Home - Thomas International Schools

About the Thomas Schools

The Thomas Schools of China, modelled after the curriculum, pedagogy, and philosophy of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, United States, combine the finest in traditional Chinese culture with the core values of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the leading high school for STEM education in the US.

Our Schools

Shanghai Thomas School

STS Profile 21-22

Jinan Thomas School

CEIS Fabulinus Project

Hefei Thomas School

Nanjing Thomas School

Ambright · Thomas Schools Steering Committee

Prof. David Cardwell President

Professor, University of Cambridge; Academician, Royal Academy of Engineering; World-Renown Expert on Superconductivity.

Alan Bersin Member

Member of Board Overseers, Harvard University; former Secretary, California Department of Education.

Sir Keith Burnett Member

World-Renowned Educator & Physicist; President, Science Council; former Vice-Chancellor, University of Sheffield; former Head of the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Science, University of Oxford; Fellow, Royal Society (2001).

Ari Huovinen Member

Principal, Ressu Upper Secondary School.

Dr. Geoffrey Jones Member

Founding Principal, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Deborah Stipek Member

Former Dean, Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Yang Jiujun Member

Research Professorship, Mandarin Teacher of Special Classification; Honorary President, Jiangsu Education Society; former Deputy Dean, Jiangsu Academy of Educational Sciences; former Vice President, Jiangsu Second Normal University; former Director, Teaching & Research Office of Jiangsu Primary & Secondary School; Editor, High School Mandarin Teaching Materials (Jiangsu Edition).

Yuan Zhenguo Member

Vice President, Chinese Society of Education; Tenured Professor & Dean of the Department of Education, East China Normal University; former Deputy Director, Department of Teachers’ Schools & Department of Social Sciences, Ministry of Education; former Secretary General, State Education Consultative Committee.

Zhang Zhiyong Member

Professor & Executive Dean of Institute for Education Policy, Beijing Normal University; Vice Chairman of Primary Education Teaching Instruction Committee & Chairman of Family Education Instruction Committee, Ministry of Education; former Deputy Director General, Shandong Provincial Department of Education; National Education Inspector; State-Council Special Subsidy Expert.

*The names of the steering committee members are listed according to alphabetical order of their surnames.

Campus & Facilities

The schools have advanced teaching and learning facilities, state-of-the-art information technology, and a number of innovative and advanced research laboratories, which all ensure the students’ needs for learning and research are well met. We have a variety of programmes that integrate Chinese and Western cultural features to facilitate students’ educational and sporting activities, thereby creating a vibrant and stimulating atmosphere on campus.

Highlights & Events

Vision & Mission

Vision

Our Thomas Schools are poised to become a global brand, a national first-class high school, and an internationally renowned educational institution.

Mission

With an educational philosophy of an integrated STEM curriculum, and with teaching and learning methods from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the USA, the Thomas Schools of China cultivate students’ abilities through inquiry-based learning, with a strong focus on research. We believe character development is an essential ingredient in promoting harmonious growth of both knowledge and skills. Students are expected to become outstanding adults fully equipped for life as world citizens in the 21st century – with a deep appreciation of Chinese cultural heritage, a broad international outlook, and the ability to solve future social-economic and technological problems.

Course Features

The Thomas School curriculum is designed within the scope of the basic requirements of the Chinese national curriculum. It includes many of the STEM subjects of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the USA, creating an innovative curriculum that is in line with the Chinese national curriculum and national education policy and philosophy.

Program & Courses

The Thomas Schools of China have adopted the core values of the integrated STEM course curriculum of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in America, which is well known and highly recognized by the leading universities in the United States. Within the framework of the Chinese national curriculum’s standards, the Thomas Schools have developed research-based courses as the vehicle for delivering a solid STEM/Integrated Course curriculum with an underlying philosophy of interdisciplinary innovation.

City

Shanghai is the financial center of China, as well as its most populous city. This, combined with its history as a foreign hub during the colonial era, makes Shanghai one of the country's most fascinating cities.

Jinan, often referred to as the “City of Springs,” is located 400 km (250 mi) south of Beijing and takes roughly two hours to get to by high-speed railway.

Hefei is the capital city of Anhui Province, located 3 hours by car, northwest of Shanghai. Hefei prides itself as a city where 3 major streams converge as indicated by the character ‘he’ in its name.

Nanjing is the capital city of Jiangsu Province, located 2 hours northwest of Shanghai by high-speed railway. Known as one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China (alongside Beijing, Xi’an, and Luoyang), Nanjing boasts an impressive global reputation.