From its beginning as a girls’ school to its rebirth through school mergers, this “golden phoenix” soaring out of the alley is leveraging the resources of Tongji University to become a new pacesetter for innovative education. Today, let’s take a closer look at this century-old prestigious school distinguished by its rich heritage and unique character—Qiyi High School Affiliated to Tongji University.

Qiyi High School, comprising both a main campus and a branch campus, has been recognized as a Shanghai Model Unit, a Shanghai Demonstration School for Code of Conduct, and a Shanghai Science and Technology Specialty School, reflecting its rich heritage and strong strength.

A century of transformation: serving the country through education

In 1905

Founded as Chongde Girls’ Middle School, the school has consistently pursued the ideal of advancing education to serve the country.

In the 1950s

School expansion and mergers fostered the rise of the “golden phoenix in the alley”.

In the 1980s and 1990s

As a pioneer in educational reform, the school led the way with its innovative “Saturday Without Schoolbags” initiative.

In the new era

Leveraging the abundant resources of Tongji University, the school has gained a strong reputation for its inquiry learning approach.

Today, Qiyi High School has grown into a six-year middle school offering middle and high school education. The school now has 39 classes and nearly 1,500 teachers and students. The school boasts a strong faculty, including 34 teachers holding senior professional titles. Many have been honored as distinguished teachers or model workers at the municipal and district levels.

Upholding virtue while advancing with knowledge and actions

Guided by the motto of “diligence, progress, simplicity, and truth-seeking”, the school is committed to the philosophy of “unlocking potential, nurturing a sound personality, and promoting harmonious development”. It continually deepens its distinctive approach, emphasizing humanistic education, creative practice, open collaboration, and harmonious growth.

In daily instruction, the school places strong emphasis on character development and thinking training while focusing on imparting knowledge. This approach has fostered a distinctive culture marked by diligent and inquisitive students, rigorously dedicated teachers, and an institution courageous in educational innovation. As a result, the school has successfully cultivated generations of outstanding graduates who possess both profound cultural literacy and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Creative education ignites the future

Guided by the principle of “making creativity a habit”, the school has made significant efforts to develop a creative educational curriculum. The school has established 25 specialized classrooms, including robotics labs, creative workshops, German language classrooms, DIS labs, studios, and calligraphy classrooms, to fully support students in sci-tech innovation and artistic expression.

In recent years, leveraging several municipal research programs such as “Research on the Development and Practice of School-based Curriculum in the Context of Creative Education”, the school has systematically advanced the development of comprehensive practical activity courses. Its students have excelled in areas such as robotics, intellectual property exploration, and German language initiatives, earning multiple awards in competitions at municipal levels and above. These achievements underscore the school’s commitment to fostering creativity and unlocking students’ potential.

Forward together on a new journey

A century is but a starting point, and innovation knows no end. Riding on the tide of our times and embarking on a brand-new journey, the school is committed to empowering the lifelong development of its teachers and students, contributing its unique wisdom and strength to building China into a powerhouse in education!