Beijing No. 8 High School (BJBZH; ) is a public beacon secondary school (grades 7–12) located in the Xicheng District of Beijing, China. With upwards of 99 percent of its graduating classes matriculating to China's most elite universities, and approximately one in five attending Peking University or Tsinghua University, BJBZH has been one of the best schools in the city for nearly a century. The school has a dedicated program for students who intend to pursue higher education abroad following graduation, which includes an intensive English language curriculum. The school also maintains regulation size athletic facilities, including soccer field, running track, underground athletic center, swimming pool, and several basketball courts, which were used as training and practice facilities during the 2008 Olympics.
No. 8 has been accredited as "Municipal Model High School" by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education. It is a model school for Scientific and Technological Practice, a member of the Association of Youth Technology Education, a National Established School of Sports in Beijing, a Member School of the Chinese Radio Sports Association and a member of the Jinfan Orchestra.
History of No.8 Middle School
Former Si Cun Middle School
1921: Beijing No.8 Middle school was founded as Si Cun Middle School. 1949: The Si Cun Middle School was merged with Peking No. 8 Middle School and changed to its present name.
No.8 Middle School
1950: The school moved to its previous schoolhouse located in An Yuan alley (). 1984: The school was chosen as the experimental unit of educational renovation. 1985: The Experimental Class for Exceptionally Gifted Children was established. 1992: In accordance to Financial Street municipal construction plans, No.8 Middle School started building new schoolhouse.
1999: The junior high section moved to the present schoolhouse, located at 2 Xibianmen East st., Xicheng District. 2000: The senior high section moved to its present schoolhouse located at 2 Xueyuan Xiaojie, Xicheng District. 2006: The school started construction with its senior high section in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 2008: Construction finished and the school became the only one within 2nd ring road equipped with standard elevated sports field.
Facilities
The school is divided into junior high part and senior high part. Both parts are equipped with labs, choir rooms, orchestra rooms, basketball courts and other facilities.
The Biological Technology Experiment Center
The biological technology experiment zone was installed in 2002, after the National Bureau of Education introduced the Curriculum Plan of National High Schools (experimental edition) in 2001.1. The center consists of a tissue culturing lab, a sterile operating room, and a molecular biology lab. The labs are well-equipped, the equipments include a PCR instrument and eight sterile operating tables as well as other basic necessities. The labs are surrounded by double-layer glass and can be observed from the outside. Students interested in biological experiment are encouraged to conduct simulated scientific research within the labs, and students from different high schools across Beijing take part in the experiments in this center.
Faculty
Currently, the school has over a hundred faculty members. The students to faculty ratio is around 10 to 1.
Academics
The school provides curriculum mainly to prepare students for the National College Entrance Examination, better known as the "gaokao" and the Senior High School Entrance Examination, known as the "zhongkao". As the school is among the most prestigious high schools, 99 out of 100 of Beijing No.8 High School graduates matriculate into Chinese top universities. In 2013, Beijing No.8 High School started providing selected students with international curriculum, including English Language Arts and AP courses in addition to regular Chinese classes. Besides the newly established international department, Beijing No.8 High School has offered an international track for more than seven years. A special class is arranged for students who intend to study abroad after graduation.