Nagoya International School

Nagoya International School is located at 2686 Minamihara, Nakashidami, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, Japan 463-0002. The campus sits on a hill and is set back from the main road, with Kozoji Station on the JR Chuo Line as a common access point and a Kozoji shuttle serving the campus. The campus comprises multiple buildings connected by gardens and walkways, including an East Building with science labs, a design lab, and a multi-purpose hall.

NIS is organized into four levels: the Early Learning Center (Preschool and Kindergarten), Elementary School (Grades 1–5), Middle School (Grades 6–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). The school delivers the IB framework across these levels, with the IB Diploma Programme available in high school.

Co-educational; Day school (boarding facilities are not listed as part of NIS offerings).

As of 2024–25, NIS has about 498 students representing 37 nationalities and 34 home languages. The school reported about 90 new students joining in 2024–25 representing 19 countries; roughly 40% of students are from overseas and 60% are local. The school does not publish a single most common nationality.

NIS provides English language and learning support through an EAL team, offering two levels of support (Support and Intensive) with options for push-in or pull-out delivery depending on need. In Primary, TEMSC informs language instruction, and in Secondary there is Intensive EAL for subject-specific language; counseling and health services are provided through Student Services.

No formal country affiliation is listed. The school is internationally accredited (CIS and WASC) and IB-authorized, with JCIS membership.

No religious affiliation is listed; the school emphasizes inclusivity of all religions and beliefs.

NIS operates with two divisions: Primary (ELC Preschool to Grade 5) and Secondary (Grade 6–12). The standard day runs from 8:20 to 15:30, with 3:30 dismissal for most students; Wednesday dismissal is at 14:00.

Bus service is provided by the Nagoya International School Bus Association. The Kozoji shuttle runs between Kozoji Station and NIS, with additional routes serving multiple city areas; details of routes, stops, and pickup times are provided to admitted families and are not published online.

Nagoya International School offers the International Baccalaureate continuum: Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Preschool through Grade 5, Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6–10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) for Grades 11–12. NIS is an IB World School with full authorization for PYP, MYP and DP and holds CIS and WASC accreditation. Instruction is delivered in English, with Japanese studied as a language option and EAL support available as needed. The PYP at NIS uses inquiry-based, transdisciplinary learning in the elementary years; the MYP covers eight subject groups (including English, Japanese, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Design, The Arts, and Physical Education) to build foundational knowledge and skills; in the Diploma Programme, students select six subjects across groups and complete the core requirements TOK, EE and CAS, with the option to pursue the IB Diploma or the school diploma pathway in Grades 11–12.

The school reports a teacher-student ratio around 8:1; division sizes include approximately 40 in the Early Learning Center, 187 in Elementary, 111 in Middle, and 160 in High School.

DP outcomes at NIS are strong: since 2010, over 85% of students have pursued the full IB Diploma Programme, and over 90% of those earned the Diploma. In 2025, 35 graduates included 25 IBDP students, with 22 DP obtained and a highest score of 41 and an average around 31.0. In 2024, 22 of 23 IBDP candidates obtained DP, with an average around 31.5; in 2023, 16 of 19 obtained the DP.

Graduates pursue higher education at universities worldwide; the DP is widely recognized by leading universities. The school's DP results data show consistent performance across cohorts and a broad range of university destinations.

NIS provides levels of provision for personalized learning and supports for language learners (EAL) and other needs; programs for gifted and talented learners are part of the school's overall support framework.

Nagoya International School places well-being at the core of learning, with well-being defined as the emotional, physical, mental, social, and environmental health of the whole school community and used as a lens for policies and practice. The school fosters belonging through a network of relationships and engagement with local and global contexts, guided by the UNCRC and IB philosophy. The Student Services team supports social and emotional needs and uses a Team Around the Child approach to plan interventions across three levels (Monitor, Support, Intensive) in collaboration with teachers and families.

NIS provides inclusive SEN support via its Student Services with three levels of provision: Monitor, Support, and Intensive, designed to address cognition and learning, communication and interaction, sensory and/or physical needs, and social, emotional and mental health. The levels include collaboration among classroom teachers, support staff, and, when needed, external professionals, particularly at Intensive level. The school describes its provision as integrated within the mainstream school rather than as a dedicated specialist SEN institution, with individualized plans developed to maximize curriculum access.

All NIS teachers are language teachers, and the EAL team supports students in English language acquisition while helping to lead language development in the classroom. The program uses a two-tier model (Support and Intensive) with a mix of push-in and pull-out delivery, tailored to Primary (grades 1–5) and Secondary (grades 6–12) needs. Primary and Secondary EAL programs focus on academic language development, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing, to maximize access to the wider curriculum.

Well-being at NIS is a whole-school focus, recognizing emotional, physical, mental, social, and environmental health and aiming to foster belonging and rights in line with UNCRC and IB values. The Student Services team provides counseling and health support addressing academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, offering a safe space for students to discuss worries and coordinating with families and external professionals as appropriate. Counseling and health provisions include both academic college counseling and social, emotional, and mental health counseling as part of the broader well-being framework.

Nagoya International School operates a safeguarding policy aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and as a JCIS member, affirming a duty of care to safeguard student welfare. All staff are bound by a safeguarding code to support healthy relationships and student independence, with procedures in place for reporting concerns and coordinating with families and external bodies as needed. The policy outlines safeguarding roles, boundaries, power dynamics, and accountability to ensure the emotional and physical safety of students across school activities.

1. Start with an inquiry and set up access to the NIS Admissions Portal. The portal is the primary channel for information requests, scheduling a campus tour, and submitting an online application; paper applications are no longer accepted. Create a family login (user-name and password) to manage communications with Admissions staff. This step ensures you receive timely information and can book a tour or request the admissions packet as needed.

2. Complete the online application and upload required documents. Use the Admissions Portal to submit the application and then provide transcripts and other school records through the same system. Ensure you have past two years of academic records available to upload or arrange for them to be forwarded to NIS. Timely submission of all documents supports the review timeline and testing scheduling if needed.

3. Admissions testing and placement (if required). The Admissions & Development Office coordinates any required admissions testing (including EAL or other assessments) as part of determining eligibility and placement. Testing requirements depend on the applicant's background and timing of enrollment. Results inform whether an Orientation Meeting or Admissions Interview will proceed.

4. Attend the Orientation Meeting or Admissions Interview. An Orientation Meeting or an Admissions Interview will be scheduled with one of the Principals, and English will be used during the interview. It is expected that both parents attend the interview, and a translator may accompany them if needed. This step confirms fit with the school's mission and supports grade placement decisions.

5. Receive a decision and proceed with placement and next steps. After the admissions materials are reviewed, the school determines eligibility, grade placement, and any needed supports. The Admissions Office will contact the family by email or telephone with the outcome and next steps. Availability varies by class, and some grades may already be at or near capacity.

6. Enroll and arrange fees and start date. If offered admission, you'll receive invoicing for tuition and fees. One-time fees include Application Fee ¥50,000, Registration Fee ¥850,000, and Campus Development Fee ¥250,000. Annual tuition varies by grade (ELC ¥2,038,000; Elementary ¥2,543,000; Secondary 6–10 ¥2,954,000; Secondary 11–12 ¥3,026,000). Mid-year entrants are billed quarterly, and refunds are not prorated; all fees are charged in full. Tuition/fees are invoiced by the Business Office with specified payment methods.

7. Final note on capacity and timing. Enrollment is offered through Grade 11, and Grade 12 is not accepted; given capacity constraints, some grades may close or operate a wait-pool. If a class is full, eligible applicants may be placed in a wait-pool and considered for openings later in the year according to the school's priority categories. Early contact with the Admissions & Development Office is advised to understand current class availability.

Nagoya International School offers needs-based financial aid for tuition and applicable fees, intended to make an NIS education accessible to a broader range of families. Financial aid may cover between 5% and 50% of annual tuition costs, and bus-related costs are considered but there is no separate financial aid specifically for bus riders. Aid is funded from the operating budget and donations, and the amount awarded depends on each family's financial circumstances and the school's policy and funds available. Families currently receiving aid must reapply each year. Financial aid applications are online and reviewed within four annual windows: March 1–31, June 1–20, August 1–20, and November 10–30 (dates updated for 2026). Newly applying families should apply for admissions and financial aid concurrently, and ensure all required documents are submitted within a window for review. The Financial Aid Office also maintains confidentiality and shares applicant information with the Admissions team as needed.

NIS operates a wait-pool system for classes that reach capacity. When a grade is full or at capacity, eligible applicants may be placed in a wait-pool of candidates until a space becomes available. The wait-pool is not ordered by first-come, first-served timing; admission categories determine space priority. The priority categories (in order) are: 1) current students re-enrolling, 2) siblings of current students, 3) staff children, 4) returning NIS students, 5) siblings of past NIS students or NIS alumni, 6) new expatriate students, 7) transfers from a Partner Preschool, 8) transfers from another JCIS school, 9) new local students. Families on the wait-pool are not asked to pay a tuition down-payment to stay on it, but the application fee must be paid in full to be considered. For the wait-pool, the process can involve pre-purchase or pre-commitment options to reserve spots for mid-year or next year, but these are separate arrangements described by Admissions.