- Whole School
As the new school year prepares to start and students get ready to resume their studies, a different kind of school work is just finishing at Hangzhou International School (HIS).
Throughout the summer months, our campus becomes a hub of activity as builders, designers, and school leaders work together to enhance the learning environment for every student.
This year's renovation programme represents one of the most significant campus improvement initiatives in recent years, with projects focused on student wellbeing, safety, learning, and community connection.
Every Improvement Starts with One Question
When planning any campus investment, we begin with a simple question: ‘How will this improve the experience of our students?’.
The 2026 summer renovation programme includes upgrades across the campus, including redesigned Early Childhood and Lower School playgrounds, improvements to outdoor learning environments, reimagined music classrooms, a new running track around the main building, new campus signage, improved storage and seating solutions, and better connections between learning spaces.
These projects are designed not only to improve how the campus looks, but to enhance how students learn, play, create, collaborate, and grow every day.
Safer, More Inspiring Spaces for Learning
Student wellbeing is at the heart of many of this summer's projects.
The Lower School and Early Childhood playground renovations will provide more engaging play opportunities, improved fall-protection surfaces, enhanced shade coverage, sensory-rich environments, and greater opportunities for outdoor exploration and learning. Outdoor learning areas are being refined to support inquiry, creativity, and hands-on experiences beyond the classroom walls.
Safety improvements are also being made across campus. Upgrades to the running track and trackside curbs will reduce trip hazards and create more seamless, accessible spaces for students of all ages. New pathways and circulation improvements will make movement around campus safer and more intuitive.
The renovation of the Lower School music classroom will provide additional storage, better organisation, improved lighting, and a more flexible learning environment capable of supporting a wider range of musical experiences.
Learning Without Walls
One of the most exciting aspects of the renovation programme is the increased connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
New access points from the Grade 1 classrooms will make it easier for students and teachers to move between classrooms and outdoor learning spaces. These new areas can then be used as reading zones, collaborative workspaces, performance venues, and extensions of the classroom.
This reflects a growing understanding that meaningful learning happens everywhere, not only inside traditional classrooms.
What Does It Mean to Be a Non-Profit School?
Perhaps the most important story behind these renovations is not what is being built, but how it is being funded.
Hangzhou International School operates as a non-profit school. This means the school has no owners or shareholders receiving profits. Instead, all income generated by the school is reinvested directly back into the educational experience.
Tuition fees and school revenue are used to improve facilities, develop programmes, support student wellbeing, invest in technology, and attract and retain outstanding teachers and staff.
For families, this means every investment is guided by what will most benefit students, rather than what will generate returns for investors.
The new playgrounds, upgraded learning spaces, enhanced facilities, and continued investment in exceptional educators are all examples of how a non-profit model supports long-term educational excellence.
Investing in the Future
These summer renovations are more than construction projects. They are a reflection of our commitment to continuous improvement and our belief that students deserve learning environments that inspire curiosity, creativity, and achievement.
As students return to campus next week, they will discover new spaces to explore, new opportunities to learn, and a campus that continues to evolve alongside their needs.
At Hangzhou International School, every investment is an investment in students, and every improvement is made with their future in mind.