Admissions Policy

English Language Ability

English is the language of instruction in all grades, and the ability to successfully access the curriculum within a reasonable time and to thrive in our English-language learning environment are the guiding principles for admission to the school. All YIS teachers are trained to support language acquisition and learning for non-native English speakers, and specialist English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers provide additional support and instruction. We do not offer a separate ESL track within our academic program.

Early Learning Center and Elementary School: In the ELC and Elementary school children are admitted regardless of their level of English language proficiency, providing there are no other additional learning needs. However, we do not advise mid-year admission for Grade 5 students with minimal English ability. If we have some concerns regarding an applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may require the applicant to attend school on a trial basis without obligation. In the case of Grade 5 applicants applying mid-year, we may also request an EAL assessment. 

Middle School: Students entering grades 6 – 8 must generally have sufficient competency in English in order to benefit from our learning programs. If we have some concern regarding an applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may administer a competency test. We may also ask parents to provide supplementary English tutoring at their own expense as a condition for admission.

High School: We offer a challenging learning program in grades 9 - 12 geared toward students planning to go on to college or university in North America, Europe and other areas of the world. Applicants must therefore have a fairly high degree of competency in English. Moreover, in order to obtain a YIS graduation diploma, students must have credits equivalent to four full years of high school English. (See Graduation Requirements.) If we have some concern regarding an applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may administer an academic assessment test. Assessment tests for Japan-resident applicants, if required, will be administered at YIS prior to the school year for which they are applying. Assessment tests for overseas applicants, if required, may be administered at the applicant’s current school if the school is able to monitor the test and return the results directly to YIS.

Learning Needs

We uphold the principles of a balanced education rooted in the firm belief in inclusion. Academic excellence is reflected in our philosophy of supporting and celebrating the diversity of learning needs within the school community. We endeavor to accommodate students with diverse learning needs to achieve their highest potential while celebrating their unique learning strengths and needs. Applicants with mild social/emotional issues, learning differences or other learning needs are referred to our learning support staff for review. Admissions decisions are made by the relevant principal based on the recommendation of the learning support staff and in consideration of available learning support resources. If we determine that we are unable to accommodate a candidate’s learning needs, we will endeavor to direct parents to more suitable options. However, it should be noted that there are limited English language-based resources to support children with additional learning needs in the Tokyo-Yokohama area.

Please note that any learning needs or social/emotional, physical or behavioral issues must be fully disclosed and described in detail in the application for admission. Reports of professional assessments, along with details of extra support the applicant is receiving, must also be provided at the time of application. Failure to fully disclose such information at this time may result in revocation of admission or, if discovered after enrollment, require withdrawal from school, and any school fees will paid will not be refunded  Should significant social/emotional/behavioral issues or learning differences become apparent following enrollment in the school, we reserve the right to review a student’s progress and determine the appropriateness of their continued enrollment in the school within the context of our learning support resources and capabilities and in consideration of the overall classroom environment. This review will include close consultation with parents but may also involve requiring parents to obtain external assessments as described in our Learning Support Policy. If we determine that we are unable to accommodate a student's learning needs, or if parents are unwilling to obtain requested external assessments, the student will not be able to continue enrollment at YIS.

Children of Japanese Nationals

Children whose parents are both Japanese nationals may be eligible for admission if the student has been educated exclusively or primarily at international or non-Japanese schools overseas or at other accredited international schools in Japan where English is the primary language of instruction. A limited number of spaces for Japanese nationals is also available in our ELC. Parents should understand that YIS is not a 'language school' for learning English but rather an international school with a distinct pedagogy in which the language of instruction is English. Admission of Japanese nationals, as is the case of nationals of any country, is also subject to our class balance policy.

Residence

YIS is a day school and does not have boarding facilities. Students must therefore reside with their parent(s) in a location within commuting distance to the school.  

Parent Communication

At YIS we believe that partnership and close communication between parents, teachers and other school personnel is essential to student success and well-being. Because English is both the language of instruction at YIS and the primary language for communicating with parents, we require as a condition of admission and continuing enrollment that at least one parent who is residing with the student be able to speak and understand spoken English with school personnel without difficulty or assistance from others. In addition, the parent/legal guardian must be able to access and understand written communications from the school (e.g., email and web-based platforms including the parent portal).  

Please note that the school reserves the right to rescind offers of admission or terminate enrollment without refund of fees if it is found that parents have misled the school regarding their English communications ability. 

Early Learning Center

All ELC students must be able to use the toilet independently.

We strive to maintain a balance of genders, abilities and nationalities in each of our grade years and classes, and admissions decisions are made in accordance with this aim.

YIS students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, including international and national school systems from around the world, and a complex range of circumstances. Our grade placement policy is based on many years of experience, the need to ensure the quality and consistency of our academic programs, and the ultimate aim to place students in the most appropriate grade for their academic and social development. In almost all cases, placement is determined by age as of September 1st in the academic year of entry. However, in considering grade placement we may make rare exceptions to this age-based protocol to ensure there is a continuity of the student’s education and that they have completed a grade before entering the next grade. In all cases, the final decision on grade placement lies with the school.

Early Learning Center – Early Learning Center is a mixed-age program comprised of children who have turned three years of age by September 1st in the year of entry and children who have turned four years of age by September 1st in the year of entry. The 3-year-olds enroll initially for a half-day program, which may be extended to a full-day program after the October break with the teacher’s recommendation and on parents' request. The 4-year-old children generally come for the full-day program, depending on parental choice.

Elementary School - Placement in all grades is determined by age as of September 1st in the academic year of entry as follows:

Our September 1st cutoff date and grade placement protocol reflect what we believe to be the most appropriate classification for the social, emotional and academic well-being of children attending the school. Therefore, to ensure the most appropriate learning environment for all students in the elementary school, as noted earlier we rarely allow exceptions to the above grade placement protocol. The only exceptions that may be made are 1) when a student may be age appropriate for a certain grade level at YIS but has only completed a short term in the preceding grade, in which case the student will normally be expected to continue at that grade level, and 2) when a student may be age appropriate for a certain grade level at YIS but has already completed that grade level at another international school offering the Primary Years Program or a program closely aligned to the PYP philosophy, in which case the student would not normally be expected to repeat that grade if their portfolio suggests success at that completed grade level and depending on the date of entry.

Middle and High School – Grade placement for grades 6 – 12 is likewise made according to a September 1st cutoff date. The age and grade placement categories are as follows:

For the same reasons mentioned above, grade placement for middle school and high school is almost always according to the above protocol. At the discretion of the principal, exceptions may be made if a student is already established in an equivalent class in another school system (for example, students transferring from schools in the Southern Hemisphere) and is considered able to access the relevant YIS curriculum for the grade. However, students under these circumstances who have completed grade 10 by February, will normally be placed in grade 10 until the end of the academic year. This will ensure the student has two full years in the IB Diploma Program in grades 11 and 12.

Early Learning Center – After initial screening of submitted pre-application information to confirm eligibility, we interview parents of all applicants to ELC, either in person for applicants already residing in Japan or online via Zoom for those living overseas. We then ask applicants to come into school for an informal play session and interview before formal acceptance can be offered.

ELC Applicants Residing Overseas: We accept and review overseas applications throughout the year. After reviewing application materials and interviewing parents, we may issue a provisional acceptance. We then invite the applicant to come into school after arriving in Japan for an informal play session and interview before formal acceptance can be offered. For those newly arriving in Japan, we make every effort to schedule the play session/interview and to review and decide upon applications as quickly as possible. The play session/interview, which enables applicants and teachers to meet and interact with each other in the actual school environment, helps to identify any issues that may affect the applicant’s ability to comfortably access the program, while also serving as an informal orientation for the children who are accepted to the ELC.

ELC Applicants Already Residing in Japan: Local applications for August entry are screened in bulk in the spring, and applicants already residing in Japan should apply by April 14th. After initial screening, parents may be invited to an in-person interview and applicants invited to a play session/interview, after which an offer of admission may be made. 

Elementary School  (Kindergarten) – After initial screening of submitted pre-application information to confirm eligibility, we interview parents of all applicants to Kindergarten either in person for applicants already residing in Japan or online via Zoom for those living overseas.

Kindergarten Applicants Residing Overseas: We accept and review overseas applications throughout the year. Following screening of all application materials and completion of online interview with parents, we may make an offer of admission. 

Kindergarten Applicants Already Residing in Japan: Local applications for August entry are screened in bulk in the spring, and applicants already residing in Japan are advised to apply by late March. After initial screening, parents may be invited to an in-person interview and applicants invited to a play session/interview, after which an offer of admission may be made. 

Elementary School  (Grades 1 - 5) - Applicants for grades 1 – 5 are not required to have a formal interview, although we encourage families to visit the school either remotely or in person if possible. In reviewing an applicant’s suitability for admission we look at current/prior school records and confidential recommendations from a classroom teacher and another faculty member who knows the student well. Without obligation, we may also invite applicants to attend school on a trial basis to assess their ability to access the curriculum.

Middle School – Applicants for admission to grades 6 – 8 are not normally required to have a formal interview, although we encourage families to visit the school either remotely or in person if possible. In reviewing an applicant’s suitability for admission we look at their school records as well as two confidential recommendations, one from a current English teacher and the second from a faculty member who knows the student well. In instances in which we have some question regarding the applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may also require the applicant to take an assessment test. Prior to or after completion of the test, the student will normally be interviewed.

High School – We encourage all those applying for admission to grades 9 – 12 to visit the school either remotely or in person if possible. Japan-resident applicants seeking to transfer from other accredited international schools in Japan are invited to group tours in the fall. To ensure that candidates will be able to meet academic requirements for graduation from YIS, they may also be referred to our academic advisor, and the IBDP coordinator may wish to meet students applying for grade 11. In reviewing an applicant’s suitability for admission we look at their school records for the last three years (including official transcript(s) for any other high schools attended), as well as two confidential recommendations, one from a current English teacher and the second from a faculty member who knows the student well, and a math placement recommendation from a current mathematics teacher.

Admissions staff and the principal of the school section for which the candidate is applying review all applications. Other school personnel, such as learning and language support staff, may also be involved in the review process. Admissions decisions are made by the relevant principal.

Once the application is complete, including receipt of school records, confidential recommendations and payment of the application fee, we usually issue a decision within a few weeks for applicants applying from overseas. Decisions for applicants already residing in Japan are usually announced as follows:

• Late May for Japan-resident ELC applicants.
• On a rolling basis for Japan-resident elementary and middle school applicants when there is ample space in a grade, but late as April in grades where space is limited.
• Between late February and April for Japan-resident high school applicants.

When the admissions decision is available, we will notify parents by email and directly on the Admissions Portal (applicants for the 2023-24 school year).

Parents of accepted applicants are asked to accept or decline the offer of admission within one week of receiving notice. This should be done directly on the Admissions Portal (applicants accepted for entry in the 2023-24 school year) or by contacting our Admissions Office (applicants entering in the remainder of the 2022-23 school year). Once the offer has been accepted, we will send an invoice for the one-time, non-refundable Registration Fee, which is due within two weeks of receipt of invoice or two days before the student’s first day of attendance, whichever comes first, in order to reserve space for the applicant. We will also direct you to the online enrollment process, which must be completed within the indicated time period to formally confirm enrollment. These commitments must be made on a timely basis so that 1) we may ensure that places are held for accepted applicants who indeed wish to enroll and 2) in instances where accepted applicants choose other options, we may allocate places to other deserving candidates in the wait pool.