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Keystone Academy

China, Beijing

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

Independently researched by doris.
Not yet claimed by the school
The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Mandarin
Fees RMB 289,800 - 323,950
Ages 5 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1596
Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 2014
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum IPC (International Primary Curriculum), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages English, Mandarin
Typical class size 18
Strengths Languages, STEM, Service and Sustainability
Clubs Arts and Creative, Community and Service, Academic and Intellectual
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Keystone Academy is a bilingual (Chinese–English) K–12 day and boarding school on a suburban campus in Houshayu, Shunyi District, Beijing. The school opened in 2014 and states a distinctive “Chinese Thread” that weaves Chinese culture and identity into its bilingual programme. Primary years use an inquiry-based Primary Curriculum (IPC) in a bilingual immersion model; middle and high school progress to IB programmes, with the IB Diploma Programme offered in the high school. Boarding is part of the school's model (students are required to board from Grade 9). Keystone highlights a large activities programme (KAP), an emphasis on service learning and community projects, and a strong bilingual language-acquisition focus as defining features. All factual points above are taken from the school website (see contact, curriculum, admissions and programme pages).

11 Anfu Street, Houshayu, Shunyi District, Beijing 101318, China

Vibes and Culture
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The Essentials

Keystone Academy has 1,596 pupils, typical class sizes of 18, instruction in English, Mandarin.

Location
Keystone Academy is in the northeastern suburbs of Beijing: No. 11 Anfu Street, Houshayu Town, Shunyi District (postcode 101318). The campus is in the Shunyi district near Beijing Capital International Airport and is reached by the S11/Jingcheng and local roads; the school's admissions office lists the campus address and phone for directions.

Stages
Keystone is a full K–12 school split into Primary (early years/primary), Middle (MYP-style curriculum) and High School (IB Diploma in Grades 11–12). The website presents distinct Primary, Middle and High School pages and materials for each division.

Type
Keystone is a private, co-educational K–12 school that operates both day and residential (boarding) programs. The school's Residential Life program describes dormitory living and student supervision; students are required to board starting in Grade 9.

Additional learning support
The school runs a Student Development Support Centre (CSD) that provides academic support plans, accommodations and ongoing case management; the centre also helps coordinate with external specialists when needed. The admissions policy asks families to disclose learning support needs so the school can assess whether it can provide appropriate support.

Country affiliation
Keystone is an independent school located in China; its program explicitly weaves a Chinese curricular thread into a bilingual, international model rather than being affiliated to a foreign national school system.

Religious affiliation
The school does not identify with any religion on its official pages; its materials present Keystone as a secular 'world school' focused on bilingual and experiential education.

School day structure
The school's published schedules vary by program and year group and the site does not offer a single public bell-time table for all divisions. Example program pages show typical arrival for programs around 8:15–8:30 and program-day end times near 15:30, and the FAQ notes after-school activities and evening boarding routines for residential students (including supervised study periods). For exact daily start/end and break times you should request the current parent handbook or contact admissions.

Bus service
Keystone provides a paid school-bus service (route and fee details vary by year and program). Summer/short-program pages list school-bus fees and typical pick-up (around 8:15) and drop-off (around 15:30) times for day programs, and the FAQ notes a school bus service for after-school activities (e.g., 16:30 pick-up after clubs). For route coverage, fees and pick-up/drop-off points the admissions office can provide the current routes and pricing.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at Keystone Academy ranges from RMB 289,800 to RMB 323,950 for 2026/27.

Application fee
- The school's public admission pages do not publish a fixed application-fee amount. Keystone uses the OpenApply application system and indicates that application submission includes payment of required application fees as part of the process.

Tuition fees (annual, current academic year)
- Primary School: RMB 289,800 per year.
- Middle School: RMB 320,850 per year.
- High School: RMB 323,950 per year.

Per-term breakdown
- Keystone publishes tuition as annual amounts by school division. A per-term (semester/term) breakdown is not published on the school's public pages and therefore per-term figures are not available in the school's public materials.

Boarding and meals
- Boarding and meal fees (for students required to board from Grade 9 onward) are RMB 110,250 per academic year. Boarding is required starting in Grade 9.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- The school states that next year's tuition and other fee levels are determined and announced in February each year. Detailed billing schedules (term invoicing dates, due dates) and standard payment terms are not published on the school's public admission pages. OpenApply is used during application processing and the admission process references submission of application fees as part of that workflow.

Other costs and optional fees
- Some after‑school activities and specialist external programs may carry additional charges; most teacher‑run KAP activities are included but certain activities run by hired specialists may require extra fees. Uniform procurement and supplier arrangements are handled by the school (supplier selection has been announced) but uniform costs are not listed publicly. Additional costs such as trips, optional program fees, transport or personal items are not published as fixed amounts on public pages.

Refund information
- The school does not publish a detailed public refund/withdrawal policy (refund amounts, timelines, or administrative procedures) on its admission or how‑to‑apply pages.

Fee payment options
- The school's public pages do not list specific accepted payment methods (for example: bank transfer, credit card, Alipay, WeChat Pay). The application process is handled through OpenApply and the Admissions Office is the listed contact for payment and billing questions.
Academics

Keystone Academy teaches IPC (International Primary Curriculum), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 5 to 18.

Curriculum
Keystone Academy (北京市鼎石学校) operates a K–12 bilingual (Chinese–English) programme that deliberately integrates elements of the Chinese national curriculum with international curricula and a boarding model. In the primary school the programme uses a dual‑language immersion approach and the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), combined with a distinctive “China” thread that embeds Chinese language, culture and national curriculum standards. The middle school covers Grades 6–9 and explicitly blends the China national curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) alongside continued bilingual, inquiry‑based learning. The high school prepares students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB DP), including the DP core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS) and a bilingual/China‑focused approach to TOK and the curriculum in Years 11–12. Across all stages Keystone emphasizes experiential learning, outdoor education and a broad co‑curricular programme (KAP) and provides university‑counselling support to prepare students for tertiary study.
Wellbeing
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Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Create an application account (OpenApply) and start your child's application. Keystone asks families to open an account on keystoneacademy.openapply.cn and begin the online application as the first step; because places are limited there is an application cap for the Foundation Year, Grade 1 and Grade 7, so families interested in those grades should start as early as possible. If you have previously applied to Keystone or registered for an admissions event with the same email, you can log in with that address rather than creating a new account.

2. Expect the school to invite scheduled meetings and assessments within a few business days. After you submit the initial application, the Admissions Office will email guidance to schedule a parent meeting and a student meeting/assessment (the site notes this guidance usually arrives within 2–3 working days). Parents should watch the inbox they used for the application and be ready to propose times for those meetings.

3. Prepare and request required school documents and recommendations. Keystone asks applicants to request a current teacher recommendation through the application system; personal recommendation letters are optional. School records must be provided according to the grade: applicants for Foundation Year–Grade 3 should supply one and a half years of school reports; applicants for Grades 4–11 should supply two and a half years of reports.

4. Complete the written statements and (where required) student essay inside the application. Families must complete a parent statement in the OpenApply account; applicants in Grades 6–11 are also required to complete a student essay in the application. These written materials are part of the Admissions Committee's review packet.

5. Track application progress online and wait for committee review. You can log in to your OpenApply account at any time to check whether the application file is complete; completed files are submitted to the Admissions Committee for discussion. Keystone states final decisions are normally communicated in early spring for on-time applicants; families should plan for a multi-week review timeline once the file is complete. If you have particular timing constraints (for example mid‑year entry), contact Admissions directly to discuss options.

6. Post‑decision practical steps if accepted. The school's scheduled next steps typically include formal acceptance communication and then the usual enrolment actions (parents are asked to follow the admissions office's instructions to complete enrollment paperwork and any required payments). For short programs and Archway offerings the site explicitly states that fees are collected after acceptance; for full-year enrolment the Admissions Office will provide the enrollment checklist and payment instructions at the acceptance stage.

7. Be aware of grade availability and language/age requirements. Keystone indicates primary entry grades they plan to admit each year (notably Grade 1 and Grade 7) and says other grade-level admissions depend on vacancies from departing families; Grade 1 entrants must be six years old by August 31 of the entry year. The school also notes applicants for Grade 1 and above should have sufficient Chinese and English to access the bilingual, immersion curriculum. Parents should contact Admissions early to confirm whether there are current openings for the grade you need.

Scholarships
Keystone operates both merit‑based scholarships and need‑based financial aid; families must submit a scholarship application in addition to the standard admission application. The school states it offers named scholarships (for example the Academy's “Scholar” awards reported in school news) and has an established scholarship/financial aid program intended to help talented students who cannot otherwise afford tuition. The Admission Policy and FAQs make two points parents should note: (1) scholarship applicants complete a separate scholarship form as part of the process, and (2) limited financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need and is managed annually by the Admissions Office. Selection is competitive and the school treats scholarships and admissions as related but distinct evaluations — if you intend to seek assistance, complete both the main application and the scholarship form and be prepared to supply any supporting materials the admissions team requests. For the most up‑to‑date guidance on application deadlines, required financial documents and the scale of awards, contact admission@keystoneacademy.cn or consult the school's scholarship pages and admissions office directly.

Waitlist
Keystone does not present a public, numbered “first‑to‑be‑offered” waitlist on its website; instead, the school describes a rolling process for reviewing late/over‑capacity applications and vacancies. The Admissions Policy explains that if spaces become available, the school will review overdue applications from late April onward on a rolling basis, and that places in many grades (especially Grade 1 and Grade 7) are limited and only other grades are considered when space opens up because current families depart. Practically, that means families whose applications arrive after the main deadline or who apply for non‑standard grades should expect their files to be held in a rolling admissions pool and reviewed against available seats rather than being placed on a public, position‑based waitlist. Parents who want to be considered for an unexpected vacancy are advised to keep their application current in OpenApply and to contact admission@keystoneacademy.cn to confirm their interest and status.
School Events
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