Britannica Shanghai Shortlisted for TES Award

We are delighted to announce that Britannica International School, Shanghai has been shortlisted for the TES Awards for International Schools 2025 in the category of Best Curriculum Initiative.

This prestigious nomination recognises the school’s outstanding World Language Programme, a pioneering initiative that has transformed language learning and intercultural understanding across its diverse community.

A Sector-Leading World Language Programme

Britannica’s World Language Programme stands out for both its breadth and its impact. Offering lessons in ten languages: English, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, Portuguese and Hindi. The school provides more native-language options than any other school in China. Notably, Britannica is the first school in China to introduce Hindi as a native language programme, actively promoting cultural representation and ensuring that students from all backgrounds can feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

Impact That Goes Beyond the Classroom

The TES nomination highlights several core strengths of the initiative:

• Measurable academic success, with strong gains in language proficiency across year groups, supported by assessments, student feedback, and engagement data.

• Rich cultural experiences, including language fairs, international festivals, and collaboration with diplomatic and cultural organisations, bringing language learning to life for a student body representing nearly 50 nationalities.

• Exceptional inclusivity and pastoral care, with staff providing support in students’ native languages and fostering a school environment built on respect, belonging, and global citizenship.

• Innovative leadership, including the appointment of a Director of World Languages, who has strengthened staff development and spearheaded initiatives such as Global Wellbeing Week, connecting over 4,000 students across the Orbital community and beyond.

Shaping Confident Global Citizens

At the heart of Britannica’s programme is a clear educational vision: that language learning is essential to nurturing empathy, cultural understanding, and global citizenship. By embedding language study from Reception to Year 9 and offering personalised pathways for all learners, the school ensures every child receives a broad, balanced, and culturally rich curriculum.

This TES nomination is a proud moment for Britannica International School, Shanghai and for the wider Orbital Education community. It's a remarkable achievement given the awards are open to all international schools across the world, this reflects a shared commitment to providing world-class, future-focused education in which every student is empowered to thrive in a multicultural world.

We congratulate the entire Britannica community and wish them every success ahead of the TES Awards ceremony, which is held on 9th December 2025.