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    International school2026.10.068 min readPetra Parent Questions

    Which Curriculum Do Tokyo's Main International Schools Follow? A School-by-School Comparison

    Petra Tutors Editorial Team

    A student working at a laptop at a wooden desk in a library lined with bookshelves

    In short

    Families comparing several schools sometimes bring us a question like this about how school names relate to curricula:

    "We cannot decide between an IB school and a British or American one. The school websites are full of terms like PYP, MYP, IGCSE and AP, and in the end we cannot compare which school teaches what. How should we look at our child's path from their current grade to high-school graduation?"

    Tokyo has many international schools, and the school name alone can make it hard to see the differences in learning pathways. Here we set out representative schools by the flow of their curricula, using the official information currently published.

    This comparison does not rank the schools. It looks at how the path through each grade is designed.

    The learning pathways of six schools side by side

    Six representative schools as examples. This is not a complete list of Tokyo's international schools.
    SchoolMain frameworkRoute in the high-school yearsWhat to check for transfer or progression
    Tokyo International SchoolPYP, MYP, DPA two-year DP from Grade 11How MYP criteria connect to DP subject choices
    British School in TokyoIGCSE-based study in Years 10-11IBDP or the BST Diploma in Years 12-13IGCSE subjects and the options that follow
    K. International School TokyoPYP, its own Lower Secondary ProgrammeIGCSE in Grades 9-10, IBDP in Grades 11-12How IGCSE subjects connect to DP prerequisites
    American School in JapanHigh School Diploma, 22 credits over four yearsOffers a wide range of AP courses and the AP Capstone DiplomaLook at graduation credits and AP enrolment separately
    International School of the Sacred HeartAP courses offered in the High SchoolAP courses are individual one-year subjectsCheck graduation requirements and AP separately
    Nishimachi International SchoolStandards-based curriculum up to Grade 9Moves to a different high school after Grade 9How it connects to Grade 10 at the next school

    Each school divides the grades differently, and what students choose in the high-school years also differs. Below we go through the pathway each school's official information shows, and the points to check. The location, grades and key application points of each school are collected in our list of international schools in Tokyo (a Japanese-language page).

    Tokyo International School

    1. PYPKindergarten to Grade 5
    2. MYPSecondary years
    3. DPTwo years from Grade 11

    Tokyo International School's official Learning page confirms that it offers three IB programmes: the PYP, MYP and DP.

    The PYP runs from Kindergarten to Grade 5, followed by the MYP in the secondary years, and then a two-year DP from Grade 11.

    Grade 12 is scheduled to open in the 2026-27 school year, and the school is expanding into a continuous school from K to Grade 12.

    What to check at Tokyo International School

    • It is easier to get used to a consistent IB learning vocabulary.
    • As students move up the grades, they move from the MYP to the DP.
    • For a transfer, check how the MYP criteria and DP subject choices connect.

    British School in Tokyo

    1. IGCSE-based studyYears 10-11
    2. IB Diploma ProgrammeYears 12-13orBST DiplomaYears 12-13

    BST's official guide to the Senior School describes two main routes in Years 12-13: the IB Diploma Programme and the BST Diploma.

    The school describes the BST Diploma as accredited by WASC, and says BTEC Level 3 courses in Enterprise and Sport can be incorporated into the subject selections of BST Diploma students. We could not confirm the rest of its structure (such as which years it spans) on the official page, so ask the school.

    It is important not to judge the current pathway from past A-level information alone.

    What to check at British School in Tokyo

    • Check the IGCSE subjects in Years 10-11 together with the options that follow.
    • If you are choosing the IBDP, think early about the combination of subjects.
    • Check the BST Diploma as a graduation route separate from the IBDP.

    K. International School Tokyo

    1. PYP
    2. Own Lower Secondary Programme
    3. Pearson Edexcel IGCSEGrades 9-10
    4. IB Diploma ProgrammeGrades 11-12

    On its official website, KIST shows a sequence of the PYP, its own Lower Secondary Programme, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme.

    Students take IGCSE over two years in Grades 9-10 and move on to the IBDP in Grades 11-12.

    Do not assume that KIST offers the MYP; it is important to understand that students go through KIST's own Lower Secondary Programme instead.

    What to check at K. International School Tokyo

    • Preparation for external IGCSE exams becomes stronger from Grade 9.
    • From Grade 11, students move to the six IBDP subjects and the core.
    • For a mid-stage transfer, check how IGCSE subjects connect to DP prerequisites.

    American School in Japan

    ASIJ publishes that the Diploma requirement is to earn 22 credits over four years in the High School. On top of that, it offers a wide range of Advanced Placement courses and the AP Capstone Diploma.

    AP is not the school's whole curriculum; it is a set of individual college-level courses taken within high school.

    What to check at American School in Japan

    • Look at graduation credits and AP enrolment separately.
    • How many AP courses to take should be decided according to the student's path and workload.
    • University application requirements for an American-style High School Diploma should be checked for each destination.

    International School of the Sacred Heart

    ISSH offers several AP courses in its High School. Its official page describes AP as individual one-year courses, and states clearly that this differs from a fixed, integrated course load like the IBDP.

    What to check at International School of the Sacred Heart

    • AP courses can be chosen subject by subject.
    • Check the school's graduation requirements and AP separately.
    • Check the subjects and exams required for university applications against your target universities.

    Nishimachi International School

    1. Up to Grade 9Standards-based curriculum
    2. A different high schoolFrom Grade 10

    Nishimachi is a school that runs up to Grade 9. Its official Learning page says it uses a standards-based curriculum that refers to the Common Core, the Next Generation Science Standards, AERO and others, and it also builds in a daily Japanese programme.

    Because students move to a different high school after Grade 9, you need to think about how to connect to Grade 10 at the next school while your child is in Grades 8-9.

    What to check at Nishimachi International School

    • Grade 9 is the school's final grade.
    • Find out early whether the next school's curriculum is the IB, IGCSE, AP or something else.
    • Look at how current learning, including the Japanese programme, will connect to the school you move to.

    What is easy to overlook when comparing schools

    • Even under the single word "IB", the pathway differs between a school that offers the PYP only, the PYP and MYP, or the PYP through to the DP.
    • Even among British-style schools, the current post-16 pathway is not necessarily A-levels.
    • Even at a school with AP, AP courses are normally individual subjects taken separately from the High School Diploma.
    • For a school that ends at Grade 9, your choice of school needs to include the curriculum of the high school your child will go on to.

    Points of comparison when choosing a school

    • Your child's current Grade or Year
    • The curriculum used at that grade
    • Whether your child can stay at the same school until high-school graduation
    • External qualifications and graduation requirements from Grade 10
    • Subjects or assessment experience your child may lack on transfer
    • Qualifications and subjects needed for the target university

    How Petra Tutors uses this

    We do not decide the content of learning support from the school name alone. We first confirm the current grade, subjects, challenges, assessment method and next pathway, and then think about the support.

    For example, even in the same Grade 10, a student working with MYP criterion-based assessment, one preparing for IGCSE external exams, and one starting AP preparation at an American high school each need different preparation.

    In summary

    What matters more than a school's label is where your child is now and what they will move on to next.

    This comparison gives representative examples. It is not a complete list of Tokyo's international schools.

    Curricula, grade structures and subject offerings can change, so always check each school's latest official information before applying.

    Sources

    Learning support for your child's school and curriculum

    Once we know the school, grade, subjects, current challenges, assessment method and next pathway, we will suggest how to approach support.

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