Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School is one of the top national demonstrational schools in China. In recent years the school has received a number of important honours such as being designated a national experimental school of modern teaching techniques. Furthermore the school has been selected as a Provincial Model School, an Advanced Provincial School within the sphere of moral education in addition to being chosen as one of the greenest schools in Jiangsu province. With a long and illustrious history the school is famous for being a countryside institution. It is set in a beautiful environment, has a simple yet effective school motto and top-class facilities. It is widely recognized as an excellent choice for students to obtain a first class education. As a consequence of the success of the main school a Branch School was founded in 1997 in the town of Dongting. A further expansion of the school is currently underway in the town of Yanqiao (the seat of local government in Huishan district). These new buildings will be designed in such a way that they will be at the forefront of modern educative techniques and provide students with a world-class education. The first enrollment of new students is scheduled for 2004. Today Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School boasts many modern teaching facilities including, scientific laboratories, a large library, teaching buildings of high quality, an international communications centre, a reference room charting school history, a music hall, an experimental theatre and an observatory. From the perspective of the students physical education the school has an international standard tennis court, an athletics track, an Astroturf football field, numerous basketball courts, a multi-functional sports centre and a sizeable swimming pool. Naturally the school is also equipped with the necessities of modern life such as bathrooms and dining halls for both students and staff.

All the students have now been installed in newly constructed dormitory buildings, which are of course furnished and provided with telephones and bathroom facilities. Xishan Senior High School is playing a leading role in the provision of a modern, internationally focused education. The school complex possesses a multi-functional audio-visual reading room, a state of the art sound lab, an electronic reading room, a transfer centre and a sophisticated library computer management system. The school has its own TV station, which is blessed with top-notch recording and presentation equipment. Every senior classroom in the school has its own digital overhead projector and computer in order to facilitate the easy presentation of computer based information to the class. Sets of portable earphones with adjustable frequency settings are provided to every student enabling them to tune into the programs relevant to their own specific learning level. An ATM campus intranet has been set up using fibre optic cables to connect some 850 information points (inclusive of every classroom) on campus. Every computer can of course be connected to the Internet. An IT specialization class was first launched with great success in 2001. An additional class is due to be formed in 2004. Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School aims to train its students to evolve into upstanding Chinese citizens and at developing itself into a model of modern education in a countryside context. We place great emphasis on delivering moral education. We have forged an atmosphere conducive to both teaching and studying and we maintain the strict discipline consistent with a boarding school - which is highly thought of by both the parents and the residents of the local neighbourhood. We are constantly striving to improve the structure of the curriculum. We do not merely carry out the national standard curriculum but also execute our own school, based curriculum (of 80 individual topics) in juxtaposition to the national program. Our school curriculum consists of a broad range of subjects in the areas of science, art, physical and mental health and general life skills. Our school is considered to be a pioneer in Mainland China in the development and expansion of these types of modern educative processes. The research topics of this curriculum are contained in the list of subjects sponsored by the Chinese National Education Department. We are among the ten educational institutions in the entire country to engage in the study of the nature of the relationship between the College Entrance Examination and Secondary Level Education. Here, information and scientific data are so easily available that our teachers can help students learn in a better a more efficient manner.

Our students can also choose to participate in one of a number of elective classes or activities offered by the school. We try to ensure that all our students develop to their full potential and in a well-balanced way. In recent years we have performed well in both the High School and College Entrance Examinations. Colleges or universities enroll almost all of our students. During the past 10 years, 19 students have received first class awards both in the city of Wuxi and in Jiangsu province as a whole in the college entrance examination. Many of our students have done very well in a variety of competitions both local and national. Among their number is Meng Jianting who won first prize in the Zhou Peiyuan mechanics competition and was No 1 in Jiangsu province. He later went on to Taiwan to participate in further competitions as a member of the Chinese National Team. Hua Wei acquired his patent right during his period of study at the school and another student Wu Zhangben was chosen to be trained in the winter camp of the Olympic Chemistry Competition. He was subsequently recommended for a place at Qinghua University on the basis of his performance. Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School is famous in Jiangsu province for the high caliber of its English teaching and is widely regarded as a cradle of English talent. From 1993 to 1998 our English specialization classes (whose students were drawn from all over the city), encountered great success in the University Entrance Examination. 100% of the students from these classes became undergraduates in the following five years. Our school was also selected as a feeder school by Beijing Foreign Language University, which then enrolled our students ahead of schedule. In the year 2003 the school will continue to retain the vital characteristics of the English specialization classes and welcome students from the entire city to enroll. 80% of the English teachers in Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School have received specialized training abroad of 450 hours duration. The school possesses a modern teaching staff of exceptional drive and quality. These include five teachers with special titles, one national expert, three as designated 333 Academic Teaching Leaders in Jiangsu province, thirteen as Academic Teaching leaders in Wuxi city, and 39 as teaching experts in the Huishan district of Wuxi. Zhu Shixiong, headmaster of the school, is ranked among the most well-known and respected principals in Jiangsu province. The school is composed of a total staff of 460, caring for 3575 students in 70 classes.