BISS Puxi Welcomes Its First A Level Students in Its 20th Year

The British International School Shanghai, Puxi has enrolled its first A level students this month, the school explained in a note published this month, marking the most significant curriculum expansion in its 20-year history.

A levels alongside the IB

The new pathway offers six subjects: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, and Chinese. The A levels sit alongside the school's existing International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme rather than replacing it, positioned as a specialist option for students targeting UK university admissions who prefer to concentrate on fewer subjects at greater depth.

BISS Puxi is part of Nord Anglia Education, which operates more than 80 schools globally. The 2026/27 year coincides with the school's 20th anniversary, a milestone the school's leadership has used to frame the A level launch as a generational step forward for the campus.

Why the timing matters

The decision reflects established demand from Shanghai's British-curriculum families oriented towards UK higher education. Competitors including Dulwich College and Wellington College have offered A levels in the city for years, and BISS's entry into the market narrows a gap that has sometimes pushed UK-bound sixth-formers toward rival campuses at the point of transition.

Whether the first cohort is large enough to sustain all six subjects in parallel will be the early test for the programme. The dual IB and A level model has become increasingly standard at top-tier British international schools across Asia, but staffing it well, particularly finding A level specialists with the depth demanded for competitive UK admissions, remains a challenge in Shanghai's international school market.