Canadian Academy

Canadian Academy is on Rokko Island, a man-made community in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to the mainland by the Rokkoliner rail line, placing the campus in a residential area with easy access to services. It is about 20 minutes from downtown Kobe and about 37 minutes to Osaka by public transport, with restaurants, shops, and a hospital nearby for convenience.

The school is organized into three divisions: Elementary School (Grades 1–5), Middle School (Grades 6–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). An Early Learning and Activities Center (ELAC) supports early years, with the ELAC library space on campus.

Canadian Academy is co-educational and operates as a day and boarding international school. It maintains a boarding program with on-campus Gloucester House housing to support older students.

The Student Services department provides English as an Additional Language (EAL), Learning Support, and Counseling through a multidisciplinary, inclusive approach. Differentiated instruction supports diverse learner needs.

There is no formal country affiliation. The school is a Japan-based international school with historical Canadian roots.

Religious affiliation is not indicated; CA operates as a non-sectarian international school.

The standard school day commonly runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. with a 2:25 p.m. dismissal on Wednesdays. Secondary-level mornings include an advisory period to start the day.

Canadian Academy offers bus routes on Rokko, Ashiya, and Osaka lines, with multiple stops. Registration is required, seating is limited, and options can be for full year or a semester; buses include monitors and CCTV on board. Fees and stops depend on distance.

Application and initial fees
- Application fee: ¥90,000 (non‑refundable). Application fees are payable by credit card at the time of application.
- Registration fee (one‑time, new students): ¥400,000 (non‑refundable). The Registration Fee finalizes enrollment and reserves the student's space; it is payable within 30 days of the letter of acceptance or before the student's first day.
- Capital Contribution Fee (one‑time, new students): ¥600,000 (non‑refundable). The Capital Contribution Fee supports campus maintenance and renewal and is payable within 30 days of the letter of acceptance or before the student's first day.
- Building & Development Fee (annual): ¥300,000. This fee is charged annually to all students, is not prorated for mid‑year joins/withdrawals, and is fully refundable only according to the school's withdrawal schedule (see Refunds).

Tuition fees (annual) by year group
- Pre‑K / Kindergarten A: ¥2,000,000 per year.
- Kindergarten B: ¥2,580,000 per year.
- Grades 1–5: ¥2,580,000 per year.
- Grades 6–8: ¥3,020,000 per year.
- Grades 9–11: ¥3,090,000 per year.
- Grade 12: ¥3,210,000 per year.

Note on billing frequency: Tuition is charged and invoiced as an annual fee. The school publishes prorating rules for families joining during the year; see the prorating schedule below. A per‑term equivalent can be calculated as half the annual tuition where needed, but the published charges are annual and prorated according to published entry dates. (Per‑term amounts are a calculated division of the annual fees, not separately published charges.)

Prorating and refunds for tuition
- Tuition proration for students enrolling during the school year (School Year 2025–26):
- If the first day of school is on or before October 24, 2025: Tuition payable 100%.
- If on or before December 19, 2025: Tuition payable 75%.
- If on or before March 20, 2026: Tuition payable 50%.
- If on or before June 11, 2026: Tuition payable 25%.
- Refund schedule for withdrawal (School Year 2025–26):
- Semester One enrollment: withdrawal notice on or before July 1, 2025 = 100% refund; withdrawal on or before December 1, 2025 = 50% refund; withdrawal on or after December 2, 2025 = no refund.
- Semester Two enrollment: withdrawal notice on or before December 1, 2025 = 100% refund of the second semester; withdrawal on or after December 2, 2025 = no refund.

Boarding fees and related charges
- Boarding fee (annual, Grades 9–12): ¥3,200,000 in addition to the tuition fee. The boarding fee includes participation in the Residential Life Program and all meals during term time. Alternate activities during break weeks may carry additional charges. Students entering the boarding program at any point in Semester One are charged the boarding fee in full; students entering in Semester Two are charged 50% of the full boarding fee. The boarding fee is a year‑long commitment and is non‑refundable for families withdrawing during the school year.
- Boarding deposits and security: New students entering the boarding program pay a deposit of ¥500,000 to reserve a space (payable within 30 days of acceptance or before first day); returning students must also pay a ¥500,000 deposit when confirming intent to return. A security deposit of ¥50,000 is charged to new boarding students; it is refundable on departure net of any deductions for damages or outstanding charges. In the event of withdrawal after payment of the deposit, the deposit becomes non‑refundable in principle.

Transportation (school bus) fees and options
- Annual bus service fees vary by route and stop. Examples of annual rates for the 2025–26 year: Rokko Route (examples) — one‑way ¥177,450; round‑trip ¥334,950. Ashiya Route examples — one‑way ¥141,750; round‑trip ¥265,650. Osaka Route examples — one‑way ¥231,000; round‑trip ¥420,000. These fees are for a year‑long commitment to the bus program. Daily tickets are available for occasional riders at ¥1,200 per ticket (availability dependent on seat space). The bus payment schedule and pro‑rating follow the same rules as tuition.

Student support and extra program fees
- English as an Additional Language (EAL): For students entering Grade 1 or above who are assessed as requiring EAL in Phases 1–4, the EAL fee is ¥200,000 per year for the first three years of enrollment and ¥100,000 per year thereafter. The EAL fee is payable on the same schedule as annual tuition, is prorated on entry, and is not refundable for students leaving during the school year. The EAL fee is refundable only if a student is assessed at Phase 5 within the first quarter of attendance.
- Learning Support: If a student requires significant one‑to‑one learning support, a fee of up to ¥3,500,000 may be assessed (amount determined by the school and may be prorated). Participation in the Learning Support program is at the school's discretion.

Food services
- School lunches are provided by the school's food services provider (Cezar's Kitchen). Each student receives a Cezar's account that families top up directly; the school provides basic demographic information to the provider to create accounts. Families manage and top up lunch accounts directly with Cezar's Kitchen.

Other costs (uniforms, clubs, incidental charges)
- Uniforms and PE kit are sold through the school's Falcon Store; sample retail prices observed on the Falcon Store include a PE shirt at ¥2,500 and sweatpants at ¥3,500. Additional uniform items, sports kit, and school merchandise are available and priced individually through the store.
- After‑school clubs and some co‑curricular activities carry separate fees; some club sign‑ups and payments are handled through the school's activity platforms. Field trips, alternate break activities for boarders, and some competitive activities may carry additional charges. Annual or occasional charges for specific activities are invoiced separately.

Billing schedule, payment terms, and penalties
- Due dates:
- New families: school fees are due in full within 30 days of invoicing or before the new student's first day, whichever is earlier.
- Returning families: school fees are due in full by July 1 preceding the start of the school year.
- Installment option for privately paying families: a six‑month installment plan (July–December) may be requested; the plan must be secured by bank draft and carries a service charge of ¥25,000 per student (added to the first installment). Applications for the installment plan must be received by the Finance Office by the June 15 preceding the school year. Corporations sponsoring school fees must pay in full by the due date.
- Payment methods and currencies: Application fees are payable by credit card at application; all other fees are invoiced by the Finance Office and are payable by bank transfer only. All fees are payable in Japanese yen; bank transfer, credit card, or other charges are the responsibility of the payor. Families paying privately who choose installments must set up a bank draft for monthly collection.
- Late payment penalties and enforcement: Any amount owing for more than 30 days attracts a penalty charge of ¥5,000 per week. The school reserves the right to withhold or terminate a student's access to school services for outstanding amounts, which may include withholding report cards, transcripts, examination access, field trips, activities, or campus access.

Refunds and cancellation specifics
- Application Fee: non‑refundable. Registration Fee and Capital Contribution Fee: charged to all new students and non‑refundable. The Building & Development Fee is not prorated and is only refundable according to the school's specified withdrawal windows (see Building & Development Fee refund dates above). Tuition refunds follow the published withdrawal schedule for Semester One and Semester Two enrollments (see Prorating and refunds for tuition). Boarding deposits generally become non‑refundable in principle if a family withdraws after paying them; the boarding security deposit (¥50,000) is refundable on departure net of deductions.

Summary of key monetary figures (School Year 2025–26)
- Application fee: ¥90,000. Registration (one‑time): ¥400,000. Capital contribution (one‑time): ¥600,000. Building & Development (annual): ¥300,000. Tuition by year group: Pre‑K/Kindergarten A ¥2,000,000; Kindergarten B and Grades 1–5 ¥2,580,000; Grades 6–8 ¥3,020,000; Grades 9–11 ¥3,090,000; Grade 12 ¥3,210,000. Boarding (annual): ¥3,200,000. Additional possible fees: EAL, Learning Support (up to ¥3,500,000), bus service (varies by route), deposits for boarding (¥500,000) and boarding security (¥50,000).

The student body includes more than 40 nationalities. The largest group comes from North America, with representation from East Asia and Japan as host country; languages spoken exceed 15. Historically, local Japanese students have comprised about a quarter of the community, with international students making up about three-quarters of the student body.