At the coordination of China First Capital Group Limited (“CFCG” or the “Group”; stock code: 1269), CFCG-owned Xishan Schools and Beijing Experimental Foreign Language School (“BEFS”), invested by a fund established by CFCG wholly-owned First Capital Fund Management Company Limited (“FC Fund”) and other institutions, will join hands with the UK elite school Kingswood School to offer the Kingswood elite education program in China. Application for enrolment will start in June and courses will begin in September, meaning students in the region can receive elite education recognized overseas without having to travel to the UK in China. The programs are going to enhance BEFS and Xishan Schools’ overall competitiveness. Student recruitment fairs for the programs will be held in the afternoon of 10 and 12 June.
The Kingswood elite education program to be offered by Xishan Schools, BEF and Kingswood will be designed and taught by teaching team from Kingswood, including Mr. Garrod Musto, International Executive Headmaster, Ms. Sarah Dawson, Vice Chancellor and Inspector of UK Private Schools, Mr. Simon Forrester, Academic English and Studying Method Program Director, and Mr. Lewis Matheson, Physics Teacher of High School and Dean of Science. Students on completing the program will receive a graduation certificate from Kingswood School and may participate in the British A-level examinations. The quality international program taught by top grade teachers will provide a direct channel to local students who wish to pursue further study in famous schools overseas.
With a history of 350 years, Kingswood School has built an excellent reputation in the UK and internationally, and all of its graduates thus far were admitted into top universities. In 2016, it made it on to the “Top 10 Co-Educational Boarding Schools” list selected among more than 820 boarding schools in the UK, and was named “The Best School” in the A-Level private school academic ranking, as well as one of the top 10 in terms of government value-added education among the close to 10,000 public and private co-educational schools in the UK. These accolades are proof of Kingswood’s outstanding achievements in nurturing talent.
For Xishan School and BEF, to be able to work with Kingswood in offering international courses, means the quality of education they afford is well recognized. In November 2016, CFCG announced the acquisition of 58.3% equity interest in Xishan Schools at a consideration of RMB 350 million. Xishan Schools, renowned for its professional football and martial arts training, art and sports education, operates on the principle of tailoring teaching to match individual aptitudes, thereby help students realize all-round development. In the Xishan Schools family are Fujian Xishan School and Jiangxi Xishan School, which operate on a comprehensive K-12 education system entailing provision of kindergarten, primary school, middle school and high school education. Since its establishment in 1994, Xishan Schools have nurtured many elites and hence are widely acclaimed in the community. The Schools were named one of the “Top 10 Education Group Brands in China” in January 2006.
In addition, CFCG, through FC Fund, set up a fund with other institutions and the fund invested RMB150 million in BEF, a private high school, with junior to higher grade sections, that offers internationalized cross-disciplinary courses with Chinese characteristics. All of its high school graduates thus far were admitted into famous universities local and overseas, the highest rate among all private schools in Beijing. BEF also has an international section that serves students tending to study abroad, offering them junior high and higher grade courses, as well as university foundation courses.
Mr. Yan Haiting, President of CFCG, said, “As the number of affluent families increases in China and parents willing to invest in quality international education for their children at all cost, there is a strong demand for international education programs in the country. However, lacking adequate teaching and other educational resources makes it difficult for private high schools in China to offer international courses. CFCG has kept looking for partners among famous schools in overseas education markets, with the hope of, via close cooperation with these partners, bringing quality education concepts, programs and teaching resources from overseas into the huge education market in China to help raise the value of her schools. For overseas schools, the partnerships can enable them to speed up venturing into the China market and expand their student sources.”
In December 2016, CFCG signed a cooperation agreement with KW International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kingswood School, regarding joint operation of international schools in China, including setting up the “Kingswood International” program with the two mentioned private schools. The introduction of Kingswood School’s program to the two branded K-12 schools marked an important milestone in turning the plans in the agreement into reality. In the future, CFCG will continue to pursue other initiatives in the agreement, including opening two Kingswood International Schools to allow students in different regions in China to receive international elite education.
