Aoba Japan International School - Nerima City

The academics and student experience have been getting worse each year. It is owned by a for-profit business, unlike most international schools in Tokyo. That shows you what is most important to them: profit. Negatives: -the school claims to offer special learning needs support but the support instructors in many classrooms aren't even licensed teachers. The school charges extremely high fees for this service. In the past, the school offered extensive learning support services but this has been changed without removing the high fees -the majority of the students in each class have very low English levels and Japanese children speak to each other in Japanese, excluding all others -this year they removed the doors on all the classrooms so everything is extremely noisy and students can't focus on lessons or tests -there is no real library. Library books are in the LOBBY or in random classrooms so students have to go around to search for books there -there is a high fee to participate in any type of ASPs or sports; it's not included in the tuition. Respectable international schools like YIS and ASIJ do NOT charge extra outside of minimal fees to cover expenses such as league fees for sports -parents are required to buy iPads and MacBooks for students all the way from grade 1. The school does not provide anything, not even a computer lab -standardized test score results are very low -I have heard secondary students can't get into any good universities because their IB scores are so low and the Aoba diploma means nothing on its own Positives: -many of the teachers are kind people who are trying their best -there are a variety of bus routes available -the campus/field is quite large for a school in Tokyo Basically, unless you want to pay a lot for a very mediocre school, take your child elsewhere. Especially if they have special needs.

Aoba is a good school. Kids are happy in the school, and teachers are responsible. What happened between the school bus driver and the cyclist was a shame. It was obviously the driver’s fault. As I know the driver has been removed from his duty. I don’t think the school deserves such a bad review here.

my son love the school soo much and love his teachers a lot really very good environment , the only bad thing is the food that they serve by CEZARS KITCHEN. the worst food ever you can see they use very bad frozen food very cheap one terrible and not fresh they keep recycled the food from the previous buffet when i check up with the other parents they say the same things that their kids dont like the food and never finish their lunch ..... even i heard that chefs are not professional and have bad attitude with the kids if cezars kitchen will be next year again in the school i will have to cancel the lunch programe , I do not recommend this service.

I have 2 children attending Aoba for more than 5 years now. They are growing up to be bilingual (both Japanese and English), with a global mindset, with the ability to think for themselves and care for others. It's becoming more and more international, especially in the upper grades, and many Japanese returnee families from other schools outside Japan makes the community truly international. We receive information from the school that informs us of its plans, and it is indeed a very forward looking school, preparing the students for the future, from the implementation of the BYOD program many years ago, to Blended Learning, Student Agency, and Team Work. Communications from teachers are also timely and clear as well. The school just completed the first half of their renovation, creating flexible and open spaces which I cannot wait to see as parents cannot enter the school building now due to COVID. Needless to say, the school and teachers' dedication to safety have been professional, and we cannot appreciate it more. We are all excited to see the renovation project to complete this summer. It's hard to decide on what makes a good school, and could differ from family to family. We as parents hope for our children to be life long learners, to be caring and compassionate, to find something they can be passionate about, and to have the skills to overcome difficulties they may face on their journey to fulfilling their passion. From what we have experienced so far, Aoba is aiming to do the same.

My son attends this school. He loves his teachers and classmates. It's a wonderful place for students to learn through exploring. The staff are great and communication is clear at all times. I love seeing him come home with a huge smile on his face after having a great day at school.

My son absolutely enjoys his school life in Aoba for the past 5 years. He is given challenges to learn international-mindedness through his friendship and relationship with a mixed cultural environment in school. I am happy to see him gaining his caring and kindness to the friends, families, communities, and world at large. And he is learning to take responsibility to act on the issues that he cares about. I am posting to tell you that the education in Aoba is to teach the students to become lifelong learners and global leaders with a kind heart. Some people are focused on micro issues which you'll find in any schools regardless of the reputation, and it is unfortunate that they can't see through beyond what is worth for the kids. The most I love about the school's philosophy is to educate children to become good person. What good is any of it if parents don't wish that for their children?

My 2 children have been attending Aoba for 2 years. I witnessed my older child being more confident and given more responsibility to be a leader. My younger child loves the outdoor facilities in school and their classes are always creative and inquiry-based. Teachers in the school has been highly communicative and hands on with my children’s learning. From the parents information session, I learned that the school’s DP results from May2020 showed 100% passing and highest score was 37. Students who graduated has been offered university placements in Japan, Australia, Canada, London, etc.

I have 2 children attending this school. My youngest love the wide variety of learning experiences he has in kindergarten. They have lots of outdoor learning and inquiry through play. He enjoys library time and sports. My other child is in upper primary. She loves the friendly environment between friends and between teachers. She has strengthen her communication skills and confidence through many class activities and agency given to students to deepen their own learning.