Admissions Policy and Process

The International School of the Sacred Heart educates children and young women of the international community in Tokyo to believe, learn, serve, connect, and grow. Families who choose our internationally-minded education believe that the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria provide an ideal environment for their children to develop courage and confidence. Applicants and their parents/guardians are expected to support the Goals and Criteria of the International School of the Sacred Heart.

Please thoroughly read the Guidelines and Process below before proceeding to the online application. Please contact the Admissions Office if you have any questions.

Child Protection Policy

High School Profile

Policy and Eligibility Criteria

The school serves girls and boys in Pre-K and Kindergarten (ages 3-5) and girls in Grades 1 to 12. ISSH admits girls and boys in kindergarten, and girls in grades 1-12, and follows demographic information on the passport. The school does not discriminate on the basis of religion, creed, socioeconomic status, culture, language, accent, national origin or ancestry, race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical appearance. ISSH cannot accommodate every need and accepts students who will be able to thrive within our programs. Our school community welcomes and respects persons of diverse beliefs and educates toward an understanding of the religions and spiritual traditions of the world.

Our community is made up of families for whom the Japanese education system is not a viable option. For Grade 9 and below, an applicant or one of their parent’s must hold a non-Japanese passport. The school accepts students transferring from accredited international schools in Tokyo on a case by case basis.

The educational program is provided through English and our common social and communication language is English, while recognizing the value of a student’s heritage language(s). One of the parents must be able to speak and read English.

The admissions committee considers factors such as language, educational background/ability, and alignment of family values with the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria. The school seeks diversity of culture/ethnicity at each grade, and also a healthy balance of language proficiency and learning styles. For information regarding age guidelines, English Language Acquisition (ELA) and learning support, please refer to the Admissions Guidelines.

Guidelines

A STUDENT'S AGE

The cutoff for eligibility for each grade level is September 1. Please see the chart below for age eligibility by grade level:

Kindergarten 3: 3 years old by September 1
Kindergarten 4 : 4 years old by September 1
Kindergarten 5: 5 years old by September 1
Grade 1: 6 years old by September 1
Grade 2: 7 years old by September 1
Grade 3: 8 years old by September 1
Grade 4: 9 years old by September 1
Grade 5: 10 years old by September 1
Grade 6: 11 years old by September 1
Grade 7: 12 years old by September 1
Grade 8: 13 years old by September 1
Grade 9: 14 years old by September 1
Grade 10 to 12: Depend on the credits earned

STUDENTS REQUIRING SUPPORT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (ELA)

The ELA program supports students who are in the process of acquiring academic English language skills. The program is a combination of in-class support and small group lessons.
Applicants from schools where English is not the language of instruction upon application take an English language assessment test (WIDA).
Applicants will be accepted on a case-by-case basis depending on their level of English (beginner/intermediate), space-availability and academic background. After Grade 10, an intermediate level of English is required.
A limited number of spaces are available in the ELA at each grade level. When all seats in the ELA program are full at any given grade level, applicants requiring ELA support who pass the application review stage will be added to the waiting pool regardless of the availability of seats for fluent English speakers in the class.
Applicants from schools where English is not the language of instruction or in a bilingual school are automatically considered for the ELA program. Families wishing for an exception to be made should consult with the Admissions Office before applying. All applicants regardless of educational background participate in English reading and writing screening assessments as a part of the admissions process, and final ELA decisions will be made

STUDENTS NEEDING SUPPORT BEYOND THE SCHOOL’S RESOURCES

Applicants accepted to the school are expected to function at grade level in the regular classroom.
The school has a Learning Support Office to serve students through the Middle School years. The scope of the support offered is not unlimited. Services at school may be a combination of in-class support and pull out lessons; outside tutoring or educational therapy may be needed at the family’s expense.
Applicants are required to submit a copy of documentation for exceptional circumstances such as:
- an assessment by an educational psychologist for those unable to work at grade level and those who are able to work well beyond grade level
- a current Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
- emotional or learning therapy services
- a diagnosis for a mental health or medical condition.
If documentation is not provided during the application process, or if discovered after enrollment, then the student may be required to withdraw from the School and fees paid will not be refunded.
Applicants with physical mobility concerns may not be able to navigate all areas of the campus.
Applicants to Grades 9-12 are expected to meet grade level expectations without the services of a Learning Support Office.
If a student, following enrollment, is referred for specific assessment or specialized services (speech therapy, occupational therapy, educational testing, etc.), these services are at the family’s expense.
Should exceptional circumstances arise, the School has the right and responsibility to review the student’s needs and the school’s resources to determine the appropriateness of the student continuing at the School.

WAITING POOL

When there is no availability in a class, or when there is no availability in the appropriate English Language Acquisition (ELA) program for a student with ELA support needs, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool.
Waiting pool placement is valid until the end of the school year for which the applicant has applied for enrollment. Waiting pool applicants who remain interested in enrollment past the initial school year are encouraged to submit a new application for the following school year.

SIBLINGS AND ALUMNI

TOILET TRAINING

APPLICATION POLICY

Applications are submitted online. No third party school placement agency or consultant directly represents ISSH; such services are not necessary for our personal admissions experience. We ask for parents’ understanding that consultants may not attend school tours or visit the school for screening assessment sessions. We communicate directly with parents regarding their child’s application. An applicant may apply up to a maximum of three times.

In accordance with principles of good practice, ISSH does not disclose screening or assessment test results. Thank you for your respect and understanding.

Admissions Process

Application Timeline

ISSH maintains a rolling admissions process, where applications are processed as they are received for spaces available in each class. We welcome students transferring from overseas or due to family circumstances to join us at any time during the year.

Applications for the following school year open each year in September. Applications should not be submitted more than 12 months in advance of the desired date of enrollment.

Applicants interested in August enrollment transferring from schools with an academic year that starts in August or September should not submit reports and recommendation forms earlier than November, after the first progress report is received. Applicants for Grades 1–12 should aim to finalize their applications by early December to ensure they are considered for available seats. Please see below for the specific timelines for K3–K5:

Kindergarten 3/Kindergarten 4

Application cutoff date for first round interviews	December 13, 2024
First round of interviews for selected candidates	February 2025
Second round of interviews for selected candidates	March 2025 onwards

Kindergarten 5

Priority Application Period	September 1, 2024 to November 15, 2024
Group Screening	January 11, 2025
Interviews for selected candidates	January and February 2025
Admissions Decisions	February 2025

Online Application

Click the link below to start the online application process. Please note we are not able to review applications until all steps below are completed.

Please read the Admissions Policy and Guidelines and these steps carefully before submitting an application. Complete the inquiry form with some basic information about your family.
Upon completion of the inquiry form, you will receive an automated email to the email address you provided for “Parent 1.” Please follow the instructions to create an account in our admissions portal and begin your child’s application. This email will only be sent to the email address listed for Parent 1.
Complete the checklist items up through your child’s current school information. Completing all required items on this checklist unlocks the second stage of the application.
Complete the remaining items on the checklist, including uploading any required documents and sending recommendation requests. For more details, please check the tab , “Application Documents.”

Apply Here

Application Fee

The 30,000 yen application fee is a non-refundable fee required for ISSH to process your child’s application. The application review will begin only after we have received the fee. We are able to accept this fee by bank transfer only. Please note that the payer is responsible for any bank processing charges incurred. Please include the applicant’s name in your bank transfer information (e.g. in the “notes” field.) If you are not able to or forget to do this, please contact the Admissions Office and share a photo or scan of your receipt so that we may attribute the fee to your child’s application in a timely manner.

Please note that even in the event that there are no places available in your child’s grade, payment of the application fee is required to proceed to the application review and, if the review is successful, secure your child’s place in the waiting pool.

Bank information:
Account Name: International School of the Sacred Heart
Bank/Branch: Mizuho Bank, Ltd. Roppongi Branch
Account Type: Ordinary Account
Account No.: 2236320
Swift Code: MHCBJPJT

Application Documents

School Reports / Report Cards / Transcripts
Please provide all school reports in English. If the reports are issued by the school in a language other than English, please upload both the original and a translation. Reports must include the school year or term dates. They must also indicate the student's attendance (e.g. how many days missed in a year.)

The following school reports are required by grade level:

Kindergarten 3–5
All available report cards, progress reports from any preschool or daycare that your child attended.
Grades 1–4:
Report cards, school records for the current year and previous two school years are required.
Grades 5–12:
Report cards, school records for the current year and previous two school years are required.

Standardized Test Results
If your child has taken standardized tests through her current school, include copies of these tests. Some examples include the MAP ,ISA, PSAT, GCSE, IGCSE, etc.

Recommendation Forms
This form must be completed confidentially through the online application portal. You will enter the teacher or school administrator's email address, and they will receive a notification to fill out the form electronically. We are able to accept recommendations in other languages. Please note we only accept recommendations from schools, not private tutors, after school programs or English academies.

Kindergarten (ages 3 - 5)

Kindergarten Teacher Recommendation Form

Grades 1 - 4 (Junior School)

Homeroom Teacher
Additional Teacher or Principal Recommendation Form

Grades 5–12

English and Math Teacher Recommendation Forms. If the same teacher handles both subjects, they must complete separate forms for each.
Counselor/Principal Recommendation Form

English Language Standardized Testing Results
Applicants who are currently enrolled at a school where the language of instruction is not English or in a bilingual school are automatically considered for the ELA program. In some cases, we cannot consider applicants who may require ELA support without an onsite test unless TOEFL scores are submitted.

Review

Once all application materials have been submitted, our admissions committee will review your application. It is possible that applications may be declined at this stage. All admissions decisions are final, and we appreciate your understanding that we are unable to provide feedback on the reason behind admissions decisions. Please note that in classes where no spaces are available, applicants are placed in the waiting pool until their applications are ready to be reviewed.

Screening and Assessment

All applicants between Grades 1 and 12 are required to complete a screening or assessment as part of the admissions process. Kindergarten students will be screened on a case by case basis.

Kindergarten 5: Group or individual screening
Grades 1 - 4: Applicants will take an online math and an English reading and writing assessment.
Grades 5 - 12: Applicants will take math, English reading comprehension, and English essay writing assessment tests.

After the assessments are completed, the admissions committee will assess the screening results to determine if the program at ISSH is able to meet the needs of the applicant

Interview

Admissions Decision

Enrollment

Successful applicants must complete the checklist items on the online enrollment portal, and pay the registration fee. For applicants for August enrollment, the invoice for the rest of the fees and tuition will be sent in May.
Students transferring from schools with a different academic calendar must remain enrolled and attend classes until the beginning of the next academic term. For example, if the current school’s academic year ends in March, students must continue attending school until the summer or the start of the next term.