EXCITED, EMPOWERED LEARNERS

Welcome
Curriculum Introduction
Core Curriculum
Co-Curricular Activities
Student Well-being
Exceptional Resources

WELCOME

Engaged Learning

Keystone’s groundbreaking K-12 model of learning begins with our Primary School. As a world school, we blend distinctive traditions in Eastern, Western, and international education to empower your child to start their lifelong learning journey with confidence. One of the hallmarks of the Keystone Academy experience is not only exceptionally well-prepared students but also students who can’t wait to come to school each day. Learning is exciting for our youngest students as they engage with a thoughtful, rigorous curriculum guided by a diverse, devoted, and expert faculty. Intentionally designed to weave insights from around the globe about how best to prepare children for their futures, a Keystone education engages students in inquiry-based, active learning, develops their intellectual curiosity and creativity, and attunes them to interdisciplinary connections. Your child will experience challenging, joyful learning while gaining a breadth and depth of knowledge and skills that position them for success in a globally connected and ever-changing world.

18

Average Class Size in Primary School
1:7

Student-Teacher Ratio
25

Nationalities Represented
600+

Weekly Co-Curricular Activities
82000+

Number of Library Collections
1:1

Apple Device-Student Ratio

INTRODUCTION

Primary Curriculum at a Glance

A Keystone Primary education combines bilingual immersion, our unique Chinese Thread, and the widely recognized International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Through the IPC program, we ensure a consistent and well-organized curriculum supported by decades of research into brain development and brain-friendly learning. Small classes of 20 or fewer students and a curriculum that makes learning fun and engaging help students successfully confront challenging academic objectives.

CORE CURRICULUM

A Bilingual Advantage

At Keystone Primary School, your child will benefit from early bilingual immersion in which they study, play, and learn using Chinese and English throughout the school day. Our progressive model of language acquisition is based on research and effective practice that shows students in immersion programs demonstrate a high correlation between complex thinking skills and advanced linguistic abilities. Introduced to the value of learning in two languages, your child builds a foundation of linguistic competency and cultural understanding. Students from bilingual immersion programs also have excellent cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills.
CORE CURRICULUM

Keystone’s Chinese Thread

Keystone Academy is a Chinese school with a national yet global program and community. While weaving together the best of three rich, deep educational traditions — Chinese, American, and international, Chinese is our foundational Thread. We aim to instill pride and knowledge in all our Chinese and non-Chinese students of China’s powerful past and promising future.
Chinese cultural history and the Chinese National Curriculum objectives and standards are integrated into our bilingual International Primary Curriculum. Students also experience the Chinese Thread in specific subjects. For example, in Primary School arts courses, your child will study ceramics, painting, and calligraphy. Music and dance reference Chinese performance arts, we have a robust wushu program, and Chinese conceptions of health and well-being are the cornerstones of our physical education program.

CORE CURRICULUM

Research-Based Math

Keystone uses a research-based, inquiry-driven, and skills-oriented math curriculum. Grounded in the well-respected Chinese National Curriculum and international standards, our program is designed to make math relevant to students’ everyday lives while leading to a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Students gain the foundation they need for rigorous math and science scholarship in middle and high school. We also offer enrichment opportunities for students who benefit from more significant challenges.

CORE CURRICULUM

Hands-On Science

Scientific principles are essential for children’s understanding of nature and the world around them. They weave through our entire curriculum and stand-alone science classes. Even our youngest students develop lab skills, conduct hands-on experiments, and gain an understanding of scientific methods. Students learn about different ways of collecting and organizing scientific information and investigate the links between scientific thinking, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability. By Grade 5, they are well prepared for the rigors of our middle school science program.
CORE CURRICULUM

Joyful Creative Expression

Guided by Chinese National Curriculum standards and international programs, our arts program draws inspiration from China’s deep artistic traditions. Our curriculum encourages students to recognize links between the arts and daily life, emotional expression, cultural perspectives, and technological innovation. In our music rooms and art studios, students explore various forms of artistic expression, including music, dance, drama, sculpture, painting, and calligraphy. These courses foster creativity, appreciation for traditional and world arts, and essential qualities like optimism and independent thinking. Through exhibitions and performances, students showcase their work and engage with the entire Keystone community.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Experiential Learning Program and Outdoor Education Program

At Keystone, we educate young people to be active participants and leaders. Field trips, outdoor adventures, cultural visits, service, and experiential learning are vital components of a Keystone education beginning in Primary School. By venturing beyond the classroom, students bridge classroom lessons with real-world experiences, discover new interests, form shared bonds with their classmates and teachers, and develop compassion for others. In addition to field trips in and around Beijing, highlights include a Grade 3 students spring overnight camping trip to prepare for future outdoor adventures and a Grade 4 and 5 week-long Experiential Learning Program (ELP) outside Beijing that builds independence, confidence, and teamwork skills.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Keystone Activities Program (KAP)

Educational research underscores the pivotal role of co-curricular activities in shaping learning outcomes. For this reason, the Keystone Activities Program (KAP) is an essential and vibrant aspect of our students’ experience. With hundreds of activities in the arts, clubs, service, and athletics, students discover and pursue new talents. They develop valuable lifelong skills such as teamwork, determination, and resilience. They form friendships, begin having a sense of their own agency, and have fun.

STUDENT WELL-BEING

Physical and Mental Well-Being

Student mental, emotional, and physical well-being drives everything we do at Keystone Academy. Our expert faculty and staff are trained in child protection and devoted to ensuring the health and well-being of our students at all times. Physical and mental well-being is also part of every student’s education — integrated into our curriculum through classes, primary school CARE time, student advisory groups in which each student has their own faculty advisor, as well as through our residential program. Our beautiful state-of-the-art campus provides many resources for recreation and fitness and our tightknit, caring community is always available for support. Throughout their time at Keystone, students learn ways to manage and promote their mental, emotional, and physical health to help set them up for healthy lives ahead.