Admissions Guidelines
2023–2024 Enrollment
Our standard application period is between November 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, for the 2023–2024 school year. Applicants should access the Admissions Portal and complete all checklist items before 31 December to be considered for the first round of offers. We will continue to accept applications throughout the school year on a rolling admissions basis thereafter depending on availability.
Age of Applicants:
- The cutoff date for age placements is September 1.
- The age of the applicant is considered in placements for kindergarten to grade 1.
- Age requirements for the lower grades are as follows:
- K2: 1.5 years old
- K3: 3 years old (must be toilet trained)
- K4: 4 years old
- K5: 5 years old
- Grade 1: 6 years old
- All applicants for grades 2 and up are placed according to their completed or current grade level or at the principal’s discretion in consultation with the parents.
Notification of Admission
We will inform you by email if you are invited in for an interview or not, in January of each year. Interviews are conducted in February, and notifications regarding the final decisions on student admissions will start at the end of February of each year. These notifications will be ongoing thereafter. Typically, once a complete application has been received and an interview has been conducted, notification is usually provided within several weeks. Notification is dependent upon both the nature of the applicant and the availability of seats in the grade level.
Enrollment at Aoba Is Ongoing
Aoba-Japan International School seeks to admit students who benefit from an environment that provides a challenging and rigorous standard of education with English as the language of instruction. Students who are proficient in English and are familiar with international education systems, in particular the International Baccalaureate, stand to gain most from being admitted into Aoba-Japan International School (Aoba); students who are not fluent may also benefit from the education Aoba offers in the elementary and middle schools.
Aoba offers a challenging educational program, but at the same time we accommodate students with a range of academic abilities, provided they are able to adequately access and benefit from our curriculum. We make this determination primarily by reviewing students’ school records and teacher recommendations.
The Application Process is in place to ensure that students can successfully access the curriculum within a reasonable time and to thrive in our English-language learning environment. English is the language of instruction at Aoba. Every class starting from G1 will have a 70/30 ratio, which means up to 30% of the students will be receiving EAL support of all ranges. All students entering and apply into G9 will need to be proficient enough to access the curriculum with no EAL support.
English is also the primary language for communicating with parents. Although not required, it is recommended that at least one parent or guardian is able to communicate comfortably with school personnel in English. In addition, parents must be able to access electronic communications from the school (email and web-based platforms including the school’s parent portal).
The Admissions Director of the school section for which the candidate is applying for review all applications. The relevant Principal makes the final admissions decisions. In the case of G11 and G12, the Secondary Principal and the IBDP/GLD Coordinator, at times in addition to consultation with the Head of School, makes the decision.
Other school personnel, such as Support staff, may also be involved in the review process.
No student may be denied admission due to nationality, race, or religion; all students who meet the academic and behavioral expectations of our school are accepted. The admissions office denies a student only when it believes that it is not in the best interest of the student to join Aoba and/or when it believes that the school is unable to serve the specific learning or behavioral needs of the student.
