In 1993, a group of visionary retired teachers and school administrators saw a need for a new type of school that focused on gifted and talented education, as an alternative to the public education offered through government-funded schools. They envisioned a school with an environment designed to nurture the growth of balanced, responsible, and dedicated young people, and to prepare them for college and success in life. Big Bridge Experimental Middle School was thus established. The school rented a building from a public school and began with grade seven, with additional grades added each year.
As the school grew, there was a need for a larger permanent location. The Xueqianjie location was thus chosen. The Big Bridge community worked together to make possible the construction and furnishing of the new facility. After moving to the new and larger main academic building in 2002, the school was able to offer seventh through twelfth grade curricula and became known as Big Bridge Experimental High School.
The school served as an independent magnet school for selected students from the Wuxi region. From the start, graduates went off to top universities in the nation and around the world, which include, among many others, Qinghua, Peking, Fudan, and Nanjing in China, and Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, and Oxford overseas.
In 2012 with the permission of Wuxi Municipality, Big Bridge started its Lower School, and thus expanded to grades 1 through 12. In the same year the International School, which offers a Western curriculum for students of grades 10 through 12, was added to serve students interested in oversea higher education. To reflect its expanded role, the Board of Trustees changed the school name to Big Bridge Academy in 2012.
To accommodate a soaring enrollment, ground was broken in September 2010 for a new campus to be built by Lake Tai on land leased on Juqu Street between Desheng Road and Linghu Avenue. The new campus was opened to students in February 2012. This state-of-the-art facility on 19 acres includes Lower School, Upper School and International School buildings as well as residence halls. The new campus contains approximately 485,000 square feet of school buildings including classrooms, science labs, library, auditorium, gymnasium and various sports fields serving over 2,200 students in grades 1-12.
Today, Big Bridge Academy distinguishes itself as a preeminent education institution that instills its students with a lifetime commitment to learning, extraordinary character, and the confidence to excel in both global and local communities.
On October 5, 2013, Big Bridge Academy celebrated 20 years of educational service to students and families of Greater Wuxi Region.