About the Host School

Jinling High School was originally founded by American missionaries in 1888 and, at that time, named Fowler Biblical School. We have 2500 students aged 16 to 18 years.

Our aim is to develop all of our students as passionate, confident, lifelong learners. We believe in the promotion of education to enable all-round development and value its importance as the cornerstone of a student's whole life.

The school enjoys a central location in the city, boasting a beautiful campus of 50,000 square meters. The school has modern libraries, gym and laboratories available for teachers and students. It also has an 'airspace' project laboratory, which provides numerous opportunities for the students to extend their scientific interests.

We have had over one hundred thousand graduates in over a century. Among them are hundreds of eminent alumni, such as the people's educationalist Tao Xingzhi, the master architect Lv Yanzhi (designer of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum), the thermo physicist Wu Zhonghua (member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former honorary chairman of its core scholar's presidium), the economists Wu Jinglian and Li Yining, the biologist Fu Xin-Yuan, Tian Gang the mathematician (leader of differential coefficient geometry), Nobel laureate in Literature Gao Xinjian, and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Qi Kang. The school is hence widely acclaimed as a 'cradle for the elite'.

The A Level Centre

The A Level Centre opened in September 2008. At the moment, there are 87 pre A-Level students, 83 AS students and 55 A2 students in full time study. 15 full-time, qualified and experienced A-Level teachers teach in this centre. There are also 5 Chinese teachers from JLHS teaching PAL (Pre A-Level) year students and 7 Chinese class advisors who work with the students in a home room situation.

Our exam results for most students are strong and nearly all students possess a good level of English at the time of entering the centre, ranging from pre-intermediate to intermediate level.Students in the JLHS centre can access all the facilities on campus. These resources include library, study rooms, computer labs, chemistry and physics labs, art rooms, studios, lecture rooms and sports gym.

Extracurricular activities include: Business Club, Charity Club, Students Union, Model United Nation (MUN), Debating club, Basketball Club, Science Club, Photography Club and Jazz Dancing Club.

The most challenging area for foreign teachers new to teaching in China is being able to adapt to a very different culture and not speaking the language. Staff at the A level centre introduce western style teaching and learning methods to their classes to help them do well in the CIE examinations and later at university in the west.

Lifestyle

Expatriate teachers normally live in accommodation off campus and, as in all centres, are assisted by our Chinese support staff to find their ideal base. JLHS provides an allowance for every expatriate teacher that covers the cost of a good quality 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in the downtown area, but teachers can choose to add o this if they wish (some add in an additional 50 to 200 GBP equivalent in order to obtain a larger or more luxurious apartment).

Nanjing is a modern city (but with a history that spans about 5,000 years) and the capital city of Jiang Su province. It was the capital city for China during the Ming dynasty and for a brief time before the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It is also a multicultural city with a population from many other areas in China and the rest of the world. Expatriate teachers from different cultures and religious backgrounds can certainly find a lifestyle that suits them in Nanjing.

Attractions include some fascinating museums, beautiful gardens and historical sites – including some of the original Ming city walls and city gates, palaces and temples.

All our teachers are well supported by our CLO, CC and Dipont before and after they arrive in China. 3 months advance rent is often required by landlords, and the School will advance this prior to the monthly allowance being paid if required.  

For further information on Nanjing, please see:  
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/nanjing.htm
http://www.chinahighlights.com/nanjing/
http://nanjing.jiangsu.net/
http://www.chinavista.com/nanjing/home.html
http://www.muztagh.com/nanjing/index.html

Teacher Case Study

Richard Nunns, Teacher of Maths

Prior to moving to Nanjing, my background includes teaching ESL in Guangzhou together with several years in the hospitality industry. I am happy to have joined a team which represents every continent, with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences that makes for a truly international environment. It is a real pleasure and honour to be working alongside such great individuals. 

In addition to teaching the A-level Maths course content, another important part of my role at Jinling is helping students be better prepared for study and life abroad, for example through helping them to manage the transition from very much teacher-led learning to taking responsibility themselves, and from memorisation to analysis and problem solving.

We have a wide range of students – certainly far beyond the stereotypical Chinese student – which means that there is no such thing as a dull day. Having helped a student to better understand some basic concept one minute, I may then have my own views on some topic challenged by another student in a very articulate manner. 

Whilst the school day is long, it is not rushed; I rarely need to take work home with me. (Some colleagues prefer to finish the school day as early as possible, completing their work at home, so there is some flexibility in this respect.) I enjoy the independence of working in a small team at the school combined with the support and collective knowledge that come from all the maths teachers working with Dipont across their network. School facilities include data projectors in all classrooms, computer labs and digital science labs; staff are provided with individual workspaces & computers. 

Although there is a staff canteen in the school, I usually like to get off-campus at lunch time – within a few minutes walk, options range from Costa & McDonalds to pizza, Korean, Sushi & noodles.

 As the old capital of China, there is lots of history in Nanjing to explore. Excellent transport links mean that trips to Suzhou, Hangzhou & Shanghai are very convenient, whilst places further afield, such as Xian & Beijing, have also made for very memorable weekend trips. 

I am here with my family: my kids attend a local kindergarten and  a local primary school and now speak better Chinese than I do. The housing allowance provided by the school is sufficient for either a compact, modern apartment in the city centre or, as we have chosen for our second year, a more spacious apartment in a garden community in the suburbs; whilst feeling like it far from the bustle of the city it is, in fact, less than 20 minutes by clean, modern metro. 

A single word to sum up my experience of living and working in China would be ‘interesting.’ Whilst it is, of course, very different from life in the UK, I find that the similarities are greater than many people who have not visited China would imagine. It is a unique experience to see the development of a country happening at such a rapid pace all around you. My feeling is that people who are sufficiently flexible to be able to adapt to the many differences here, and who are able to maintain a positive attitude when faced with small setbacks, should thoroughly enjoy the challenges and opportunities that China offers.

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Student Case Study

When did you start at the A Level Centre and how would you describe your experience there?

I enrolled as an A-Level Student in September 2008. It is an enjoyable but challenging experience for me.

What are the benefits in studying A levels?

Firstly, studying in A Level gives me an opportunity to study business-related courses which are not provided in the Chinese system. I need to be self-disciplined as A Level courses are not about memorising and also require self study. The educational instruction is different from the Chinese section.

What has been challenging for you?

The language: All the books are written in English, with much jargon we have never learnt or met before. Especially for business- related subjects, writing a good essay requires a high level of English.

Time Management: The A-Level centre follows the Chinese school schedule and long school days can make it difficult for us to manage after school activities due to limited time.

What grades have you obtained?

In AS, I achieved: an A in Maths, a B in Physics, an A in Business Studies and a D in Chemistry.

What are your plans for university?

I plan to apply for both the US and UK Universities. My first choice is the UK and I would like to study Finance and Accounting. I am really looking forward to offers from LSE or Warwick.

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