Build Your Own School

What Build Your Own School does

Build Your Own School (BYOS) is referenced as a program or initiative within Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS), based on the website URL ssis.asia/news/byos-leads-the-way-in-innovation-and-leadership. The underlying entity, SSIS, is a private K-12 international school founded in 1996 by Mr. Chen Fengkun (陈逢坤先生) and headquartered at 301 Zhu Jian Road, Minhang, Shanghai. The school serves expatriate families in Shanghai, offering a complete education pathway from Early Years (ages 2) through Grade 18, with curriculum streams combining Singapore curriculum, IGCSE, and IB Diploma programmes, and an AP programme announced for 2024. Technology infrastructure is built on ManageBac for academic tracking and Personalised Learning Journey (PLJ), SchoolsBuddy for activity management, and OpenApply for online admissions. The school operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model targeting expatriate families through bilingual website content, WeChat presence, open days, campus tours, virtual tours, and a Parent Support Group referral network. SSIS generates revenue primarily through recurring annual tuition fees, with specific pricing not publicly disclosed. The school holds dual CIS and WASC accreditations (re-accredited 2026), Cambridge Exam hosting certification (2024), Swim England accreditation (2022), and ISO 22000 kitchen certification, and is recognized in the Forbes China 2026 International School Annual Selection. The original Sun Island campus was spun off in 2022 as Prime Education (元立学校) under the founder's Prime Group International, while SSIS continues to operate from its Minhang campus.

Name

Build Your Own School

Legal name

Shanghai Singapore International School

Website

https://ssis.asia

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Build Your Own School is a program within Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS), a private K-12 international school in Shanghai serving expatriate families with Singapore, IGCSE, and IB Diploma curricula from ages 2 to 18.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 International Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• K-12 international education
• Singapore curriculum programmes
• IB Diploma programme
• IGCSE secondary education
• Expatriate student schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: SSIS generates revenue primarily through K-12 tuition fees charged to expatriate families. The school offers a complete education pathway from Early Years (ages 2) through Grade 12, with curriculum options including Singapore curriculum, IGCSE, and IB Diploma programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Build Your Own School delivers K-12 international education (ages 2-18) for expatriate families in Shanghai, offering a complete education pathway that combines the Singapore curriculum, IGCSE, and IB Diploma programmes. The school operates from a single campus in Minhang, Shanghai, and delivers its Personalised Learning Journey (PLJ) framework supported by ManageBac and SchoolsBuddy digital platforms, with annual tuition billing as the primary revenue model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sabre Cubs: Early childhood education program for preschool-aged children
• Personalised Learning Journey (PLJ)
• Sabres

Products and services

• K-12 International Education Programme Complete K-12 international education pathway for expatriate children ages 2-18, combining Singapore curriculum, IGCSE, and IB Diploma programmes, delivered through the Personalised Learning Journey (PLJ) framework.
• Early Years (Preschool) Programme

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prime Group InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrime Group International is part of SSIS's extended ecosystem. Founded by SSIS creator Chen Fengkun, the group established Prime Education (Shanghai Sun Island Yuanli School) as a successor institution that continues the SSIS educational philosophy and 30-year international education legacy at the original Sun Island campus in Qingpu, Shanghai.
• Shanghai Sun Island Resort (上海太阳岛)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShanghai Sun Island Resort is the original location of SSIS and continues to serve as the site for Prime Education. The resort provides facilities and ecosystem support for the SSIS extended community, including hosting school events and activities.
• National Institute of Education (NIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSIS has a partnership with the National Institute of Education for professional development and educational research collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellington College International Shanghai: Premium British international school in Pudong delivering IGCSE and IB programmes to Shanghai expatriates. Competes directly with SSIS on academic outcomes, facilities, and premium pricing.
• Nord Anglia School Shanghai: Global premium international school operator with a Shanghai campus offering IGCSE and IB. Competes for the same expatriate K-12 segment and is part of a multi-campus group, contrasting with SSIS's single campus.
• Concordia International School Shanghai: American-curriculum international school in Shanghai serving expatriate families with K-12 programmes including AP. Direct competitor within Shanghai's premium international school market.
• British International School Shanghai (BISS Puxi): British international school in Shanghai's Puxi district offering IGCSE and IB pathways to expatriate families. Directly comparable premium positioning and curriculum structure to SSIS.
• Dulwich College Shanghai: Premium British-curriculum international school in Shanghai offering IGCSE and IB Diploma pathways to expatriate families. Closely comparable to SSIS in target market, curriculum mix, and tuition positioning.
• Shanghai American School: Largest and most established American-curriculum international school in Shanghai, serving the same expatriate and returnee family segment with K-12 programmes. Directly competes with SSIS for premium Shanghai expatriate enrolments.

Broad incumbents

• Singapore International School (Hong Kong): Singapore-affiliated international school in Hong Kong offering Singapore and IB pathways. Comparable Singapore-curriculum heritage and similar expatriate K-12 positioning, though in a different Greater China market.

Regional players

• Shanghai United International School: Large Shanghai-based international school group operating multiple campuses with mixed Chinese/international curricula. Comparable in geography and K-12 international offering, though with a broader local-Chinese student mix.
• Yew Wah International Education School of Shanghai: Yew Wah's Shanghai campus serves expatriate and local-international families with IB-aligned curricula. Comparable operating model and Chinese-market focus though backed by a larger multi-city network.

Others

• CIS / WASC (accreditation bodies): Council of International Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges accredit SSIS itself and many direct peers. Included as ecosystem/quality-standard reference rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/build-your-own-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Build Your Own School