The China Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards ceremony takes place each year and serves to recognise the students in China who attained the highest marks in the country and around the world in examinations through Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), which is part of the world-renowned and prestigious Cambridge University in England.

Earlier this school year, the YCIS Pudong community were ecstatic to learn that two YCIS Pudong students were due to receive awards at the 2019 ceremony. Year 12 student Alexandra (Alex) and YCIS Pudong IGCSE Coordinator Mr Ian Lee, as well as YCIS Pudong Co-Principals Mr Damien Hehir and Ms Mary Yu, went to the event held in Shanghai to represent the school and to collect the awards.

Not only did Alex receive an award for the highest mark in China for IGCSE Design and Technology, but she was also given the honour by Cambridge of giving the keynote speech to Cambridge representatives, her peers from schools across the city, and all of the educators and family members in attendance. “Being invited to speak at the Cambridge awards ceremony was an honour I’ll never forget, and I was thrilled to receive my 'Top in China' award in recognition of my hard work,” said Alex.

Mr Lee accompanied Alex to the ceremony and took to the stage himself to receive an award on behalf of former YCIS Pudong student, Armand, who relocated this past summer to Europe with his family. Armand spent eight successful years at YCIS Shanghai, Pudong and it was a fitting tribute to his time at the school for him to be awarded a High Achievement award in China for IGCSE Foreign Language French, which Armand undertook with the support of YCIS Pudong Secondary teacher Ms Alison Walthew as part of the school's self-taught language learning option.

Mr Lee later reflected on the awards, saying "It is an astonishing accomplishment for a student to be recognised as achieving the top exam mark in their subject in the country. We are very proud of Alex and Armand, and I would also like to offer my congratulations to the other award winners and the teachers who got them there.”

This is the 10th year in a row that YCIS Pudong students have been recognised by Cambridge at these awards as having some of the top students in China and the World. Whether moving on to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the school or taking their learning to new countries or back home, YCIS Pudong is incredibly proud of its students. The school community can look back with admiration at a decade of excellent international academic achievements and look forward to hearing of more successes in the future.

Watch below to see more of Alex's story and hear about the decade of Cambridge awards earned by students at YCIS Pudong.