Saint Paul American School, Beijing

In Brief

Closed since November 2022. The school suspended operations and never reopened — not a candidate for your kid.

SPAS announced a suspension of operations in November 2022, blaming a collapse in enrolment after the pandemic. It never came back. By 2023 it had effectively ceased to function, and as of now it's listed as defunct. The Haidian campus is closed.

For context on what people said about it when it was running, the picture wasn't strong. Teacher commentary on Glassdoor was rough - according to one reviewer, "management has no vision or understanding of education," with complaints about heavy workloads, high staff turnover, and a pay scale that didn't match what people were actually paid. One teacher said it was "not recommended if you are starting as a 1-3 year teacher" because there was little mentoring. Parent feedback on Facebook was warmer but thin - 22 reviews and an 88% recommendation, mostly short positive blurbs rather than detailed accounts.

Bottom line for your friend: cross it off the list. If they were drawn to the American boarding-style option in Haidian, point them instead at the established Beijing options - ISB, WAB, BSB Shunyi, Daystar, Keystone - all still very much running.