Hiroshima International School

We are a fully accredited day school for students aged 3-18, committed to excellence in education. We enroll students from all over the world, creating a friendly and cooperative multi-ethnic student body. We are the only school in the Chugoku region of Japan where children of all ages can obtain an international education in English.

HIS will provide an international education that promotes integrity, excellence, cultural sensitivity and a lifelong commitment to peace and a sustainable planet. HIS will cultivate young people who are prepared for lifelong learning, meeting challenges and outstanding citizenship anywhere in the world.

An exceptionally warm, welcoming and inclusive community, at HIS each child is accepted as a unique individual with valuable contributions to make. At HIS, children not only participate in the learning process, they see themselves as valuable contributors to that process, essential members of the learning community. This is what inclusivity means at HIS.

Classes are not only opportunities for students to make sense of the world in which they live, classroom experiences are journeys of discovery about the way we learn as individuals, developing independence and ensuring success far beyond school, into college and the uncertainties of life beyond.

Multilingualism is vital to our mission at HIS, where all teachers are language teachers – every class is a language class. Students develop strong literacy skills in both English and Japanese within real world contexts, exploring both communicative and academic language, coming to understand the power of language and its usage in our societies.In this way, HIS students are ready to confidently face the challenges of the 21st Century, as they help to forge a more peaceful and sustainable future.

Hiroshima International School offers an early childhood educational programme based on the International Baccalaureate (IBO) Primary Years Programme (PYP).

The Early Childhood program at HIS centers on developmentally appropriate practices where children actively engage with their environment through centers, projects and learning experiences with their peers. Students are expected to master certain skills and concepts that are appropriate to their physical, social and emotional and cognitive development.

The Primary School encompasses students from age 5 – 11. The curriculum is framed by the philosophies and goals of the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program (PYP). The PYP is an inquiry-based, concept-driven curriculum framework for children aged 3-11 years (grades EC – 5) and it combines current research practice from a range of national systems with the wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools. This program, which is broken into six major units of study per year, was developed to meet the needs of internationally mobile students.

The middle school curriculum in Grades 6-10 builds upon the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and introduces the academic rigour needed for the examination courses in the high school grades. HIS is currently a candidate school for the IB Middle Years Programme. The MYP is an inquiry-based program for students in grades 6-10. The knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the MYP provide a foundation for students to be successful in the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11-12.

Students in Grades 11-12 follow the curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which is a university preparation programme recognized by the best universities around the world. Students are also entered for SATs and, where necessary, for the TOEFL. Our graduating students have been accepted by universities in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Estonia and Canada.

In keeping with the school’s mission, the curriculum offered does not align with any particular national system, rather it provides a comprehensive international curriculum which reflects our multinational student body, and thus aims to meet all of our students’ needs.

The HIS Holiday Programs are fun and enriching recreational program conducted within an English language environment. Students participate in a wide variety of collaborative activities designed to enhance communication skills, build confidence and keep students active and engaged. They are great opportunities for your child to have some fun and make some new friends over the holiday period.

Friends of HIS is a group of kind donors who support our school. There are two types of donations which are time contributions and monetary contributions. Any monetary donations will be tax deductible.

Pre-admission contact, inquiries and school visit (desirable if possible),Application documentation – see Ent Procedures document, Interview with Principal, and Admission assessments (primarily for placement purposes and assessment of English language skills).

The interview is designed to find out from the student what they enjoy about school and what they are expecting at HIS: it is also designed to find out from parents why they wish their child to receive an international education. It is also a final opportunity for parent or student questions to be answered.

HIS is a selective school and we have a duty to ensure that we only admit students whose needs we can meet and who will contribute to our community. The admission assessments have two main purposes such as assessment of the students previous learning and understanding, if appropriate, and Identification of any learning and/or language support needs the student might have.All assessments are age-appropriate and are designed to be straightforward and non-stressful: we want the students to be able to show what they are capable of. For younger students the assessments are primarily observational or one-on-one with a teacher, whilst for older students there will also be short written assessments of numeracy and literacy!