Star Mandarin School for Children: Mandarin, Maths & Arts | 谢大孔院星星中文学校

 Welcome and Register

The 2026–2027 academic year begins on Saturday, 12 September 2026.

• Mandarin beginners should enrol in September, when new beginner classes commence.
• Children with previous Mandarin learning experience are welcome to join an appropriate existing class at any time during the academic year, subject to availability.
• Maths and Arts courses accept enrolments throughout the year.

Please refer to Star School Timetable 2026-2027. - PDF, 636KB  for full course details.

Online Registration and Fee Payment via the University Online Shop ! 

 Mandarin Chinese Courses 

We welcome children of all ages, abilities and language backgrounds. Our Mandarin programme offers two learning pathways:

• Mandarin for English-speaking learners
• Mandarin for Chinese heritage learners

Students are placed in classes according to their age and Mandarin proficiency to ensure they learn at the most appropriate level. 

New classes start every September.

Children with previous experience of learning Mandarin may join an existing class throughout the year, subject to an assessment of their language level.

• Foundation Mandarin (Nursery): For children as young as 3.5 years old.
• Pre-Beginners:  (New classes start every September).
• Beginners Mandarin Courses: (New classes start every September).
• Other Mandarin Levels: Children with prior study of Chinese can join at any time throughout the year.
• Specialist preparation courses for:
  • GCSE Chinese
  • A-Level Chinese

 Mathematics Enrichment Courses 

Our Mathematics courses follow the National Curriculum for England and are taught in English.

Designed to inspire curiosity and confidence, these enrichment classes extend learning beyond the classroom by exploring challenging mathematical concepts in greater depth. Students develop essential skills in:

• Critical thinking
• Mathematical reasoning
• Problem-solving
• Logical thinking

Courses are available for Year 1 to Year 13, including specialist exam support:

• Primary Mathematics
• Secondary Mathematics
• GCSE Mathematics (Y11 Mathematics)
• A-Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics (Y12 and Y13 Mathematics)

These courses help students strengthen their understanding, build confidence and achieve their full potential in examinations..

 Drawing and Sketching Arts Courses  

Our Arts programme encourages creativity while developing strong observational and technical drawing skills.

Drawing for Young Children (Ages 5–7)

A fun and engaging introduction to drawing. Children explore basic drawing techniques, experiment with different materials and develop confidence in expressing their creativity.

Sketching for Older Children (Ages 8+)

Designed for older learners, this course develops more advanced sketching techniques, helping students improve observation, proportion, perspective and artistic expression.

 Mode of Study  

Courses are offered in the following formats:

• Face-to-face
• Online

Hybrid teaching (a combination of face-to-face and online learning) is currently available mainly for Advanced Mandarin and Secondary Mathematics courses.

星星中文学校提供 线上和线下教学模式。课程包括：3.5岁-5岁幼儿班，学前班，从初级到高级的中文课程，一 年级到 13 年级的数学，儿童绘画，素描课程，还有特设的 GCSE中文和数学辅导，A Level 中文和数学辅导。

Course Fees & Online Learning

Course fees are heavily subsidised by the Sheffield Confucius Institute and cover the full academic year.

If your child joins after the start of the school year, fees will be calculated on a pro-rata basis for the remaining part of the academic year.

Fees at the Star Mandarin School. - PDF, 330KB (Fees remain unchanged for the 2026-2027).

Online Teaching and Learning Guidelines. - PDF, 345KB. 

Course Information

Teaching Schedule:

• All Face-to-Face classes are held on Saturdays, 2h/session, except Foundation Mandarin at 1.5h/session.
• Online classes are held on Saturdays, Sundays and selected weekday evenings, 2h/session.

Academic Year:  12 Sept 2026 - 11 July 2027. 

Class size: Classes typically have 8–20 students. New classes are normally opened when there are at least eight enrolments.

Online Learning Platform: Online classes are delivered via Google Meet, the University's approved online teaching platform. Individual meeting links will be provided by your child's teacher before classes begin. 

Face-to-face Venue: Bartolome House, School of Law, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield S3 7ND

Parking: Subject to confirmation for the 2026–2027 academic year, parking is available for parents and carers while classes are in session at Bartolome House.

• FREE Parking with Permit: 1). Dart Square, 2). Geography Department, 3). Bartolome House.
• If these car parks are full, we recommend using the nearby Q-Park Durham Street.

Timetable, Calendar and Registration   

Star School Timetable 2026-2027. - PDF, 636KB    

Star School Calendar 2026-2027. -PDF, 172K     

Registration

Online registration via the University Online Shop.

•  Register one child per order, even if enrolling them on multiple courses.
  每次订单只为一位孩子报名，可同时选择该孩子的所有课程。
• Please complete the registration form in English only, as the online system cannot recognise Chinese characters.
  请使用英文填写报名信息，系统暂不支持中文输入。
• Your child's personal information will be collected through the online questionnaire during the registration process after you have selected the course(s) and signed into your account.
  在选择课程并登录账户后，系统将在问卷中收集孩子的个人信息。
• Please select the correct course(s) by referring to the Star School Timetable. If you are unsure which class is appropriate, please contact your child's teacher for advice before registering.
  请参照课表选择正确的课程。如不确定，请先咨询孩子的任课老师。

Quality Framework Awards

The Star Mandarin School has been recognised by the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education (NRCSE) through its Quality Framework accreditation programme.

Over the years, the School has achieved the following awards:

• Bronze Award
• Silver Award
• Gold Award
• Distinction Award

These awards recognise our continued commitment to high-quality teaching, effective school leadership and outstanding learning experiences for children and families.

Contact

For more information, contact Dr. Xinqun Hu and Dr. Taochen Zhou.

Email: starschool@sheffield.ac.uk

Telephone:  +44 (0)114 2228447 / 07593502130