Student Transfer
Students Transferring to BST
The British School in Tokyo recognises that new students may need extra support to help them to acclimatise to their new school and, in many cases, to a new country. The experience of moving countries and leaving behind friends can be difficult for children and we aim to make the experience of starting a new school as stress-free as possible.
New students to BST are greeted on their first day by their class teaching staff and are taken to their class room. They are introduced to their new classmates and are assigned a ‘Buddy’ who will look after them during their first weeks at school. Parents will also have the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher. During a child’s first month at school, the teacher will make informal assessments of the child. If it is decided that your child may benefit from some Learning Support, then this will be arranged.
Prior to your child’s first day, parents will be contacted by our PTA Welcome Committee. Each class has a Class Parent who will also be in touch and will be able to help arrange play-dates and make friends. The PTA also hosts weekly coffee mornings which are an ideal chance to make friends within the parent body.
If there are any special considerations which the school should be aware of, parents are encouraged to contact and speak to either the Head Teacher or the class teacher. We encourage frequent meetings between parents and teachers and either catch them after school finishes in their classrooms or arrange an appointment by e-mail or telephone.
Students Transferring from BST
BST offers individualised support for those families transferring to another school either in Japan or elsewhere in the world. Most parents enter their children for two or three schools but experience indicates that almost all children from BST gain places at their first choice school. This year 97% of students were accepted at their first-choice school.
The following support is offered and is available to all families with children from Nursery to Year 11.
- Support and advice on contacting parent identified schools and requesting entrance examinations
- Preparation for children in taking entrance examinations and attending interviews or open days. Prep will be organised on a needs basis individually with each family
- Collation and couriering of reports and/or references requested by schools
- Administration, invigilation and couriering of exam papers
- Maintaining contact with school
Parents of Primary pupils should make an initial meeting with Kirsten O'Connor (oconnor@bst.ac.jp) to outline the time scale for their relocation and identify desired schools.
Parents of Secondary pupils should contact Chris Nicholls (cnicholls@bst.ac.jp).
Examination Preparation
The examinations are different for each school in terms of presentation, expectation and timing but at this age their content is fairly generic. From Year 1 most children will be expected to take an English exam which will comprise reading, writing, comprehension and sometimes spelling. The maths exams are usually written papers without the use of a calculator and sometimes also include a mental maths test. Some schools also expect children to take a verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning paper.
Examinations are most often based on the National Curriculum expectations for a specific year group plus some additional specialisms the school identifies as a focus. Most overseas schools requiring entrance examinations insist pupils sit them at their school.
Examination Day
Children sit examinations under invigilation. They are given the option to bring their own pencils/ rulers/ erasers etc but these will be provided if they choose not to. The children bring their water bottle and often bring their snack too so that they can relax and take a break half way through.
The School ensures all examination conditions are adhered to and packages the papers ready to be couriered immediately.
Confidential reports
Most schools request confidential reports to be sent directly; the School organises the collation of the requested past reports – schools mostly request the past two years. On request BST also completes an interim report or specific report formats sent by individual schools providing up-to-date assessments and information.
Pupil Transfer costs
Where reports and test papers are sent by courier, BST will invoice the parent for this expense. Parents are asked to send the remittance directly to the Finance Department.
