Welcome to YIS Admissions
Thank you for your interest in Yokohama International School and welcome to the Admissions section of our website. Here you will find details regarding our admissions policy and procedures, fees and financial regulations, as well as links for requesting information and scheduling a school visit.
As noted in our admissions policy, YIS serves the educational needs of the international community in Yokohama and the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, in particular the children of foreign nationals here on temporary assignment. We also welcome children from Japanese bicultural families who are able to access our English-language curriculum, as well as children of Japanese nationals who have been educated overseas or
at other accredited international schools in Japan.
YIS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. The school does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admissions or employment policies, but may take into account factors including an applicant's prior educational and linguistic background for purposes of admission in order to fulfill the school's mission of providing education in the English language to the international community. The school also strives to maintain a class balance in terms of nationalities.
YIS is truly an international school, with over 40 nationalities represented in our student body. Our teaching staff is likewise multinational, both in background and international school teaching experience. Moreover, as described in the Academics and other sections of this website, our educational programs and approach to learning reflect the best practices in international education today.
This starts in our Early Learning Center for 3- and 4-year-olds, where we introduce the inquiry-based Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB), complemented by the child-centered, experiential principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach, an innovative program that originated in Italy. The PYP is also the framework for our elementary school (grades K - 5), through which we promote the integration of essential skills, values and attitudes across all curriculum areas while challenging students to become active and thoughtful inquirers about the world in which they live.
In middle school (grades 6 - 8) our program is both challenging and creative, developing the skills and understandings needed to meet the demands of high school while continuing to inspire enjoyment of and thirst for learning. We took the decision to begin implementing the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) in the 2010-11 school year with the grade six class. This process of implementation will continue a grade level each year until we reach full implementation in the 2014-15 academic year*. Our academic programs in high school (grades 9 - 12), centering on the IGCSE or YIS courses following the philosophy and curriculum structure of the MYP in grades 9 and 10, and the IB Diploma Program in grades 11 and 12, provide not only rigor and challenge, but depth, breadth and variety across all disciplines.
We are proud of our recognition and status as an IB World School, as well as our longstanding accreditation by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
As strong as our international educational foundation and academic programs are, what really makes YIS a great school is our people - our students, faculty & staff, parents and alumni. Although the school has grown significantly over the years, a genuinely friendly atmosphere and sense of community are YIS hallmarks. We hope that you can get some sense of this spirit from the pages of this website, and we also invite you to visit us and experience YIS first-hand.
*Note: Those entering grade 9 in the 2012-13 school year will still be able to take IGCSE external examinations at the end of their grade 10 year. Thereafter, IGCSEs will be phased out completely.
