North London Collegiate School Kobe

NLCS Kobe is located on Rokko Island in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The Junior School campus is housed in the AsiaOne Building on Rokko Island. The purpose-built Senior School campus on Rokko Mountain will open in 2028.

NLCS Kobe currently operates a Junior School for Grades 1–7 (ages 6–13). The Senior School will open in 2028 for Grades 6 - 9 (ages 11-15)

The school is a selective, co-educational day school for Grades 1–7. The Senior School will offer boarding in addition to day schooling from 2028.

The school community represents a diverse mix of nationalities, with Japanese students forming the majority of the student body. This creates an internationally minded yet distinctly Japanese environment, reflecting the school’s philosophy of being an “International School with a Japanese Heart” and appealing to both local and international families across the Kansai region and beyond.

NLCS Kobe provides learning support through small class sizes, personalised pastoral care, and close collaboration between teachers and families. At present, the school does not offer a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) programme or specialist provision.

NLCS Kobe is affiliated with NLCS UK and joins the other NLCS network of international schools in Singapore, Dubai, Jeju and Hong Kong (opening soon).

There is no religious affiliation listed for NLCS Kobe; the school emphasises an international IB curriculum with Japanese language and culture.

Public pages do not publish daily start and end times. For exact timings, the Admissions team can provide details.

NLCS Kobe offers daily shuttle services from within Kobe and Osaka.

The Senior School on Rokko Mountain will cater to both boarding and day students. Boarders will benefit from modern, comfortable accommodation, promoting independence while staying closely connected to school life. The Rokko Mountain campus will open in 2028.

NLCS Kobe is part of the North London Collegiate School family of schools. It maintains a close connection to NLCS UK and is part of a network of NLCS international campuses, including NLCS Jeju, NLCS Dubai and NLCS Singapore.

NLCS Kobe offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with instruction in English and a strong emphasis on Japanese language and culture. The Junior School delivers an enquiry-based, English-language curriculum designed to develop foundational academic and linguistic skills. The Junior School serves Grades 1–6, with admissions announced for August 2025. The Senior School will welcome Grade 7 in 2026, expanding to additional grades as the Rokko Mountain campus opens; the curriculum blends NLCS UK traditions with a focus on Japanese heritage, with all lessons taught in English and Japanese language and literature integrated. A permanent Rokko Mountain campus is planned to open in 2028, offering boarding and day options and supporting a pathway to leading universities worldwide.

NLCS Kobe places social and emotional development at the heart of its pastoral approach. The Junior School page states that outstanding individual care and support, strong values and exceptional extra-curricular opportunities help pupils stay resilient, positive and happy; a happy child will always be a more effective learner. The school emphasises that the well-being of students is at the heart of everything we do, and life in the junior school is described as vibrant and nurturing, with older pupils mentoring younger pupils to foster belonging and collaboration. Through clubs, societies and service projects, students learn to collaborate, communicate and develop leadership skills, supporting their social and emotional growth alongside academic development. The Our School section notes that NLCS Kobe seeks to remove barriers to learning by supporting students in all aspects of their lives.

Publicly disclosed information on SEN provision at NLCS Kobe is limited. The Junior School page describes 'Outstanding individual care and support' and notes that pupils are 'resilient, positive and happy,' indicating general pastoral support rather than a defined SEN program. Policy pages focus on safeguarding, e-safety and behaviour management rather than explicit SEN services. The publicly available information does not specify which kinds of Special Educational Needs the school can support or whether it operates as a specialist SEN institution. Consequently, there is no publicly disclosed detail on dedicated SEN staff or a SEN coordinator.

NLCS Kobe teaches all junior school lessons in English, and the immersive environment supports linguistic development. The curriculum overview states that all learners develop a sophisticated command of English with a focus on internationalism. There is no explicit published information about a dedicated EAL program or EAL staff. The emphasis in available materials is on general English-language development rather than a formal EAL service. Therefore, NLCS Kobe does not publicly disclose specific EAL provision.

Wellbeing is a central element of NLCS Kobe's approach; the Junior School states that the well-being of students is at the heart of everything we do. The school highlights outstanding individual care and support as part of creating a balanced, happy student experience. Life in the school is described as vibrant and nurturing, with a strong emphasis on social-emotional growth alongside academics. The programme promotes resilience and positive development through a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and community activities. There is no publicly disclosed detail about dedicated mental health staff; wellbeing is described as integrated within pastoral care and personal support.

NLCS Kobe publishes a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (August 2025) that sets out staff training, roles and procedures for safeguarding. The policy designates a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) as Elisabet Gunzi (Vice Principal) and a Deputy DSL as Jerome Singh (Assistant Principal), with Principal and NLCS International contact details listed for safeguarding matters. The DSL and deputy are described as trained staff responsible for safeguarding and online safety, with a formal training plan and ongoing duties outlined. The policy references emergency contacts (189) and UK guidance such as Keeping Children Safe in Education, and provides contact details for safeguarding matters at NLCS Kobe and NLCS International. Parents are welcome to approach the DSL with safeguarding concerns.

NLCS Kobe opened in August 2025 as the newest overseas branch of North London Collegiate School, becoming NLCS's fifth international campus. The campus is located in the AsiaOne Center on Rokko Island, Kobe, and begins with Grades 1–6, with plans to add Grades 7–8 in 2026–2027 and a Rokko Mountain Senior School campus in 2028, at which point boarding will be available for Grades 6–12. Founding Principal Matthew Williams leads the school, bringing NLCS's heritage together with a Japanese cultural dimension. NLCS Kobe is part of the NLCS family alongside NLCS London, NLCS Jeju, NLCS Dubai, and NLCS Singapore. A local partnership with Hakko Car Group supports NLCS Kobe's development in the Kansai region.

NLCS Kobe aims to combine an international English-language education with a strong commitment to Japanese language and culture. NLCS Kobe is part of the NLCS family, linking to sister campuses in Jeju, Dubai, Singapore and London, creating a global community with shared values. Cross-campus events such as Celebrating Global Sisterhood connect Kobe with Jeju, Dubai, Singapore and London, highlighting collaboration and shared purpose across NLCS campuses. Open Days, school tours, and admissions events provide opportunities for families to engage with staff and students and learn about campus life.

NLCS Kobe does not list a dedicated PTA page on its site at present; parent involvement is coordinated through general school channels and events. The site includes a Parents menu with Junior and Senior School sections and an Events area, indicating formal parent engagement channels exist within the school's site structure. NLCS London's Parents' Guild provides a model of active parent involvement, with social events, uniform sales, instrument exchanges, babysitter lists, and community activities such as the Fireworks Display and the Parents' Quiz. NLCS Kobe participates in NLCS-wide community initiatives, including cross-campus events such as Celebrating Global Sisterhood that involve Kobe alongside Jeju, Dubai and Singapore. Open Days and school tours are among the pathways for parents to engage with education and staff across the NLCS network.

NLCS Kobe operates two campuses in Kobe. The Junior School Campus is located at the Asia One Center on Rokko Island and began operating for Grades 1–7 in September 2025. The Senior School Campus will open in 2028 on Rokko Mountain and will provide boarding for Grades 6–12. Junior School facilities include a dedicated sports hall, a drama studio, two science laboratories, bright classrooms, and spaces for ICT, art and music. The Senior School Campus will include a theatre, a sports hall, an amphitheatre, and classrooms with views over Kobe; the Rokko Mountain site will also offer outdoor learning and a natural setting.

Junior School facilities include a sports hall for physical education. The Senior School will also feature a sports hall on the Rokko Mountain site, along with other spaces for performance and learning. The Rokko Mountain campus will be situated in a natural setting and will provide spaces for outdoor learning and sports activities.

The Junior School has two science laboratories and dedicated spaces for ICT, art, music and drama, in addition to bright classrooms that foster collaboration. Both campuses are designed to support a range of subjects through specialist rooms, with the Senior School adding further dedicated spaces on Rokko Mountain. The Senior School design includes a theatre and other facilities intended to support an academically ambitious curriculum.

NLCS Kobe offers a wide extra-curricular programme including sports, music, drama, art and technology for the junior school. The senior school programme expands opportunities with student-led societies across a broad range of disciplines and activities, and includes lectures that extend learning beyond the syllabus.

NLCS Kobe offers an academically oriented extracurricular programme that extends learning beyond the classroom. The senior school features student-created societies spanning a wide range of subjects, including English literature, Latin, linguistics, law, history, international relations, biology, chemistry, arts, dance, drama, architecture, maths, computer science, and more. These societies host debates, seminars, and presentations, with sessions run by students and frequent invitations of external speakers. A weekly Nicholson Lectures programme gives teachers and students the opportunity to present academic talks on topics beyond the syllabus, fostering scholarly curiosity.

Arts and creative pursuits are integrated into NLCS Kobe's extracurricular life. In the junior school, options include sports, music, drama, art, and technology, with opportunities to join a sports team, learn a musical instrument, participate in drama productions, and engage in visual arts and design activities. In the senior school, a broad slate of arts activities is supported through societies that cover arts, dance, and drama among other areas, and the programme includes performances and exhibitions connected to the wider arts calendar.

NLCS Kobe emphasizes culture and language through a robust, student-led extracurricular ecosystem. Societies cover languages and humanities topics, including English literature, Latin, linguistics, law, history, and international relations, and they often include cultural exchanges and events. The programme also includes cultural exchanges and service projects that connect pupils with broader communities. Japanese language and literature are an integral part of the curriculum, ensuring students engage with Japan's heritage while instruction remains in English.

Social and hobby groups form a key part of school life, with societies created and run by students and offering regular lunchtime sessions and activities. The extracurricular programme spans sports, arts, music, drama, and technology, providing opportunities for collaboration and leadership across age groups. Participation in clubs and societies helps pupils develop communication, teamwork, and time-management skills in a supportive environment.

Community and service activities are an integral part of NLCS Kobe's extracurricular offering. Pupils participate in service projects and cultural exchanges that connect them with the wider community and foster social responsibility. The senior programme explicitly includes community service as a core element, alongside other co-curricular opportunities for wider engagement. These activities are designed to build empathy, leadership, and a sense of global citizenship.

The school foregrounds leadership development through student-led activities. Societies are created and run by students, providing opportunities to organise sessions, invite speakers, and lead discussions. The senior programme also offers structured student leadership opportunities within tutor groups, the house system, and the PSHE framework, which together cultivate organisational and interpersonal skills.

Wellbeing is a central consideration at NLCS Kobe. The school emphasises happiness and health as core outcomes, supported by a caring and personalised approach to student welfare. A broad sports offering forms part of a balanced lifestyle, promoting physical fitness and healthy routines. The Rokko Mountain campus, opening in 2028, will include outdoor learning experiences and additional spaces for sport and wellbeing activities, enriching daily life for students.

English is the language of instruction for all lessons at NLCS Kobe. Japanese language and literature are an integral part of the curriculum, supporting language development and cultural heritage.

NLCS Kobe uses English as the language of instruction across the curriculum. All core lessons are taught in English within an immersive environment designed to support students’ English language development, confidence, and communication skills. Japanese lessons are taught in Japanese, reflecting the school’s strong emphasis on bilingual development.

PYP IB (in progress)

doris recommends that you start by speaking to admissions. This connects you directly to the school's admissions team who can respond with answers, more information, and next steps.

1. Initial enquiry: Begin by contacting the NLCS Kobe Admissions team for an initial consultation. The team provides detailed information about the school, its curriculum, and the online application process. They can also advise on grade placement and the overall admissions timeline.

2. Application submission: Applications are submitted online via the OpenApply portal. It is recommended to use a device with a larger screen. The portal provides access to the Application Process, guidance on which grade is the right level for your child, the Application Checklist (so you know what documents you will need to submit), and the Admissions Assessment process.

3. Assessment: The Principal and Vice Principal are fully involved in the process and make the final decision. Assessments differ by age: for Grades 1–2, there is a review of documentation, a school readiness test, and an observation test in class (if possible). For Grades 3–6, the process includes a review of documentation, an English and mathematics test, a cognitive ability test (externally prepared and assessed), a subject test where possible, and a face-to-face interview.

4. Offers: After the admissions assessments are complete, you will be advised of the decision.

5. Enrolment: Upon acceptance of an offer, the Admissions team will contact you so that your child can be fully prepared for and enjoy a smooth transition into the NLCS Kobe school community.

6. Grade openings and timescale: NLCS Kobe opens in August 2025. Entry is available for Grades 1–6 for the 2025–2026 academic year (starting August 2025). The campus plans August 2026 for Grade 7, August 2027 for Grade 8, and August 2028 for later grades. Occasional places may be available in other year groups.

7. Fees overview (2025–26): For the 2025–26 academic year, first-year costs can include an application fee (approximately ¥35,000), an enrolment fee of ¥400,000, a tuition charge of ¥2,800,000, and a facility maintenance charge of ¥400,000; the total for the first year is about ¥3,635,000. Annual tuition for Grades 1–3 is about ¥3,200,000, and for Grades 4–6 about ¥3,300,000.

NLCS Kobe does not publish scholarships or bursaries on its admissions materials. The page describes the admissions process and does not include any scholarship section. The NLCS network, however, does offer bursaries and scholarships at other campuses (e.g., NLCS London), but there is no public information indicating NLCS Kobe has its own scholarship program.

NLCS Kobe does not publish a formal waitlist. The admissions page notes that Grades 1–6 entries are available for the 2025–2026 academic year and that occasional places may be available in other year groups; current availability is subject to openings and decisions.