What is the IB Continuum?
| Programme | Age range | Features |
|---|---|---|
| PYP (Primary Years Programme) | 3 to 12 | Inquiry-based, learning across subjects |
| MYP (Middle Years Programme) | 11 to 16 | Eight subject groups. The final-year personal project is compulsory and externally assessed |
| DP (Diploma Programme) | 16 to 19 | Six subject groups plus TOK, the Extended Essay and CAS. Each subject is scored from 1 to 7, with a maximum of 45 points |
| CP (Career-related Programme) | 16 to 19 | Combined with vocational education. In the Ministry of Education's list (30 September 2025), no registered school in Tokyo |
Continuum describes the situation in which a child can study these three in sequence at the same school. The IB authorises each programme separately for each school. For that reason, even if a school is authorised for the PYP, it is not necessarily authorised for the MYP or DP.
IB authorisation has a "candidate school" stage. According to the IB's explanation, only authorised schools can become IB World Schools, and becoming a candidate school does not guarantee authorisation. Even if a school's website says "IB", that does not tell you whether it is authorised or a candidate.
What Tokyo schools offer
The table below is based on the list published by the Ministry of Education's IB Education Promotion Consortium (as at 30 September 2025). This list includes both authorised and candidate schools and does not distinguish between them. Where we could confirm it on a school's official page, we have said so in the right-hand column.
| School | PYP | MYP | DP | Status of checking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo International School | Yes | Yes | Yes | All three confirmed on the school's official pages (MYP covers Grades 6-10). Grade 12 is scheduled to open in 2026-27 |
| Aoba-Japan International School | Yes | Yes | Yes | Confirmed on the school's official page |
| Seisen International School | Yes | Yes | Yes | Confirmed on the school's official page. A girls' school |
| Shinagawa International School | Yes | Yes | Yes | In the list only. The school's own guidance has not been checked |
| Malvern College Tokyo | Yes | Yes | Yes | In the list only. The school's own guidance has not been checked |
| Capital Tokyo International School | Yes | Yes | No | In the list only. No DP |
| K. International School Tokyo | Yes | No | Yes | Confirmed on the school's official page. Its middle years are its own LSP and IGCSE |
| The British School in Tokyo | No | No | Yes | Students can choose between the DP and the WASC-accredited BST Diploma |
"Yes" in the table means the programme is on the list. Check the latest status, as at your child's entry date, in the IB's school search (IB World Schools), including whether a school is authorised or a candidate.
Tokyo International School
In the IB guidance on its site, TIS states that it is authorised to offer the PYP, MYP and DP. Its Middle School page says it offers all five years of the MYP, covering Grades 6 to 10, and the DP begins in Grade 11 (age 16). Grade 12 is stated as opening in 2026-27.
The school's character is set out in our guide to TIS. You can also check the address, grades and key application points on TIS's school profile (a Japanese-language page).
Aoba-Japan International School
In its School Profile, Aoba is described as a full IB World School authorised for the PYP, MYP and DP.
The campus changes by grade, for example between Hikarigaoka and Bunkyo, so check the campus structure your child would attend as well as the continuity of the programmes. The grade structure by campus is set out in our guide to Aoba. You can also check the address, grades and key application points on Aoba's school profile (a Japanese-language page).
Seisen International School
- Montessori + PYPKindergarten
- PYPGrades 1-5
- MYPGrades 6-10
- DP pathwayGrades 11-12
Seisen explains in its IB guidance that it was authorised for the MYP in July 2020 and describes itself as the first all-girls IB Continuum school in Japan. It has offered the DP since 1986.
The DP has three options, which let students combine a Seisen graduation credential with different degrees of participation in the IB. Being an IB Continuum school does not mean that every student aims for the IB Diploma.
Why KIST is considered separately
- PYPK1 to Grade 5
- Own LSPGrades 6-8
- Edexcel IGCSEGrades 9-10
- DPGrades 11-12
At KIST, K1 to Grade 5 are the PYP, Grades 6 to 8 are its own LSP (which includes content from Pearson iLowerSecondary), Grades 9 to 10 are Pearson Edexcel IGCSE and Grades 11 to 12 are the DP.
The school's policy is to organise the curriculum with success in the DP as the goal. Although it offers the PYP and the DP, it does not follow the sequence PYP, MYP, DP, so comparisons that assume the MYP do not apply. For more detail, see our guide to KIST.
From the MYP to the DP, how assessment works changes
One benefit of studying continuously is that the school stays with you through changes in assessment. The MYP and the DP are both IB education, but they look at assessment differently. The table below sets out the differences between the MYP and the DP.
The experience of the personal project in the MYP leads into preparation for the DP Extended Essay. However, whether completing the MYP is a condition of entering the DP, and how a school accepts transfer students who have not gone through the MYP, depends on the school's admissions policy.
The differences between the MYP and another system such as IGCSE are set out in our MYP vs IGCSE comparison, and the differences between the DP, AP and A-levels in our comparison of the IBDP, AP and A-levels.
| Item | MYP | DP |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Eight subject groups (in the final two years students can narrow to six) | Six subjects from six subject groups (three or four at Higher Level, the rest at Standard Level) |
| Required elements | Final-year personal project (about 25 hours) | TOK, Extended Essay (4,000 words), CAS |
| External assessment | Final-year eAssessment. Schools can choose some of it, but the personal project is compulsory | External exams and internal assessment in each subject |
| How results are shown | MYP certificate or course results, if the school adopts them | 1 to 7 per subject, with the core giving a maximum of 45 points. Completing the DP has conditions such as at least 24 points |
Families for whom continuous study suits, and those who do not need it
| It may suit you if | You may want to consider other options if |
|---|---|
| Your child enters in the primary years and intends to stay at the same school until high-school graduation | You plan to move to a Japanese school or a school in another country within a few years |
| Your child is used to inquiry-based learning | You want to emphasise exam preparation by subject, or want your child to gain experience of achieving results in exams |
| Your child is very likely to aim for the IB Diploma | Besides the DP, you want to keep other qualifications such as AP or A-levels as candidates |
| You want to minimise transfers and keep assessment consistent | You want to consider the IB and another qualification side by side, as at KIST or BST |
Which column you are closer to depends on how your child learns best and where they are heading next. Being an IB Continuum school does not necessarily make it the best choice.
What to ask schools
In summary
The schools in Tokyo that we could confirm on official pages as offering the PYP, MYP and DP together are TIS, Aoba and Seisen. Several other schools also appear on the list, but their authorisation status needs to be checked with the school and the IB's school search.
The IB Continuum is one condition in choosing a school. Make your judgement after checking the grade, campus, subjects and what support is needed. For a comparison with other Tokyo schools, please also see our school-by-school curriculum comparison.
Sources
- International Baccalaureate | The authorization process
- International Baccalaureate | MYP curriculum
- International Baccalaureate | DP passing criteria
- MEXT IB Education Promotion Consortium | List of IB authorised and candidate schools in Japan (Japanese)
- Tokyo International School | Diploma Programme
- Tokyo International School | Middle School (MYP)
- Aoba-Japan International School | School Profile
- Seisen International School | International Baccalaureate
- K. International School Tokyo | Learning at KIST
- The British School in Tokyo | Senior School
