The British International School Shanghai, Puxi

BISS-ness Day 2026: Innovation, Creativity and Success! 🤩

On Wednesday, the halls of the Primary School came alive with excitement, creativity, and entrepreneurship as our Years 4, 5, and 6 students proudly hosted a new initiative: BISS-ness Day.

What began six weeks ago as a mathematics project centred around financial literacy transformed into a vibrant marketplace filled with innovation, determination, and student agency. Throughout the preparation process, the students participated in a series of workshops where they developed business ideas, created budgets, calculated costs and profits, designed marketing materials, and learnt about investment, pricing and customer service. Every decision was driven by mathematical thinking and real-world problem-solving.

The result was nothing short of extraordinary.

As visitors entered the event, they were greeted by an incredible variety of student-run businesses. There were products such as freshly squeezed juices, homemade baked goods, candy floss, handmade bracelets, tie-dye shirts, toys, ice cream, creative arts and crafts, and many more. There were also fantastic service stalls which included games, raffles, face painting, live music performance, and even arm wrestling! Visitors could enjoy live music from talented young guitarists, watch 3D printers in action, participate in games and services, and discover countless other unique products and experiences designed entirely by the students.

The atmosphere throughout the morning was electric. The Primary School buzzed with energy as BISS’ young entrepreneurs enthusiastically welcomed customers, explained their products, handled transactions, managed stock, and adapted to the challenges of running a business. It was inspiring to watch ideas that had started as simple sketches and discussions in the classroom come to life as fully functioning stalls.

Beyond the excitement and enjoyment, BISS-ness Day provided a powerful learning experience. Students applied their understanding of money, budgeting, profit and loss, percentages and financial planning in a meaningful and authentic context. They experienced firsthand the importance of teamwork, communication, resilience, and creativity while developing valuable financial literacy skills that will benefit them far beyond the classroom.

Our Year 12 students have had an incredible activity week so far here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 🇹🇭

Yesterday, they spent the day at an elephant sanctuary feeding, walking and bathing with the elephants, showing such care and compassion throughout. Today, they completed service work at a local primary school, leading activities including art, PE, English, music, dance, origami, science and paper planes.

The relationships they built with the children in such a short time was truly special, and it was heartbreaking to leave them behind. This afternoon students embroidered small stuffed fish, a symbol of the local village, made a traditional “cat poo” dessert — a steamed bun coated in sesame and coconut — and learned how local people process natural cotton to weave baskets. We are so proud of our students, who have impressed everyone around them with their empathy, enthusiasm and maturity throughout the week.

Students began the residential trip by recording their journey times from school to Pudong Airport and onwards to Dali before enjoying a scenic lakeside lunch overlooking Erhai Lake. 🇨🇳

The afternoon included kayaking activities, with plenty of friendly competition and enthusiastic splashing between groups, before ending the day with a delicious local dinner and time to socialise in the beautiful hotel surroundings. On the second day, students completed a challenging 6.5km hike in the Cangshan Mountains, travelling by cable car into the clouds before navigating rainy mountain trails. After returning to the hotel to rest and change, they took part in a traditional tie-dye workshop, designing their own souvenirs using local techniques, and explored the nearby artisan market.

The day concluded with a well-earned meal at a western restaurant, allowing everyone to refuel ahead of the next day's activities.

Our Year 9 students have had a fantastic start to their week in Sanya. 🇨🇳

Yesterday afternoon, they enjoyed learning balance techniques to prepare for surfing before spending time playing pool games and socialising with friends. Today, students spread out across the island to take part in a range of exciting activities, including river tracing, rope challenge courses, an island scavenger hunt accessed by ferry, and surfing sessions.

The energy and enthusiasm from all groups have been wonderful to see as students challenge themselves, work together, and make the most of every opportunity. We look forward to the rest of the week as students rotate through the different activities and continue creating countless fun memories together.

Day 2 in Yangshuo! And we went BIG. 🇨🇳

Today our Year 8s split into activity groups for the first time, and the energy was absolutely electric. From valley abseiling and zip-lining to cave exploration, river tracing through cold, rapid water, rock climbing, river kayaking and fan painting; every single student stepped out of their comfort zone and into something extraordinary.

Some students arrived at the cliff edge genuinely terrified of heights and went back for a third abseil anyway. Watching them cheer each other on, gear up, and take on the challenge with such courage and spirit reminded us at BISS exactly why we do these trips. Yangshuo, you’ve delivered again and we cannot wait to see what Day 3 brings!

Our Year 7 students have made an excellent start to their residential trip to Jeju, South Korea. 🇰🇷

Throughout the trip so far, they have taken part in a wide range of activities designed to develop independence, curiosity and confidence beyond the classroom.

Students have explored Jeju’s distinctive physical and cultural landscape, including the impressive Seongsan UNESCO crater, a rainforest walk, Manjanggul Cave and the Haenyeo Museum, where they learned about the island’s unique diving heritage. They have also enjoyed a variety of outdoor experiences, including swimming and cycling along the scenic Hado Beach coastline.

The programme has also included a powerful Nanta drum performance, time exploring the local night markets and a rewarding hike in Hallasan National Park. It has been wonderful to see students engaging positively, supporting one another and approaching each new challenge with enthusiasm.
We look forward to the rest of the adventure.

Year 12 students packed their trunks for an incredible trip to Chiang Mai — and they're already making new friends! 🐘

That’s a wrap on the ladies’ last lunch of the term, and what a celebration! 💕

A dash of pink for the theme as we walked into a beautifully decorated restaurant, courtesy of our parents team who made such a great effort to ensure the day was special.

It was one of our team members, Julie Stoyle’s, last event. We will miss Julie very much. She has been a big part of the community and has helped many parents through her two and a half years here. We appreciate everything she’s done for us all, and her support has been amazing. Stunning food, wonderful company, and an emotional, lovely day all round.

I’d also like to take the opportunity to say thank you to our parents for attending all our events over the last 12 months. It’s been a pleasure having you with us. We look forward to seeing you in August for our first coffee morning on Wednesday 19 August.

Thank you. Love, the Parents Events Team 🩷

The Secondary Talent Show Final was a true celebration of courage, creativity and student leadership 🎤

The whole event was brought together by our wonderful BISS Puxi Student Leadership Team and hosted with confidence and humour by our Student Council President and Vice President, Hyeyoon Min and Ryan Kim from Year 12. Behind the scenes, our stage managers helped orchestrate the smooth running of the show, whilst special guest appearances and surprise teacher performances added even more excitement to an already memorable afternoon.

Our judging panel brought together both student and staff voices, with Student Leaders, Fiona from Year 12 and Charlie from Year 9, joined by Secondary Headteacher and Vice Principal, Mr. Joy, and Head of Music, Ms. Ferreira. The show was led and directed by Ms. Armstrong, whose support helped bring the whole event to life.

The final featured an incredible range of performances, including singing, dancing, piano, rap, ballet, comedy and, quite possibly for the first time in BISS Puxi history, a competitive watermelon eating challenge. Every student who stepped onto the stage demonstrated real bravery in performing in front of the Secondary School.

The Audience Vote was won by The Digestabrothers - Jacky, Oskar and Tiffany (Year 12) with their unforgettable Watermelon Eating Challenge. The result was collected fairly by Mr. Armstrong, Head of Geography, who measured audience cheers using a decibel metre and a helpful Year 7 student.
The Overall Judges’ Winner was Evodie (Year 10), who stole the hearts of the judges with her breathtaking performance of ‘Stand Up’ by Cynthia Erivo.

Our fantastic finalists were:

- Cecily and Janice (Year 10)- K-pop Dance
- Yeju (Year 7) - Piano
- Alvin and Jayden (Year 12) - Rapping
- Rinka and Victoria (Year 8)- Piano and Ballet
- Alicia and Matt (Year 12) - Comedy Duo
- Brendan (Year 12) - Geographical Singing
- Evodie (Year 10) - Singing
- Lilou and Ethan (Year 10) - Piano and Singing
- The Digestabrothers: Jacky, Oskar and Tiffany (Year 12) - Watermelon Eating Challenge

It's lift-off for Secondary Activities Week! 🛫

Years 7-12 are heading on adventures to Jeju Island (Korea), Chiang Mai (Thailand) and locations around China: Yangshuo, Sanya and Dali.

We can't wait to hear about the incredible experiences they'll have during the week!