ULink College Guangzhou

The academic route is entirely British. ULC is authorised by Cambridge Assessment International Education and offers IGCSE in Grades 9 and 10 and A Levels in the two years that follow, with more than thirty subjects available. At IGCSE the compulsory core is mathematics, Chinese, English, physics, chemistry, physical education, PSHE, project-based learning and a seminar strand, with options including accounting, art and design, business studies, sociology, geography, history, economics, biology, computer science, music, drama, Spanish, Japanese and French. A Study Abroad Programme and a Top Up Programme help students meet entry requirements overseas, and the school runs its own college planning, college fairs and university counselling.

Teaching is organised around the Cambridge pathway. Grades 9 and 10 take the IGCSE programme, with a compulsory core of mathematics, Chinese, English, physics, chemistry, physical education, PSHE, project-based learning and a seminar, plus optional subjects chosen from a long list. Students then move on to A Levels in the final two years, selecting from more than thirty subjects according to their intended university course. The school also publishes a separate Middle School tuition rate, although its English-language site does not set out which year groups that covers.

The school's educational philosophy is summed up as 'Pathways for Purposeful Lives'. Its leadership describes the aim as synthesising the best of Chinese and Western education: keeping the value of a solid knowledge base while adding meaningful dialogue, critical thinking, questioning and authentic assessment. The stated goal for students is to reignite their enthusiasm, build confidence and prepare them for world-class universities abroad, and the school presents global citizenship and digital citizenship as explicit strands of its curriculum alongside academic excellence.

The campus sits among green hills in Nansha, close to the marina, the golf course and Huangshanlu Forest Park. Four main academic buildings form a quad holding the classrooms, laboratories, the library, a multi-media lecture hall and an e-Learning Centre. The grounds also include gymnasiums, an art centre, tennis courts, a football pitch and athletics field, basketball courts, a swimming pool and a two-storey multi-purpose commons area, all set among trees and extensive green space. The whole site is covered by fast WiFi, and the school has licensing agreements with Microsoft so that students can use Office and cloud services.

Boarding is central to school life, with published fees for a four-bed room with or without weekends. The programme uses a double-coach system: residential advisers accompany students through their daily routines and help them build habits and life skills, while life coaches support their development; professional cleaning, security and maintenance are provided. Catering is included in the boarding fee and a school bus is charged by route.

More than thirty student activities run alongside lessons, covering sport, music, art, economics and science and technology, with clubs such as dancing, debating and cooking, and leadership roles through an elected Student Union. School teams compete seasonally against other international schools in the Pearl River Delta in basketball, volleyball, tennis and football, and physical education is part of the taught programme. The art department works in drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, collage and photography, and students' work is exhibited. The school is also a centre for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and enters students for academic competitions.