2. Admissions and eligibility

KIST welcomes academically motivated and well-behaved students with high moral character from internationally minded families who can demonstrate a commitment to our guiding statements (mission, vision, guiding beliefs and educational goals) and curricular programs. Applications for admission to KIST are considered for all children regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender or socio-economic background. As KIST does not employ a learning needs specialist, we are unable to accept applications for students with special learning needs.

Applications for children with physical disabilities are considered on a case-by-case basis according to the specific needs and whether or not the school environment can cater for such needs. As part of our commitment to maintaining a truly international student body, applications are accepted from students from all cultural backgrounds. In order to promote diversity, we strive to maintain a balance of cultural backgrounds at each grade level as well as in individual classes. We seek to ensure that the balance of cultural backgrounds and language groups is diverse while at the same time does not compromise the position of English as the language of instruction. Gender balance is also a consideration in all classes.

As a selective school, KIST has developed a comprehensive application and admissions process that enables us to evaluate all applicants in order to determine their readiness for learning within our rigorous academic environment and to identify those with high moral character who are most likely to benefit from the programs we offer. At each stage through this process, we look for evidence that applicants have developed, or are expected to be able to develop, appropriate learning habits and personal traits that will lead them to academic success.

The school year at KIST commences in mid-August and ends in mid-June. The instructional program and reporting cycle is organized into two semesters.

Semester 1: August–December | Semester 2: January–June

General school hours for the current school year are shown below. These may change from year to year. Some students may also be involved in additional classes or extracurricular activities before and/or after school.

Due to the mid-August start to the school year, the cut-off date for enrollment age at KIST is July 31. By this date, all applicants must be the required age as indicated in the chart below to apply.

• ^*your child must be age as of July 31.

For K1, applications for children younger than the eligible age are not considered for any reason. For K2 and K3, applications outside the cut-off dates are only considered in exceptional circumstances where specific reasons have been identified. In such cases, placement decisions are based on observations, previous educational experiences and other considerations. All children must have completed toilet training before joining the school.

In certain cases for Grades 1 through 10, we may consider requests for enrollment for up to a maximum of one grade level above or below an applicant’s eligible grade depending on their current grade of enrollment, previous school records, years of schooling, and the level of academic performance. In such cases, the specific reason for the request must be stated in your application and documentary evidence must be attached where appropriate.

Applications for Grades 11 and 12 may be considered for children up to a maximum of one year below or a maximum of two years above the eligible age.

Although the decision for an application outside the eligible grade is made after careful consideration of the specific reasons through discussions with parents/guardians, it may not be possible to grant the request if we believe that it would be detrimental to the child’s learning development or inappropriate for our teachers or the needs of other students in the class.

Applications for admission between April and June for a grade level not yet completed are not accepted. For example, a student transferring from Grade 3 at a school with an April–March school year may apply to enter Grade 3 at KIST from April, but not for Grade 4. After completing Grade 3 at KIST in June, they will then usually be promoted to Grade 4 from August.

Grade 10: General applications for admission from the start of Grade 10 are, in principle, not accepted after May 31, and successful applicants must be able to attend the full 2-week KIST summer academic program in early August prior to the start of the school year in order to prepare for classes. For admission from any other month during the school year, applications are only accepted from students transferring from the IGCSE at another school where the subject options match those at KIST.

Grade 11: General applications for admission from the start of Grade 11 are not accepted after September 30, and successful applicants must be present in Tokyo ready to start school as soon as possible. For admission during any month after this date, applications are only accepted from students transferring from the full IB Diploma course at another school where the subject options match those at KIST. Furthermore, applications from students studying in the IB Certificate course or requests to transfer from the full Diploma to the Certificate course are not accepted.

Grade 12: Applications for Grade 12 are only accepted from students transferring from the full IB Diploma course at another school where the subject options match those at KIST. In principle, requests to change subjects or change to a different level (standard level, higher level) are not accepted as the minimum number of study hours required for these subjects will not be able to be met. Furthermore, applications from students studying in the IB Certificate course or requests to transfer from the full Diploma to the Certificate course are not accepted.

In order to provide an environment conducive to learning, there are various expectations that must be met by applicants in order to gain admission.

As an academically focused school, applicants—with the exception of those for K1—must demonstrate that they are highly motivated learners, particularly those applying for Grades 2 and above, who achieve high scores in their academic subjects, particularly in English and mathematics, and this must be evident in the application documentation.

Due to the academically challenging curriculum in the Diploma Programme (DP), which includes university level content, there are high academic expectations for students moving from Grade 10 to the DP in Grade 11. Families for whom Tokyo is their permanent or long-term residence and who are interested in applying to KIST in Grade 11 are strongly encouraged, therefore, to instead consider applying for admission from an earlier grade in order to provide students with a longer period of time to develop the knowledge and skills needed to progress to the DP in Grade 11.

KIST strives to create an environment where students from various social and cultural backgrounds can learn together in a safe environment free from prejudice, and where the actions of individuals do not interfere negatively with the learning of others. Expectations for student conduct are based on three behavior standards as follows:

• a) Respect: Students treat others the way they would like to be treated themselves by making choices that show consideration and respect for others and acceptance of differences.
• b) Responsibility: Students meet certain obligations towards themselves, others, the community and the environment by making choices that demonstrate responsibility.
• c) Safety: Students contribute to the physical and emotional wellbeing of themselves and those around them by making choices that show considerations of safety.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate exemplary behavior, appropriate attitudes to learning, good organizational skills, focus and concentration in class, and be able to interact appropriately with others. Furthermore, students applying for the upper-Secondary School should be well-spoken, articulate individuals with clear ideas on why they want to study at KIST and how this will affect their future.

The student population at KIST represents a wide range of different cultural backgrounds. This means that our students also speak a variety of different languages. To enable all students to learn together through one language medium, we have adopted English as our language of instruction. With the exception of applicants wishing to enter K1 from the start of the school year in August, students must have strong, age-appropriate communicative and academic skills in English in order to enter the school. Applicants for the Secondary School, in particular, must be able to demonstrate a high level of English ability in order to cope with the demands of studying specialized subjects in English. Because of this, due to the nature of the course of study, applicants seeking admission to Grades 8 and above who are identified as requiring language support are not accepted.

In many situations when communicating with students’ families, KIST provides bilingual services in English and Japanese. For parents who are unable to communicate in either of these two languages, in order to ensure that appropriate communication is maintained, it is the responsibility of families to provide interpreters whenever required.

As KIST does not offer boarding facilities and is unable to arrange host families, applicants must make their own living arrangements. Students are not permitted to live alone for any reason, even for short periods of time. In instances where a child will be living in Japan without his/her parents and instead with guardians or in a host family situation, the guardians or host parents are required to attend an interview with administration staff at the school to confirm that a supportive home environment that is conducive to learning can be maintained.

Students wishing to enroll at KIST who are not Japanese nationals must hold an appropriate visa permitting them to reside in Japan. It is the responsibility of individual families to apply for visas through the relevant government authority. Upon request, KIST can prepare a statement (charges apply) for students who have been offered enrollment, and have paid the required school fees, to include with their visa application; however, we are unable to provide advice or offer assistance beyond this. Students are not permitted to start school until an appropriate visa has been issued. KIST reserves the right to request proof of visa status at any time prior to or after enrollment.

KIST has a strict dress code that students are expected to follow at all times, including while travelling to and from school. Students are required to wear a school uniform and maintain a conservative appearance throughout the period of their enrollment. Students are not permitted to dye their hair or wear make up or jewelry of any kind. Male students must be clean shaven.

Applicants who are siblings of students already enrolled must undergo the same admissions procedures as regular applicants. Factors such as the degree of parental support and involvement in school activities, and cooperation with school fee payment policies are considered when reviewing sibling enrollments and may affect the outcome of the application.

Students previously enrolled at KIST who wish to return are eligible to apply for re-enrollment by following the standard admissions process. This includes payment of the application fee and submission of all relevant documentation (with the exception of previous school reports from KIST), completion of admissions testing, and participation in a parent interview. If enrollment is approved, a reduction of the enrollment fee and the capital fee may apply if the re-enrollment is within three years of the previous date of withdrawal.

As the curriculum at KIST is designed for long-term study, short-term enrollments of less than one school year are not accepted. Furthermore, we are unable to accommodate requests for academic, language or cultural exchanges.

There are specific criteria that must be met in order for students to progress to a higher grade or a higher-level program (i. e. from K3 to Grade 1, Grade 5 to 6, Grade 8 to 9, and Grade 10 to 11). Some of the factors considered in determining whether students are meeting the criteria at an appropriate level include:

• Social and emotional development
• Academic motivation and attitude to learning
• Parental support and involvement
• Attendance
• Academic performance

KIST provides a number of support programs such as before- and after-school support classes and a summer academic program for students not meeting academic expectations. Students who do not meet the required expectations may be advised, or required to attend support classes and/or the summer academic program, engage a tutor, change courses, repeat a grade or, in extreme cases, transfer to another school. The level of cooperation by parents/guardians in complying with school requirements to attend compulsory support programs and the summer academic program is one of the factors considered when students progress to higher-level programs.

Furthermore, as the school’s educational environment is built on the collective cooperation of the school, families and students, parents/guardians must serve as good role models for their children in order to maintain a safe and effective educational environment. Therefore, whether parents demonstrate appropriate moral character when engaging in the school community will also be considered.

Requests for students to skip a grade are not normally granted, except in very exceptional circumstances where parents are able to provide specific justifications for their request, and the student meets all academic, social and other relevant expectations.
# 2.10: Waiting list

The waiting list at KIST is only for students up to Grade 10 who have already successfully passed the admissions process but for whom there are no immediate places available in the desired grade of enrollment. Priority for gaining seats from the waiting list is not based on the timing of an application but on various criteria, including cultural background, gender and English level, in order to maintain a balance in each grade.

Waiting list placement is valid until the end of the school year applied for. During the waiting period, families of children on the waiting list who wish to be considered for enrollment from the next school year must re-apply according to the regular application procedure. In this case, if the child does not pass the admissions process for the next school year, placement on the waiting list for the current year is also cancelled. If, however, admission for the subsequent school year is successful, the application fee for that year is refunded.

According to Japanese education law, children in the following categories are required to enroll at a school as defined by the Japanese government during the period of compulsory education (6 to 15 years old):

• Children with Japanese citizenship (including those with dual nationalities and those whose parents are not Japanese citizens)
• Children whose parents are Japanese citizens (including those with only one Japanese parent)

Enrollment at an international school such as KIST is not considered school attendance within the scope of Japanese law, and therefore sending your child to KIST does not fulfill this legal requirement. In considering enrollment at KIST, it is the responsibility of individual families to investigate this matter with the appropriate local government authorities.

Due to the volume of applications received for early childhood grades (K1, K2 and K3), we have developed the following guidelines that identify the minimum readiness requirements that we look for during our admissions testing procedures. Before submitting an application for admission, we ask families to consider these points carefully and ask themselves: “Is my child KIST-ready?”

• Stays/sits together for at least 10 minutes during group activities
• Listens, follows instructions and participates in group activities
• Tries to do things for themselves
• Completes tasks with minimal assistance from teachers
• Demonstrates self-control when in the company of other children
• Controls emotions effectively and manages tantrums and anger
• Interacts and cooperates with other children during group activities and playtime

• Can participate in group activities for more than 10 minutes
• Reads simple CVC (consonant/short vowel/consonant) words (e.g. cat, pig)
• Follows simple instructions spoken in English
• Understands and responds in simple English
• Writes some letters of the alphabet correctly
• Draws faces
• Counts basic numbers

• Speaks in English
• Reads words and simple sentences
• Follows spoken instructions
• Writes words and simple sentences
• Lables pictures using descriptive words/action words
• Writes captions/phrases/sentences with spaces between words1

• Separates from parents without difficulty
• Maintains focus during play experiences
• Interacts appropriately with other children in the classroom
• Takes turns
• Shares items with others
• Participates willingly in activities with interest and enthusiasm
• Perseveres with challenging tasks
• Manages own behavior appropriately
• Listens when an adult is speaking
• Demonstrates a calm, controlled demeanor
• Demonstrates age-appropriate gross and fine motor skills
• Initiates conversation