I could not find a recent thread about international schools in Hefei... Are there any? (not only those called "international", but with qualifies teachers good English teaching).
No. Hefei doesn't have a large enough foreigner population to support any type of true international school like those found elsewhere in China. Hefei does have two international high schools at Hefei No.1 but that's about it, and their quality is lacking currently.
Are there many foreign families live in the city?
There are a few, but I wouldn't say it's a large community. I knew a few of the foreigners have young children, but I can count them on one hand. Most of Hefei's foreign population is students, the minority being teachers, and an even smaller minority working professionals. Hefei is definitely a family friendly city, you just don't see many foreign married couples with children running around. Truth be told, I've been here for a year and a half and I haven't seen any married foreign couples with children in Hefei. Doesn't mean they don't exist, I've just never seen it in public. The only families I know are Chinese Girl - Foreigner Guy.
Would love to have some info, mostly about schools but not only, that will assist us making the decision whether to move to Hefei or not.... Thanks!
I think it depends what you're looking for. Hefei is definitely not a 'Western' city. You will most likely be sending your kids to Chinese public school, and although you can find a handful for friendly foreigner families, your child will most likely be playing with other Chinese children.
To summarize...
If you're looking to live a typical Chinese life, Hefei is perfect.
If you're looking to live a 'Western' style life with other foreigners, look somewhere else.
