Fukuoka International School

Admissions Policy

We welcome enrollment applications at any time and accept students into our school throughout the school year (up until early April).

All received applications are considered in line with the following school policies:

Priority System

We welcome applications from all nationalities, although our primary mission is to serve the international community legally living in Japan for work. For this reason, we have established a priority system for our admissions and waiting lists. The admission categories are as follows (listed in order of highest to lowest priority):

• Foreign students (neither parent nor student has a Japanese passport)
• Dual national students (one parent has a Japanese passport)
• Japanese students returning from overseas or another international school within Japan (parent(s) and student have a Japanese passport))
• Japanese students (parent(s) and student have a Japanese passport))

Additional information: FIS Siblings will be given priority within their group. All applications will be considered equally.

Waiting Lists

Due to increasing demand, some of our grade levels are full and currently have waiting lists. Because of the mobile nature of our community, spots do come up regularly, and we encourage all interested families to submit an application. Applicants will only be added to our waiting lists once a full application is received. When spots become available, places will be offered to the students on our waiting lists in the priority order listed above.

Grade Placement

• Students aged 3-6 years old
  • Students aged 3-6 years old will be placed in the age-appropriate grade (based upon their age as of September 1st of the school year), as per the following table:

• Students aged 6+
  • Students aged 6+ will be placed in a class or grade according to the determination made by Head of School. The placement will reflect the student's previous educational experience, age and academic needs.

English Proficiency & Admissions Testing

English is our language of instruction and communication. Although English proficiency is not required for Early Years students, a certain level of English proficiency is necessary for both Elementary and Secondary students.

Our admissions process is aimed at giving us insight into what language support might be necessary to ensure that your child will be successful at FIS. All prospective families fill out a Language Survey to identify which languages are spoken and to what proficiency. Depending on their linguistic background, the student may be required to take the WIDA Model Assessment, determining their language abilities in the four language domains (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening). These results play an integral component in determining the degree of support needed. If an applicant's English level does not meet the accepted level for their grade, the student may be supported by our ELL program after enrollment.

It is important that at least one parent/guardian is able to function with some English language as all communication from FIS is in English. After enrollment, our bilingual school staff are able to provide some level of translation support to families. If FIS parents/guardians are interested in improving their English, they are able to enroll in English classes taught through our community English conversational school, FICS.

Learning Differences

FIS is an inclusive learning environment and we welcome applicants with learning differences. Severe learning difficulties may be difficult to support however as we have limited support services and facilities available. During the admission process, the Head of School and Student Support Coordinator will make a decision about FIS’s ability to support an individual's learning differences.

Other Admission Requirements

Visas

For expatriate students, an official dependent visa is required in order to attend FIS. The school's mission is to serve the international community legally living in Japan for work therefore we are unable to accept students with temporary visitor visas.

Living Arrangements

It is an expectation that students will live with their parent or legally appointed guardian. For students for whom this is difficult due to the distance from FIS, please contact the school regarding other possible options.