sanlitun Road, where it has stayed.

Origins

Nord Anglia Education established the British School of Beijing, operating two campuses in the city: one in Sanlitun, Chaoyang, and later a second in Shunyi. Originally both campuses were operated as a single school, The British School of Beijing. In 2013 they were administratively made into separate institutions. The Sanlitun site had always been a distinct proposition: a compact, downtown campus for younger children, located close to the diplomatic quarter and the city's Central Business District.

The British School of Beijing opened at the Sanlitun site in 2003 and expanded to a Shunyi campus in 2009. The China Britain Business Council was involved in developing the Beijing-Shunyi presence: in 2007, the Council approached Nord Anglia to partner with a local developer to develop the school in Beijing-Shunyi. That left Sanlitun as the original, and purely primary, site.

Campus and identity

The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun is a British day school for children aged one to eleven, located in Beijing's Embassy District in Chaoyang, on Sanlitun Road. Its position matters: in the heart of the Embassy District, Chaoyang, it is downtown Beijing's only British international school. The campus is not large by the standards of suburban international schools, but it includes a bespoke Year 1 centre and an Early Years building with indoor and outdoor spaces designed for young learners. Specialist facilities run to AstroTurf pitches, a multi-purpose hall, a rock climbing wall, a drama studio, a Makers Space, a dance studio, a soft play hall, a parents' café, and cooking facilities.

More than 60 percent of teachers come from the UK or Ireland, and students represent over 50 different nationalities, making it one of the most diverse schools in Beijing. The average teacher-to-pupil ratio is 1:10.

Curriculum and accreditation

Pupils follow the National Curriculum for England adapted for an international community; Early Years covers ages one to four and Primary covers ages five to eleven. The school runs language programmes in Mandarin, including Heritage and Advanced groups, and an optional German programme for Years 1 to 6, alongside English as an Additional Language support where needed.

BSB Sanlitun highlights curricular collaborations with organisations including Apple, Juilliard and MIT, and embeds community and environmental projects, such as the BSB Earth Guardians programme, into its curriculum. On the technology side, the campus runs a 1:1 iPad programme, in-classroom laptops, VR headsets and coding initiatives. Specialist facilities include a rooftop playground, an MIT Maker Space and a Juilliard keyboard room.

The school holds accreditation under the British Schools Overseas inspection programme and is a member of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), with inspection carried out by Penta International under the DfE BSO approved framework. It also holds membership of FOBISIA and WIDA.

Progression and present day

BSB Sanlitun is an Early Years and Primary campus, covering ages one to eleven, and students typically transfer to the sister BSB Shunyi campus for secondary education from Year 7. BSB Shunyi continues the British curriculum through IGCSE in Year 10 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Year 12. The Sanlitun school's maximum enrolment stands at 700 pupils. It remains part of Nord Anglia Education, a group that now operates more than 80 premium international schools worldwide.

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