When Hyde, a 2025 graduate of Shenzhen Merchiston International Schools (Centre Number: 92334), achieved a perfect score of 600 in A Level Further Mathematics and claimed the 2025 Outstanding Pearson Learner Award (OPLA)—a recognition for top-performing learners worldwide as outlined in Pearson Edexcel’s official correspondence—this honor from a globally authoritative academic institution not only wrote a legendary turnaround story of Hyde: from a student who faced setbacks in a public school and felt lost and adrift to a Cambridge-bound scholar, but also solidified the school’s reputation for nurturing top-tier global talent. In turn, Shenzhen Merchiston International Schools was officially awarded the 2025 Outstanding Pearson School Award (with the honorary title "Star-Chasing Award 2025"), as confirmed in Pearson Education’s official document recognizing schools whose students have earned Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards in the 2024/2025 examination series.
Behind this achievement lies nearly two centuries of mathematical heritage at Merchiston. The original campus of Merchiston’s parent school was situated in the castle of John Napier—the inventor of logarithms, a descendant of the Celtic royal families of Scotland and Ireland, and a scientific giant who revolutionized human mathematical computation. Napier once explored the mysteries of numbers within this castle; later, he donated the castle to establish Merchiston, embedding the academic spirit of "pursuing excellence" into the school’s inherent DNA. From Napier’s logarithmic theory laying the foundation for modern mathematics to Hyde’s global top score today, this legacy has consistently driven Merchiston to break new ground in academia.
Over its 8-year operation in Shenzhen, the school has translated this heritage into tangible university admission success: it secured the first Cambridge University offer among pure British-style international schools in the Greater Bay Area. Even more impressively, the 26 graduates of the 2025 cohort earned an average of one offer from UK G5 universities each—milestones that stand as irrefutable proof of Merchiston’s academic excellence.
Now, building on the recognition of the 2025 Outstanding Pearson School Award and its proven experience in nurturing top math talents, Shenzhen Merchiston International Schools officially launches the Lighthouse Education Fund—a dedicated 5 million RMB scholarship program. This initiative aims to recruit 5 math prodigies globally to form the Napier Math Prodigy Class, which will be integrated into the Royal Mile Academy of Shenzhen Merchiston for specialized training.
Leading this program is Ms. Marion, Principal of Shenzhen Merchiston International Schools. Her journey with Merchiston began as a frontline math teacher at Edinburgh Merchiston Castle School; over her 40-year teaching career, she rose to Head of Mathematics Department and later Vice Principal of Academic Affairs, helping countless students gain admission to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Since taking the helm of Shenzhen Merchiston in 2022, she has continued this legacy, supporting students like Hyde in achieving remarkable academic breakthroughs.
Looking ahead, Ms. Marion will collaborate with Dean Kurtof the Royal Mile Academy—a seasoned educator who has guided hundreds of students into Oxford, Cambridge, and UK G5 universities—to develop a three-in-one training model: "In-depth Academic Learning + Competition Preparation + Research Enlightenment". This model ensures that prodigies can focus wholeheartedly on in-depth math exploration without worrying about resource constraints, as the scholarship covers key costs including tuition and academic exchange fees.
From Hyde’s perfect score in A Level Further Mathematics to the school’s 2025 Outstanding Pearson School Award, and now the launch of the 5 million RMB Lighthouse Education Fund, Shenzhen Merchiston International Schools is building a fertile ground for global math prodigies—rooted in the "Napier mathematical heritage", guided by top-tier educators, and empowered by dedicated scholarships. In the future, this institution will not only remain a Pearson-accredited outstanding school but also become a new starting point for countless students pursuing academic excellence.
We welcome young people with a passion for mathematics to join us and strive together towards academic excellence with Shenzhen Merchiston! For enrollment inquiries,
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