Schooling & Learning
The right school — and the support to thrive in it.
We don’t get your kid into Dulwich. We make sure you don’t put them in the wrong school in the first place.
Choosing a school, getting in, and getting your kids learning — whatever their English level, whether they're picking up Mandarin, and even if you're homeschooling.
The sequencing mistake
The apartment-first move that usually unravels.
Most families lock in an apartment before they really understand the schools. Then the school they want is across the city. Or it has a waitlist. Or the curriculum is wrong for their child’s age. Or the commute breaks the family’s rhythm by week three.
Resequencing this — breaking a lease, restarting commute math, fighting for a place at a different school — is the most expensive mistake we see relocating families make in Shanghai.
The right order is school → neighborhood → commute → apartment.
Start here · School Search Support
A 60-minute video call with the founder, plus a personalized 1-page Shanghai School Shortlist Memo delivered within 24 hours. Most families start here. Need more than the diagnostic? Add Admissions & Placement or vetted Tutors & Companions below.
Your memo includes
- 013–5 ranked school options
- 02Fit rationale for each school
- 03Curriculum and grade-level considerations
- 04Neighborhood and commute implications
- 05Admissions timeline risks
- 06Questions to ask each school
- 07A clear recommended next step
Add what your family needs
After the shortlist, bolt on the help you need.
Admissions Support
We run each school application as a project, end to end.
- Applications and the full document pack
- Entrance assessment and interview prep
- Waitlist / wait-pool navigation
- Mid-year and late-transfer entry
- School visits and admissions meetings arranged
Tutors & Companions
A vetted local teacher matched to your child — Mandarin, academics, English/EAL, or a weekday homeschool companion. 30-day free replacement; you hire the teacher directly.
- Mandarin / Chinese as a second language — the reason many families move here
- Academic catch-up and subjects (IB / IGCSE / British / American)
- English / EAL — to pass assessments and keep up from day one
- Weekday companion teachers for homeschooling families
- Screened and matched to your child
Admissions is a flat fee per school. Tutor and companion placements are flat one-time fees — $470 part-time, $820 for a full-time companion — each with a 30-day free replacement; you hire the teacher directly. Both are scoped after the diagnostic.
Who it’s for
- Relocating to Shanghai within 6 months
- Children aged 3–16
- Comparing IB, British, American, or bilingual options
- Choosing where to live based on school fit
- Self-paying without full corporate relocation support
When we may not be the fit
- Short-stay visitors or tourists
- University-age students
- Families who already have a placement advisor they trust
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed seat — admission is always the school’s decision
Why school comes first
School choice quietly decides everything else.
School choice determines neighborhood. Neighborhood determines commute. Commute determines family rhythm, weekend logistics, and budget. Housing first is often the expensive mistake.
How it works
From “which school?” to settled and learning.
- 01
Shortlist
A short intake and a 60-minute call, then a 1-page shortlist memo — the right schools for your child, written for your family.
- 02
Get in
We run the admissions project: documents, entrance assessment and interview prep, waitlists, and school visits — organized and on time.
- 03
Thrive
Vetted tutors and companion teachers for Mandarin, catch-up, English / EAL, or homeschooling — so your kids keep up, pick up the language, and settle in, not just enroll.
Next chapter
School fit is part of family fit.
A school decision sits inside a wider question: how your child and family will learn, connect and build a sustainable life in Shanghai.
Why parent-first
A parent who has done every kind of school, in two countries.
The “parent-first” instinct on this page comes from Lisa — Amir’s mother. She raised three children through international, private, and public schools, in both Shanghai and Canada.
Every school decision a relocating family is about to make — fit, transition timing, curriculum, public vs. private vs. international — she has already made, for her own kids. Amir, who came through those schools herself, is who you’ll work with; Lisa is the experience behind the advice.
No family should write China off over school worries — Shanghai is worth rediscovering, kids included, and that is what helloChina is for.
Independent. Paid by clients only. Honest about what we know — and what we don’t.
Common questions
Before you book a call.
Do you guarantee admission?
No. We help you choose the right school for your child and prepare strong applications. Admission decisions are made by the schools.
Are you paid by schools?
No. You pay us directly. We do not accept referral fees or commissions from any school.
Is this for international or bilingual schools?
Both. We cover IB, British, American, bilingual, and select Chinese-curriculum schools. The right answer depends on your child and your move plan.
What if we already know which school we want?
Then the diagnostic helps you stress-test that choice — fit, waitlist risk, neighborhood implications, and what to ask before committing.
Can you help with apartments after the shortlist?
Yes. Apartment Finding is a separate service and is often the natural next step after the diagnostic.
What if we are not moving for more than 6 months?
Earlier is fine — for some schools, 12 months out is the right time to start. We will tell you honestly when each step matters.
My kids' English is basic — can they still get in, and will they cope?
Often yes. We target schools with real EAL (English as an Additional Language) capacity, prep your child for the entrance assessment, and can add English/EAL tutoring so they keep up from day one.
We homeschool — can you help?
Yes. We source and vet weekday companion teachers for homeschooling families (British and other curricula), and can still map school options for when you want to enroll.
Not sure which school fits your child?
Start with School Search Support — a 60-minute call and a 1-page shortlist built for your family (USD 299). Need admissions help or tutoring too? We’ll scope it from there.