Teachers are a mix of home language English speakers and those with background experience in English, except Japanese language subject teachers.

Yes, we provide English language support for students who need additional assistance up to Grade 8. Support is not available, however, from Grade 9 and so students joining these grades must possess high-level language skills in order to access the school's challenging academic curriculum independently without support.

Japanese.
Students in the IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11 and 12) have access to additional languages through the IB-affiliated Pamoja Education online platform or through self-study (as per IB regulations).

24 to 26

Varies

Yes, learning support instructors are employed for all individual classrooms in the Elementary School, and a K1 (3 year olds) to Grade 1 classes.

We are a Microsoft Windows school with two technology labs and additional laptop computers for borrowing through our library media center and class sets on carts for use in Elementary School classrooms. Students from Grades 9 through 12 are required to bring their own Windows-based laptop computer each day.
The ways in which technology is used in the classroom are determined by individual teachers. All teachers manage a page for students through our Learning Management System. We believe that being a global citizen requires knowledge and skills in the use of technology; however, the ability to function independently and act promptly in the real world also requires core knowledge and skills independent of technology.

When school closures take place, as for during the pandemic closure in 2020, our students studied remotely, online using our school Learning Management System. As such, instructional time was preserved and our students were able to keep caught up with the planned curricular learning activities. In the event of future emergencies, a similar system would be utilized.

No, we are a non-denominational school with no religious affiliation,

Students complete the following official examinations:
- EdExcel iPrimary examinations in Grade 5.
- EdExcel iLowerSecondary examinations in Grade 8.
- IGCSE examinations in Grade 10.
- IB Diploma examinations in Grade 12.

For diagnostic purposes, KIST students in Grades 1 to 5 complete GL assessments.

We also have all students sit the PSAT exam in Grade 10. As an accredited SAT Test Center, many of our students opt to take the SAT Exam at various times over the calendar year.

We also collect diagnostic information over the school year (using past Key Stage exams for Grades 3-8 (UK) and past IGCSE exams for Grades 9-10) to identify student performance and to direct support resources to students not meeting published performance expectations.

KIST students perform well above the world average on all components of each exam. More information is available on our website.
KIST is proud to be recognized by IB-school.com for having the 7th highest IB Diploma Average in the world.

Yes.

There are no specific expectations for K1 to K3. Expectations for Grade 1 build over the year. For Grades 2 to 5, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. As a guideline for the Secondary School, students can expect 10-15 minutes times the grade level of homework each night (for example, a Grade 7 student can expect (10-15 min) x 7 = 70-105 min of homework each night).
Of course, some students finish their homework quicker and some students require more time (in particular students less proficient in English).

Almost 100%. Each year, KIST graduates gain admission to top universities around the world. A list of universities to which KIST students have been admitted can be found on our website.

We provide significant support services for students with English learning needs.
As for additional special learning needs, while we do our best to support students with diagnosed mild special educational needs (SENs), we do not employ a learning needs specialist and are therefore unable to consider admission for students with specific needs that demand support beyond the capacity of our classroom and subject teachers.

We provide significant support services for students with English learning needs as described on our website.
We employ Care Coordinators and a full-time Guidance Counsellor in our Secondary School to support students with social-emotional development and with planning for pathways after graduation.

We provide a challenging, academic curriculum for all students. We believe that all of our students can perform highly and we set expectations for performance accordingly. In our Secondary School, for mathematics, our students are streamed into an extended and standard stream, with the majority of our students in the extended stream during middle school.
As such, our school culture is very academic and students are motivated to meet their full potential. In addition, teachers provide differentiated experiences for students and we have various club activities that promote learning.
We compete in various academic competitions, including MUN, Math Field Day, Brain Bowl, and the annual Waterloo Mathematics Competitions.

We have Student Care Coordinators in each area of the school who can refer families to third-party external resources available in the Tokyo area; however, we do not employ an educational psychologist at the school.

Yes.

All applicants complete an English test. Applicants for Grades 2 and above also complete a mathematics test. Applicants for K1 to Grade 1 participate in a classroom observation. Applicants for Grades 4 and above also have an interview with a member of our administration team. Parents are interviewed as well to assess whether KIST is a good fit for their expectations.

Full details of testing and interview requirements can be found in our Admissions Handbook, which is available on our website.

Yes, for some classes.

Early January for the first round of interviews and testing; however, we accept applications all year round.

Yes, according to the results of their testing and interview.

8:45 a.m.

Mondays: 2:40 p.m. / Tuesdays - Fridays: 3:20 p.m. (Elementary), 3:40 p.m. (Secondary).

Yes, for K1 to Grade 3 students only.

Yes, we have a number of bus routes. Details can be found on our website.

Yes, the school cafeteria provides an optional lunch service with meals made from organic or near-organic produce.

No

Yes, the school has a comprehensive dress code and students are expected to follow this at all times.

A variety of cultural, sporting and academic extra-curricular club activities are offered on a semester basis during the year. The types of clubs offered vary from semester to semester and year to year.

A variety of competitive sports are offered each year.

KIST is a member of the International Schools Competitive Athletics Association and the Kanto Plains Athletics Association and competes regularly throughout the school year with other international schools in the Tokyo area.

We have a staffed Library in our Elementary School building and a staffed Library Media Center in our Secondary School building which house a variety of books and other resources (including some resources in languages other than English).
Students have easy access to laptop computers and we teach ICT/Computing to students from Grades 1 to 8. In our Secondary School we have fully equipped science labs for Chemistry, Biology and Physics. There are two Music classrooms and several separate practice rooms.
In January 2024, we opened a new, multi-storied building for our Secondary School. An additional building incorporating a performance hall is also currently under consideration.

Full-sized indoor gymnasium and an outdoor playing field covered with artificial turf. We also have a playground for our early childhood students.

KIST's mission is to provide academically motivated children from diverse cultural and social backgrounds with a high-quality education in a safe and supportive environment in order to develop competent, academic individuals with high moral character who make meaningful contributions to our global community.

As our Guiding Beliefs, K. International School Tokyo believes that:
*Being a member of the school community requires a belief in and a commitment to uphold the school's mission and vision as well as a dedication to its guiding beliefs.
*A safe and supportive environment is one which encourages respect, responsibility, tolerance and compassion.
*A high-quality education is defined as promoting academic excellence, international understanding, moral character and lifelong learning.
*Education is a shared partnership of mutual cooperation between students, parents/caregivers and the school.
*Cultural diversity enhances our school community as well as our understanding of the world.
*Central to being internationally minded is recognizing that diverse, rich cultures exist in all regions of the world, and demonstrating a tolerance for the varied beliefs and traditions of these cultures.
*The language, customs, traditions and cultural beliefs of our host country, Japan, serve as an important resource in enriching the learning experience.
*A regularly reviewed, comprehensive international curriculum that is linked across the school, is essential in preparing students for their future lives.
*Being a global citizen requires knowledge and skills in the use of technology; however, the ability to function independently and act promptly in the real world also requires core knowledge and skills independent of technology.
*Special emphasis should be placed on development of skills in language and mathematics as essential learning tools.
*Setting high academic expectations supports the development of strong academic skills which increase the chances for future academic success.
*Students learning through a second language require more learning time and a greater degree of effort and support than those learning through their first language.
*Native language development and maintenance is important in developing identity, self-esteem and cognitive ability, and ultimately contributes to academic success.
*Maintaining a safe and collaborative learning environment free from bullying and harassment requires the support of the school community as a whole in taking appropriate action when necessary.
*Reinforcing appropriate dress and behavior standards promotes a respectful, responsible and safe school environment.
*The accessibility of educational opportunities at the school is dependent on the establishment and sustainment of as affordable a fee structure as possible and efficient financial management.

Our Mission and Guiding Beliefs serve as the rationale for all school decisions.

More information about our guiding statements can be found on our website at https://www.kist.ed.jp/node/7.

As an IB world school fully authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP), we follow the approaches of these programs; however, as in house and external data demonstrates a strong correlation between IGCSE performance and student performance in the IB DP, we implement the Edexcel IGCSE in Grades 9 and 10. To better align our curriculum for Grades 6 to 8 with the IGCSE, we deliver the Edexcel iLowerSecondary curriculum through the school-based KIST Lower Secondary Programme (LSP) for Grades 6 to 8.