‭MIST Admission Policy (School Year 2024-2025)‬‭ usashi International School Tokyo (MIST) is committed to a policy of equal opportunity,‬M‭offering an academically challenging, holistic educational programme based on the Cambridge‬‭Curriculum, aiming to create future leaders who have global mindsets and a visionary spirit.‬‭MIST is not a selective school, but the curriculum is delivered in English and we expect all‬‭students to be able to demonstrate reasonable age-appropriate fluency in both speaking and‬‭writing in English. At MIST, our primary language of communication is English. While we do not‬‭expect parents to be able to communicate in English and will make every effort to accurately‬‭translate all communications, we may only be able to provide machine translations in certain‬‭cases (such as parent-teacher communications).‬‭ he student’s fluency in English is essential for his or her successful learning experience and an‬T‭important factor in our effort to reflect our values to our classrooms.‬‭Classroom Capacity and Waiting List‬‭ hile MIST aims to provide many students with opportunities for high quality education, we‬W‭must maintain an appropriate teacher-student ratio to ensure that our students receive proper‬‭instruction from our teaching faculty. Thus, the school sets up a waiting list for the grade level‬‭that reached its capacity. The students are placed in a waiting pool if their age-appropriate class‬‭is fully occupied. Priority for an admissions interview will be based on the following ranked‬‭criteria; students who are to benefit from an English-medium education and who (in order):‬‭1.‬ ‭Are siblings of students already attending the school‬‭2.‬ ‭Students who previously attended a Cambridge International curriculum school for 4‬‭years or more and are in need of continuing this type of education‬‭3.‬ ‭Are students who have attended a school with English instruction‬‭4.‬ ‭Are in need of a Cambridge International education approved at the discretion of the‬‭Head of School‬‭5.‬ ‭A grade level may be opened if we have at least three students enrolled.‬‭Students in Need of Language Support‬‭ hile MIST strives to provide high quality education to a wide range of students, including those‬W‭whose first language is not English, it has limited resources for those who are at a very early‬‭stage of acquiring English. Admission may, however, be granted to EAL (English as an‬‭additional language) students whose individual learning requirements can be met within the‬‭mainstream classroom without significant additional intervention or when parents are willing to‬‭ urchase additional hours of intensive English language training. In such cases, parents are to‬p‭agree that students should attend language classes designated by the school for additional‬‭cost.‬‭Students Requiring Special Support‬‭ usashi International School Tokyo has limited resources to cater for students whose learning‬M‭needs can only be met with significant support outside of the mainstream classroom, or‬‭additional adult support within the class. It is in the interests of all concerned, but particularly‬‭those of the students, that once they are admitted to the school they are able to thrive within our‬‭high achieving environment. If, in exceptional circumstances, the School agrees to accept a‬‭student requiring significant support, parents may be asked to pay for additional costs incurred.‬‭ arents of children who have a history of requiring educational support that falls outside of the‬P‭mainstream classroom are required to declare detailed information regarding their child’s‬‭specific learning needs. This information should include previous school reports, SENCO‬‭reports, and copies of previous Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and/or reports from‬‭educational psychologists. Failure at the point of application to declare accurately and fully the‬‭extent of a child’s individual learning needs may result subsequently in parents being asked to‬‭withdraw their child because the school is unable to meet his or her learning needs. This is a‬‭situation that we are keen to avoid, particularly as it may impact adversely on the child’s‬‭self-esteem and future learning. If in any doubt, parents are adviced to arrange to speak in‬‭confidence to the Head of School.‬I‭f, however, the school determines that the student does not benefit from the school or the‬‭school does not have resources needed by the student, the school may withdraw or withhold‬‭admission from the applicant.‬‭ here it is practical to do so given the constraints of our facilities, MIST will do all that it can to‬W‭support applicants with physical difficulties.‬‭Admission to Grade Level Appropriate to Applicant’s Age‬‭ he grade level for admission is determined by the student’s age at the beginning of the school‬
T‭year (September 1) as follows:‬‭Elementary School Division‬‭Year 1: 5‬‭Year 2: 6‬‭Year 3: 7‬‭Year 4: 8‬‭Year 5: 9‬‭Year 6: 10‬

‭Middle School Division‬‭Year 7: 11‬‭Year 8: 12‬‭Year 9: 13‬‭High School Division*‬‭Year 10: 14‬‭Year 11: 15‬‭Year 12: 16‬‭Year 13: 17‬‭ lthough applicants are advised to apply for the age-appropriate grade level, the admission may‬A‭be granted to a different grade as a result of the entrance assessment. The decision is made‬‭based on the applicant’s current academic performance and achievement, as well as language‬‭proficiency, for the purpose of maximizing his or her academic experience at the school.‬*‭ High School Division holds different criteria than age to determine student’s grade level as‬‭stated below in the section, “Entrance to the Secondary School”‬‭Timing of Enrollment‬‭ IST accepts new students at the beginning of each term in the school year for the‬M‭kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school divisions. Although the students may be‬‭enrolled after a reasonable length of delay due to unavoidable events, such as illness, students‬‭are strongly encouraged to join the class from the first day of the term to maximize their learning‬‭experience and be adjusted to the new environment. We do not accept enrollment in the middle‬‭of the term unless conditions to do so are determined reasonable by the school.‬‭ or the high school division, students are required to enroll from September, the beginning of‬F‭the school year with few exceptions, due to its two-year programs (IGCSE and A Level).‬‭ tudents are enrolled two weeks after the student’s admission has been approved and all‬S
‭payments have been received by MIST. Parents and students should be aware that some‬‭assessments may require multiple meetings with the students. All English teachers and level‬‭coordinators must be involved with an assessment discussion prior to the student admission‬‭offer to the family. All prospective teachers of the student should be involved in discussions‬‭regarding the student at least one week prior to the student’s entrance to MIST.‬‭Enrolment into the Elementary School (Year 1-6)‬‭ tudents may join the Elementary School at the beginning of a term, provided there is a place‬S‭available within the student number capacity. Age-appropriate Language, Literacy and Math‬‭skills will be assessed to identify students with EAL and other academic needs. Out-of-year‬‭ roup placements will only be considered in exceptional circumstances after consultation with‬g‭and assessment by the Head of the Elementary School.‬‭Enrolment into the Secondary School‬‭Years 7 - 9 (Lower Secondary)‬‭ tudents may join Years 7, 8, or 9 at the beginning of a term, provided there is a place available‬
S‭within the student number capacity. The school requests copies of recent school reports and,‬‭from the current (or previous) school, a confidential reference. Applicants are assessed on‬‭language skills and other subject knowledge, either in person or online. The type of the‬‭assessment is determined based on the document screening. Those who are not able to access‬‭the curriculum sufficiently well because of their limited English proficiency (or other specific‬‭issues) may be provisionally accepted to the school based on their level of English following‬‭intensive English classes at the expense of the family. If the school deems that the student may‬‭not benefit from its educational resources, it may suggest alternative schooling options.‬‭Years 10 & 11 (IGCSE)‬‭ ue to the nature of subject choices and timetabling, enrolment onto IGCSE courses, and‬D‭transfers from other GCSE or IGCSE courses, can be complex and need to be considered on‬‭an individual basis. Beginning this two-year course more than six months after it starts (March of‬‭Year 10) is often impractical as catch-up can be very difficult. The expectation is that most‬‭students will progress into Years 12 and 13 to study A-levels, although this is not automatic.‬‭Years 12 & 13 (A Level)‬‭ dmission to the A Level Programme is dependent upon the demonstration of ability to cope‬A‭with the demands of a challenging course. The normal expectation of potential A Level students‬‭is a proven academic record and the demonstration of commitment to make a positive‬‭contribution to the MIST community.‬‭The usual minimum academic attainment for entry to Year 12 is 5 A*-C GCSE/IGCSE awards‬‭(or equivalent). These should include English and Mathematics and grade B or greater in any‬
‭subject to be studied in Year 12 and 13 (Note: Some subjects require no prior knowledge, while‬‭others have more stringent requirements).‬‭Places in Year 12 are awarded to applicants on the basis of:‬‭●‬ ‭actual or predicted grades at IGCSE/GCSE or equivalent level, which may be‬‭determined via a pre-entry assessment;‬‭●‬ ‭letters of reference or detailed reports from the student’s previous school; and‬‭●‬ ‭interview with the Head of the Secondary School (or the Head of School).‬‭Applicants must demonstrate that they are willing to participate fully in the MIST community and‬‭the A Level experience. Admission into this two-year course after the first term of Year 12‬‭(December) is unlikely, although transfer from another A Level school is possible, such as at the‬‭start of Year 13.‬

‭Admission Schedule‬‭ enerally, MIST begins accepting applications for admission from 10 months prior to the first‬
G‭term of the school year, and the application remains open on a rolling basis until the beginning‬‭of the school year’s third term, provided that applicants’ age-appropriate grade-levels have‬‭vacancies. The assessments are arranged on a first-come-first-serve basis.‬‭ owever, if the school expects to receive more applications than the number of vacancies for‬H
‭entrance on the first term of the school year, the school may make the admission assessment‬‭and decision on a performance-basis, choosing applicants with higher language and academic‬‭competency. In this case, the announcement is made public on the school website.‬