While English is the main medium of instruction in Malvern College Tokyo, we fully embrace the Japanese language and culture in our curriculum and provide mandatory daily Japanese lessons for all pupils. Pupils are grouped according to their language ability with classes available to suit all levels from beginners to advanced speakers alike. 

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Format of Assessment

Applicants are required to demonstrate through assessment and/or interview their capability of engaging with an English medium curriculum.

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All assessments are age-appropriate and aim to assess pupils’ learning skills and cognitive abilities. Assessments are accompanied by interviews conducted in English and supplemented by Japanese. Our aim is to explore each pupil’s potential for language learning as well as their ability to engage and succeed within the curriculum offered at Malvern College Tokyo.

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Method of Assessment
Kindergarten (As of 31 August, applicants reach the age of 3-5)

• Children will be invited to attend an observation session where they will engage in a range of activities.

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Prep 1-3

• Each child will be interviewed, either individually or in a group, to ascertain their English language ability, their cognitive and motor skills as well as their hobbies and interests.  This will be followed by a pupil and parent interview in English and supplemented by Japanese if required.

• A review of previous school reports, where applicable will also be undertaken.

 

Prep 4 and above

• Children will be asked to complete an age-specific online assessment and a written task in English to assess their English literacy, non-verbal and quantitative reasoning abilities. This will be followed by a pupil and parent interview in English and supplemented by Japanese if required.

• A review of previous school reports will also be undertaken.

  

Malvern College Tokyo seeks to build a diverse, multi-cultural pupil population. When allocating places, we take into consideration how our school values align with those of our prospective pupils’ families. A meeting with parents and the child is therefore a mandatory part of our admissions process and we ask that at least one parent/legal guardian is in attendance for this interview.

Language and Behaviour Requirements

Please see below our admissions criteria by age group:

 

Kindergarten (As of 31 August, applicants reach the age of 3-5)
Admission will also be based on understanding that the child is ready for formal schooling, is able to use the bathroom independently and able to integrate within a classroom environment. We are happy to consider children with zero or a minimal command of English. 

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Prep 1-3
It is desirable for children to be fluent in English, however children with a minimal command of English will also be considered providing they also meet the following:

• Display an age-appropriate level of maturity.

• Can understand and implement any directions given with minimal assistance from a teacher.

• Can complete age-appropriate tasks within a designated time frame.

• Teachers consider their development to be in-line with age-appropriate mother tongue language, social and behavioural skills.

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Prep 4-6
Children are expected to have strong age-appropriate communication and academic skills (in English), and social and behavioural skills. Applicants with a basic English foundation, but who demonstrate a strong motivation to learn will also be considered. English as an Additional Language (EAL) support and classroom differentiation is available, if necessary, to strengthen a pupil’s language ability.

Foundation Year 1 and above
Due to the increased rigor of the academic programme, applicants are expected to demonstrate a good command of English in order to cope with the demands of studying courses in secondary school. It is essential pupils have age-appropriate academic and communication skills (in both written and spoken English) to ensure they can be fully engaged in all learning activities.

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Applicants with a weaker English foundation will be considered if:

1. There is the option for extensive support for English language learning at home.

2. Their language needs can be accommodated by our EAL or Classroom Differentiation programmes.

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Priority will be given to those pupils whose parents have sufficient proficiency in English to be able to fully support their child’s linguistic and educational development.

Learning Enhancement 
Malvern College Tokyo will have a dedicated team of staff to provide learning support for those pupils with low to mild learning needs. This will be a small team initially and therefore, while every child will be assessed at application stage, only those we have the resources to fully support will be admitted. 

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Living arrangements
Malvern College Tokyo will operate as a day school, with no boarding facilities available. Families are required to make their own living arrangements. Please note our safeguarding policy requires that all pupils must stay with at least one parent or legal guardian.  Pupils are not allowed to live alone, even for short periods of time.