Profile & History
School Profile
BST is an independent, co-educational, two-site day school, providing a world class British Education to English speaking students from over 50 nationalities from the international community in Tokyo. The School is a non-profit organisation, overseen by a Board of Trustees.The school follows the English National Curriculum, adapted to our international setting in Tokyo. Our teachers are qualified and experienced in the English National Curriculum and are of a very high calibre.
Our expectations are high, our academic results are excellent and we have a happy school.
History
The British School in Tokyo was officially opened in 1989 by the incumbent British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, with just 63 girls and boys on roll. The School was established to meet the needs of parents who wished their children to receive a British-style primary education in Tokyo. A number of nationalities were represented in the School community, with the majority being British.During the early 1990s the School’s success led to an increased demand and by 1993 the premises had expanded and places were available from Nursery to Year 6. There were then 200 pupils on roll and the School’s curriculum began to follow the newly introduced National Curriculum of England and Wales.
The School’s reputation was spreading, both nationally and internationally, and the existing site could no longer accommodate the growing demand for places. A modern building with improved facilities, the current BST Shibuya site, was opened in Shibuya on 14 May 1998 to provide a bright and stimulating environment for over 300 children aged three to ten. In 2000, the School opened a small second site, initially a Shibuya municipal facility, the Shibuya Elementary School (SES), to accommodate a small number of older students, up to age thirteen; the Upper School. In 2003 SES was demolished and the Upper School had to be moved to another municipal facility on the far side of Shibuya Station, the Owada Junior High School. The School continued to attract strong interest, though facilities, particularly for the Upper School, were less than ideal.
Today, we are a school of 650 students, enjoying an excellent reputation and providing a stimulating and challenging education within a positive, welcoming ethos.
