International School of the Sacred Heart

1. Step 1 — Admissions policy, eligibility, and language: Begin by reviewing ISSH's Admissions Policy and Guidelines. ISSH serves Pre-K and Kindergarten (ages 3–5) and girls in grades 1–12, with admissions governed by age cutoffs and passport nationality rules; for grades 9 and below, an applicant or at least one parent must hold a non-Japanese passport. The school states that the educational program is provided in English and that one parent must be able to speak and read English. These factors inform whether ISSH is a suitable fit for your family before applying. 2. Step 2 — Language considerations and ELA: Applicants come with varying English proficiency, and ISSH maintains an English-language program with an English Language Acquisition (ELA) pathway for those needing support. The admissions process notes that all applicants participate in English reading and writing assessments, with the ELA program offering in-class and small-group support where needed. Space for ELA is limited and allocations are made on a case-by-case basis, potentially placing some applicants in a waiting pool if ELA seats are full. 3. Step 3 — Admissions timeline and rolling process: ISSH uses rolling admissions, processing applications as spaces become available. Applications for the next school year open in September, and families should aim to finalize applications for Grades 1–12 by early December to be considered for available seats. Kindergarten has its own timelines (e.g., K3–K5 have specific milestones), with first-round interviews typically scheduled in January–February of the following year and additional interviews in March if spaces remain. 4. Step 4 — Online inquiry and application initiation: The process begins with an inquiry and proceeds to an online application. Families complete the online application, attach required school reports and documents, and initiate requests for teacher or school recommendations through the online portal. 5. Step 5 — Application fee: The application fee is ¥30,000 per student and is non-refundable. The fee is paid by bank transfer, and the payer covers any bank charges; you must include the applicant's official name to ensure proper attribution of the payment. 6. Step 6 — Application documents: Submit reports, transcripts, and any standardized test results in English (or with English translations where needed). Required documents vary by grade but typically include school reports from the current and prior years, translation if necessary, and confidential recommendations submitted through the online portal. 7. Step 7 — Application review: After all materials are received, the admissions committee reviews each application. Some applications may be declined at this stage, and all decisions are final with no public feedback on reasons. If a class has no available places, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool and reviewed when seats reopen. 8. Step 8 — Screening and assessment: All applicants for Grades 1–12 must complete a screening or assessment; Kindergarten applicants are screened on a case-by-case basis. The assessments differ by grade level (e.g., online math and English for Grades 1–4; math, English reading comprehension, and English essay for Grades 5–12). 9. Step 9 — Interview, admission decision, and enrollment: Applicants who pass the screening proceed to a family interview (both parents and the student). Interviews are conducted by the Principal and a member of the Admissions team, and may be held via Google Meet for overseas applicants. Following the interview, the Director of Admissions notifies families of the outcome; all admissions decisions are final. If offered a place, families complete the online enrollment checklist and pay the registration fee; for August enrollment, the remaining fees and tuition invoice may be issued in May. 10. Step 10 — Post-acceptance enrollment logistics: Successful applicants must complete enrollment steps and pay the registration fee promptly. ISSH notes that invoicing for tuition and the remaining balance may follow the enrollment period, especially for August enrollment. 11. Step 11 — Additional policy notes: Applications are submitted online with no reliance on third-party agencies, and ISSH does not offer priority admissions from outside programs. Siblings of current students and children of alumni receive priority if space is available, and applicants may be added to the waiting pool if spaces are not yet open.

Waitlist/Pool: When a class has no available space or when there are no available English Language Acquisition (ELA) seats for a student requiring ELA support, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool. Waiting pool placement is valid until the end of the school year for which the applicant applied, and interested applicants are encouraged to submit a new application for the following school year if they remain interested. Siblings and alumni may receive priority, provided space is available and the screening/interview results are favorable.

Scholarships: ISSH has named scholarship funds intended to support tuition for students for whom paying full tuition would be prohibitive. The Sister Culhane and D'Huarte Scholarship Funds are established to provide tuition assistance to eligible students. Gifts to these scholarship funds may be restricted to this purpose, and donors can designate restricted gifts to support financial aid. The school also runs fundraising programs (Annual Fund) to support broader needs, including financial aid. Details about specific eligibility criteria or application processes for these scholarships are not published publicly, but the scholarship funds exist to provide tuition support to qualifying students.