icuhs
IN TERN A TIO N A L
C H RIS TIA N
U N IVE RS ITY
H IG H S C H O O LTHE SCHOOLInternational Christian University High School (ICUHS) is a private Japanese High School founded in1978. It is located on the campus of International Christian University (ICU), in the western suburbsof Tokyo. ICUHS is ranked among the top private high schools in Japan.
PURPOSEICUHS was established at the request of the Japanese Ministry of Education to cater to the needs ofreturnee students, i.e. Japanese students who have lived and studied overseas. Such students
often have difficulty fitting back into the Japanese education system. ICUHS provides a supportive
environment for them and over the years has accepted returnees from more than 100 countries.
Over 65% of the students in every grade are returnees. They study alongside the 35% who havereceived all their education in Japan through the Japanese education system. For both types ofstudent, entering ICUHS is very competitive. By encountering and accepting new values andcultural differences, students develop their potential to become future leaders of the international
community.
ACCREDITATION & AFFILIATIONSICUHS is accredited by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Education Committee of Tokyo, andthe Deliberation Committee for Private Schools in Tokyo. The school is an institutional member of
the Tokyo Private Junior and Senior High School Association and the Education Association ofChristian Schools in Japan.
Headmaster: Ichiro Nakamura
Head Teacher: Junichi Nakayama
Director of Returning Students Education Center:

Kaori Hara

Address: 1-1-1 Higashi-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, Japan 184-8503
Tel: (81) 422-33-3401
Fax: (81) 422-33-3376
Email: icuhs@icu.ac.jp
Website: http://www.icu-h.ed.jp

SCHOOL CALENDAR
The Japanese academic year begins in April and ends in March:
September – December (Term 2); January – March (Term 3).

April – mid-July (Term 1);

THE FACULTY
There are 47 full-time and usually about 50 part-time teachers. All teachers are Japanese apartfrom three full-time and four part-time English teachers, and one part time Chinese teacher. The
full-time faculty includes the Headmaster, the Head Teacher, the Director of the Returning
Students’ Education Center (RSEC) and the school nurse. The full-time English teachers act asCollege Advisors for students who wish to go to university abroad. There is also a school
counselor. All teachers are fully qualified as professional high school teachers and subject
specialists either in Japan or, in the case of non-Japanese teachers, in their home countries.
THE STUDENTS
Students enter in Grade 10 and graduate after completing Grade 12. The student body is usually
about 720, 240 per grade. There are 6 home rooms per grade, 18 in total. Each home room ismade up of about 40 students. Returnees and non-returnees are evenly distributed, to enable asmuch diversity as possible within each home room.
THE CURRICULUM
Students take a course of studies that, in principle, follows the national curriculum guidelines of theJapanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT). ICUHS is unique,however, in that teachers have adapted these guidelines to suit the educational needs of returnees.
Also, English, Japanese and Mathematics classes are divided into levels, since students return toJapan from a wide range of educational backgrounds, with varying degrees of ability in thesesubjects. Students’ levels are decided initially by a Placement Test which all take on entering
ICUHS. Some students are subsequently moved to other levels, depending on their progress.
There are also more hours per week of English than are usual in the regular Japanese curriculum,a special feature being classes taught in English by native speakers. These two factors help
returnees maintain the native or near-native English learned while living in English-speaking
countries or attending international schools. Non-returnee students are also offered these extra
hours of English, to build up their English and help them catch up with their bilingual peers.
ICUHS also offers classes in Basic Chinese, French, German and Spanish as well as Advanced
Chinese, French, German and Spanish classes for students with native or near-native ability inthose languages.

All subjects apart from the English taught by native speakers are taught in Japanese.

65%of students at IC U H S are “returnees” or Japanese students who have lived and studied
abroad for an extended period of time. A t IC U H S , returnees from over 50 c ountries study
together with students from Japanese junior high sc hools. By enc ountering and ac c epting
new values, all students develop their potential to be both informed and ac tive
global c itizens.

ENGLISH & OTHER FOREIGN LANGUAGES
English classes are divided into 4 levels. Level 1 is the highest, the students having
native or near-native ability in English. Level 4 is the lowest, most of the students
not having lived overseas. Students in Levels 1 to 3 study Literature and AcademicWriting. These classes are taught solely in English by teachers who are nativespeakers. Students read, discuss, analyze and write about a variety of texts fromdifferent cultures and time periods. Emphasis is placed on enhancing reading andcritical thinking skills and acquiring a college level vocabulary. The aim is to provide
the kind of classes students would have in international high schools or local highschools in English-speaking countries. Level 4 students study EFL, taught inEnglish. Students are introduced to paragraph and essay writing, and their reading
skills are developed through the intensive use of graded readers. Speaking isemphasized, with class discussions and presentations on issues of globalsignificance. In addition, there are elective classes in the 2nd and 3rd Years.
For a list of books studied at each level, please see the school brochure. Please
note that, in addition to these books, students are given a considerable number ofshorter texts to study, such as short stories, poems, newspaper/magazine articles
and various multi media texts. Students are also taught to treat films and television
programs as texts deserving of scrutiny.
In the 2nd and 3rd Years, students in Levels 1 to 4 also study English in accordancewith the Japanese national curriculum. This focuses on grammar, translation, reading
comprehension and all other aspects of English which students might face insituations involving intercultural communication as well as in university entrance
examinations.
The English course titles on the student’s transcript and in the school brochure may
not accurately reflect course content. This is because the school follows course
titles prescribed by MEXT, while having the freedom to decide what is taught underthose titles. Course content is shown below in parentheses.

ENGLISH & OTHER FOREIGN LANGUAGES
English Language Arts (Years 1-3)
English Writing Workshop (Year 1)
Grammar (Years 2 & 3)
English Elective: College Preparation (Year 2)
English Elective (Year 3) Media Studies, College Reading, Paragraph Reading,Debate, International Perspectives
Basic Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Advanced Chinese, French, German, Spanish

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIANITYAs demonstrated by the name International Christian University, both the University and HighSchool follow three principal commitments as their mission: internationalization, Christianity andacademic studies. All students take the Introduction to Christianity course once a week during
each of their three years at ICUHS. Not only do the students study the Bible and Christianity, they
are also taught to think about how human beings should live their lives.
JAPANESE
65% of our students come back to Japan with varying degrees of experience overseas. As a result,the range of Japanese ability among the students is very wide. To allow for this, Japaneseclasses are divided into levels: four in the 1st Year, three in the 2nd Year and two in the 3rd Year, withan additional class for the small number of students who are in need of Japanese language support
due to the length of time they have lived abroad. Subjects studied are Classical Japanese,Classical Chinese and Modern Japanese Literature.

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics classes are divided into 4 levels. All students take Mathematics I and Mathematics A
in the 1st Year and Mathematics II in the 2nd Year. Students concentrating on Mathematics andScience take elective Mathematics courses in the 2nd and 3rd Year. The Mathematics courses inthe 3rd Year are very demanding even for the most skilled students.
◆ Mathematics I (1st Year – Quadratic Equations and Functions, Trigonometry, Metric Geometry)◆ Mathematics A (1st Year – Sets & Logic, Permutations, Combinations & Probabilities, Introduction
to Plane Geometry)◆ Mathematics II (2nd Year - Proving Inequalities, Trigonometric Functions, Exponential andLogarithmic Functions, Elementary Calculus)◆ Mathematics B (2nd Year Electives - Sequences, Vectors)◆ Mathematics III (3rd Year Elective - Differentiation and Integration of Elementary Functions)◆ Mathematics Seminar (3rd Year Elective - preparation for entrance to university)

SCIENCE
All students take Science and Basic Biology in the 1st Year. In the 2nd and 3rd Year, Physics,Chemistry, Biology and Earth Science (Geology) are offered as electives. Please note that Earth
Science is called Geology in the School Brochure. Advanced courses in Physics, Chemistry andBiology are also offered in the 3rd Year for future science majors. The abundance of nature on theICU campus provides wonderful opportunities for students to explore and experiment.
SOCIAL STUDIESAll students take World History in the 1st Year and Ethics in the 2nd Year. In the 2nd and 3rd Year,World History, Japanese History and Geography are offered as electives. In the 3rd Year, allstudents take Politics & Economics. 3rd Year elective courses prepare students for university
entrance.

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONSports and health are an important part of school life at ICUHS and the school grounds and ourschool’s new gymnasium, featuring an indoor running track and rooftop archery & futsal area,
provide an ideal environment. The P.E. staff teach both Physical Education and Health Education.
In Term 3 in the 1st and 2nd Years, all students compete in a Road Race (11.4 km. for boys, 6 km.
for girls).
OTHERS
Other required courses are Home Economics, which is taken in the 1st Year, in which students
learn the basics of cooking and food hygiene, and Computer Science which is taken in the 3rdYear. Integrated Studies (International Understanding & Peace Studies) is required in all
three years and demands that students do a piece of writing about a special event such as anactivity they participated in during Christianity Week or the 3rd Year school excursion to Okinawa.
It is awarded with a Pass/Fail grade. Art and Music, although they are elective subjects, play avery important role at ICUHS. Students’ paintings and sculptures are always on display, and there
is a thriving Art Circle. In Music class, each student learns to play an instrument and gives aperformance at the end of term. Calligraphy is another elective course offered within the FineArts bracket. The Senior Project is a one hour per week, non-credit elective where students
choose from an eclectic range of subjects – anything from Aerobics to Introduction to Greek.

GRADING & RANKINGICUHS follows the 5 point Japanese grading scale: 5=A, 4=B, 3=C, 2=D, 1=F. A
small number of classes are awarded with a simple Pass/Fail grade. Grades for themajority of classes are based on examination scores, although some teachers put
more emphasis on continuous assessment, basing the grade (or part of the grade) on
the student’s performance throughout the term (taking into account weekly quizzes,
class writing, home work writing, presentations and class participation). Examinations
are given at mid-term and end of term in Terms 1 and 2, and at end of term in Term 3.
Please note that ICUHS, like most Japanese schools, does not offer any classes thatare officially designated as honors classes, although certain 3rd Year electives arehighly advanced. Where mainstream classes are divided into levels, as in the case ofEnglish, Japanese and Mathematics, this simply means that the students are taught toa standard which is appropriate for them. For example, Level 1 English is advanced
when compared with ordinary Japanese high school English but is actually equivalent
to a regular English class in an international high school or local high school in an
English-speaking country.
Like most Japanese schools, ICUHS does not rank students. However, every year weare allowed to recommend up to 80 students to International Christian University and alist of students’ grade point averages is used as the basis for this. In order to berecommended, students must have a GPA of 3.8 or above.
SAT & TOEFL
Students who are thinking of going to university in the U.S. take the SAT Reasoning
and Subject Tests, as well as the TOEFL. These scores can also be used to enter
certain Japanese universities.
2014-15 Graduating ClassSAT Reasoning Test Scores
Score Ranges

CriticalReading

Mathematics

Writing# of Students# of Students# of Students

700-800

113

1600-699

921

10500-599

12924400-499

19210300-399

400

Total number of students: 45

TOEFL iBT Scores
Score Ranges# of Students

110-120

9100-109990-99580-89270-792
Total number of students: 27CLUBSIn Japanese high schools, club activities are an essential part ofschool life, and ICUHS is no exception. There are about 20 clubs tochoose from and most students join one in the first month. Theyleave the club in the final term of the 2nd Year to concentrate more onstudies. Club practice takes place every day after classes are over,except for the week leading up to and the week during mid-term or
end of term examinations. During the summer of their 1st and 2ndYears, students attend a week-long camp for the club. Somestudents also work as managers, taking charge of all aspects of theclub, from setting up games with other schools to dealing withfinances. Students at ICUHS devote a lot of time and energy into
making their club experience a valuable one.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIESStudents handle many responsibilities throughout the school year.
Some are student council members, some are home room
representatives, and some are active in organizing the various
annual student-run events, the biggest of which are Culture Festivaland Sports Day.
AFTER GRADUATION FROM ICUHS
The majority of our students enter Japanese private universities, themost popular destinations being International Christian University,Keio University, Sophia University, Waseda University, Aoyama
Gakuin University and Chuo University. A smaller number enter
national universities. Between 5 and 10 students every year enter
foreign universities. See our school brochure for a list of foreign
universities entered by our graduates between 2001 and 2013.

Clubs @ ICUHS
A rc hery
IC U Jazz S ounds
Roc k C lub
H andball
BaseballBoys S oc c er
G irls S oc c er
Boys Basketball
G irls Basketball
C heerleading
D anc eS wimming
Volleyball
Trac k and Field
Boys Tennis
G irls Tennis
Tea C eremony
Photography
E nvironmental
Volunteer N etwork
C horus C lub
O rc hestra

ICU High School Course of Studies
ENGLISH & OTHER FOREIGN LANGUAGES
English Language Arts (Years 1-3)
English Writing Workshop (Year 1)
English Grammar (Years 2 & 3)
English Elective: College Preparation (Year 2)
English Elective (Year 3) Media Studies, College Reading,Paragraph Reading, International Perspectives, Debate
Basic Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Advanced Chinese, French, German, Spanish

SOCIAL STUDIESWorld History A
World History B
Japanese History A
Japanese History B
EthicsGeography A
Geography B
Politics & Economics
World History Seminar

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics I
Mathematics II
Mathematics III
Mathematics A
Mathematics B
Mathematics Seminar

JAPANESEJapaneseModern JapaneseClassics
Classical Japanese & Chinese
Japanese II
Japanese Seminar
Classical Japanese SeminarContemporary Japanese Language

SCIENCE
Basic Physics
Basic Chemistry
Basic Biology
Basic Geology
Physics
Chemistry
Biology

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Physical Education
Health Education

Physics Seminar
Chemistry Seminar
Biology Seminar
Geology Seminar

FINE ARTS
Art and Design I
Art and Design II
Art and Design III
Calligraphy I & II
Music IMusic IIMusic IIIOTHERS
Home Economics
Computer Science AIntroduction to Christianity*
Integrated Studies*
Senior Project* Required, non-graded(Pass/Fail) classes
SGH Project Studies◆1 period = 50 minutes; 6 periods per school day; 6 school days per week, 4 periods on Saturday◆Approximately 200 school days per year
◆ 88 credits required for graduation◆ All subjects apart from the English taught by native English speakers are taught in Japanese.