Merchiston International School

Merchiston International School (Chinese: 深圳曼彻斯通城堡学校) is an independent boarding school for boys and girls in the Longhua District in Shenzen, China. It is open to pupils aged 4–18 as either boarding or day pupils although the senior school is exclusively for boarding students; it was modelled after English public schools. It is affiliated with, and is the first overseas campus for Merchiston Castle School, in Edinburgh, Scotland.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

For other uses, see Merchiston (disambiguation).
Merchiston International School
深圳曼彻斯通城堡学校
Address
No.12 Shilongzai Road, Dalang Sub-District, Longhua District,

Shenzhen

China
Coordinates22.70545°N 113.98211°E / 22.70545; 113.98211
Information
TypeIndependent boarding and day school
MottoReady Ay Ready
Established2018 (2018)
HeadmasterChris Lynn[1]
Staff66 (approx) full and part time
GenderBoys and girls
Age4 to 18
LanguageEnglish, Mandarin
HousesPringle
Chalmers
Rogerson
Colour(s)Navy, red & white
   
School fees£20,539-£37,257 per year[2]
AffiliationMerchiston Castle School
Websitewww.merchiston.cn

Background

In 1828 Charles Chalmers started a small school in Park Place, Edinburgh, Scotland on a site now occupied by the McEwan Hall. In May 1833, Charles Chalmers took a lease of Merchiston Castle (the former home of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms) — which at that time stood in rural surroundings — and moved the school. It is from here that the school name is derived.[10]

Merchiston Castle School at Colinton

Merchiston Castle School developed Merchiston International School's after a year of collaboration with Chinese investor Lyu Jianjun, whose son attended the boarding school in Edinburgh.[3][11] In 2016, Shenzhen Merchiston International Education Co. Ltd. was founded,[12] and in August 2018, Merchiston International School opened its doors to pupils as the first school in Longhua District, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China.[4] On October 15, 2018, the school held its official opening ceremony. The event attracted almost 1,000 attendees, including the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross.[6][13]

The school offers student living arrangements along with a British education. The school can cater to 1,200 students aged 4-18.[14] Lessons are taught in English and pupils from grades 1 to 9 follow the English national curriculum, with additional access to Mandarin language learning. Senior students study for the IGCSE and A-levels. With accommodations for 600, the senior school is exclusively for boarding students. 80 percent of the teaching staff are from the United Kingdom.[4]

Academic performance

In 2019, 62% of grades achieved at A Level Mathematics were A.[15]

Boarding Houses

The boarding houses are:[16]

  • Pringle
  • Chalmers
  • Rogerson

The boarding houses are named after houses at Merchiston Castle School, which were named after:[16]

  • Mr James Summer Pringle, a benefactor.
  • Charles Chalmers, founder, owner, and headmaster of Merchiston Castle School from 1828 to 1850.
  • Dr John Johnston Rogerson, headmaster from 1863 to 1898 and owner from 1863 to 1896 when it became a public school rather than privately owned in 1896.

Merchiston tartan
Merchiston Castle School tartan

The Merchiston Castle School tartan was designed by Kinloch Anderson in 1988. It is based upon the Napier tartan as the school was founded in the 1830s in the original home of John Napier of Merchiston, now part of Edinburgh Napier University. The tartan retains the sett of the Napier tartan, but changes the white to royal blue, the royal blue to navy, and the white line to scarlet to reflect the school colours.[17]

Notes and references
  1. "Shenzhen Merchiston Castle School". Shenzhen Municipal Government (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. "Current Fees". Merchiston International School. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. Andrew Denholm (21 November 2017). "Scottish private boarding school unveils Chinese expansion". The Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  4. Bo Leung (15 August 2018). "Scottish school opens branch in Shenzhen". China Daily.
  5. "Merchiston International School, Shenzhen". NowShenzen. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. Zhang Qian; Lily Li (16 October 2018). "Merchiston Intl. School opens in SZ". Shenzhen Daily. Shenzen, China.
  7. Nicola Woolcock (1 October 2018). "More private schools rush to open branches abroad". The Times. London, UK.
  8. Sian Griffiths (16 September 2018). "Private schools lure state maths teachers to foreign offshoots". The Times. London, UK.
  9. Oliver, Neil (host) (14 January 2019). "Scots in China". Scots in China. Season 1. Episode 2. BBC Two Scotland.
  10. "History & Traditions". Merchiston Castle School. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. 楼婍沁 (22 March 2019). "Is the parent's beloved son looking for an "international school"? [父母之爱子，则为之谋"国际学校"]？". Interface News [界面新闻] (in Chinese). Shanghai, China.
  12. "Merchiston International Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. Ian Swanson (9 October 2018). "University of Edinburgh firm set to open hospital in China". Edinburgh Evening News. Edinburgh, Scotland.
  14. Phoebe Zhang (10 November 2019). "Hong Kong schools less popular with Chinese parents in Shenzhen". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong.
  15. "Prospectus". Merchiston International School. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  16. "Boarding & Pastoral Care". Merchiston International School. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  17. "Merchiston Castle School Tartan Modern". Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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