The International School of Qingdao, colloquially known as ISQ (), is a private, independent, co-educational, tuition-based international school located in Qingdao, China, serving the city's expatriate community and educating children age 3 through 12th grade. A North American, college preparatory curriculum is offered with English as the language of instruction.
Founded in 1996 with eight students, enrollment has steadily increased, reaching over 300 students by 2018. That year, the student body was 49% Korean, 23% American, 6%, Canadian, 2% Australian, 1% French, and 19% other. A total of twenty countries were represented.
International School of Qingdao is part of LifePlus Worldwide Learning, which serves more than 2,000 students, most of whom are the children of foreign nationals and expatriates working for companies in China.
History
The International School of Qingdao (ISQ), formerly known as QMIS, was established by LifePlus, a non-profit corporation committed to educational work in China. This includes establishing international schools for expatriate children and promoting cultural understanding and exchanges. International School of Qingdao was the second of seven schools to be established under the LifePlus. International School of Qingdao obtained licensing from the Qingdao Education Commission in June 1996 and the National Education Ministry on September 23, 1996, making it the first international school in Qingdao and Shandong.
When the International School of Qingdao began in the fall of 1996, there were eight students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The school was housed in three classrooms with an office and restrooms on the second floor of the back wing of the No. 1 Middle School of High Tech Park. The school grew to thirteen students by the end of the first academic year, and by the end of the second year, the growing student population necessitated that the school be relocated. In August 1998, the International School of Qingdao moved to the fourth floor of the Children's Club at the Qingdao Children's Activity Center, No. 6 Donghai Road. The steady increase in enrollment required the school once more to acquire more classroom and office space at the activity center.
Because of its continued growth, ISQ again relocated to a larger campus. ISQ started its 2007–2008 academic year on a new campus in the Laoshan district. The school's current campus is located in the Licang district of Qingdao, at No. 26 Tianshui Lu. The school moved to this new campus in 2017.
Timeline
1996
QMIS* is founded by the non-profit Management Technologies International
June 1996
QMIS receives its licensing from Qingdao Education Commission
September 1996
QMIS receives its licensing from the National Education Ministry
Summer 1998
QMIS moves to a campus at the Qingdao Children's Activity Center
Summer 2007
QMIS moves to a larger campus in the Laoshan district. They shared the campus with a local Chinese school named Baishan. Summer 2010 QMIS changes its name to "International School of Qingdao", or ISQ. Summer 2017 ISQ moves to a new campus in the Licang district. ISQ renews its WASC accreditation
*ISQ was known as QMIS until the 2010–11 school year.
Campus
International School of Qingdao began the 2017–2018 academic year on a new campus in the Licang District. It is the only international school in Qingdao with its own campus. The new facility has over 50 classrooms, an auditorium, two playgrounds, a soccer field, a computer lab, a basketball /volleyball court, and a library.
Previous campuses
International School of Qingdao has had three previous campuses. The first was at No. 1 Middle School of High Tech Park where ISQ used only three classrooms, some office space, and a set of restrooms. The second was at the Children's Club at the Qingdao Children's Activity Center, No. 6 Donghai Road. Throughout their time there, the school would acquire more space as needed. The third campus was at Baishan School in the Laoshan District. While a much larger and more accommodating campus, ISQ shared the space with Baishan School, the boarding school that owned the property. The Baishan campus boasted a soccer field, a smaller soccer field, a track, an outdoor stage, two playgrounds, a gym, an auditorium, a cafeteria, a kiln, two computer labs, two libraries, and a pool.