Willowbrook International School

Location

• Willowbrook International School: 2-14-28 Motoazabu, Minato City, Tokyo (nearest station: 10-minute walk from Hiroo Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) and Azabu-Juban Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line). Opposite the baseball field of Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park.)

Ages

15 months to 5 years (the top page describes the Regular Program as 1.5–5 years, while the class table and admissions guide say from 15 months). Dual Immersion is for ages 2–5.

Curriculum

A preschool for 15 months to 5 years, founded in 1998. It became an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School in 2017 and has brought the PYP (Primary Years Programme) framework into its original inquiry-based curriculum. Classes are split into the English Regular Program and the English–Japanese Dual Immersion. The Regular Program runs Monday–Friday in English, with daily Japanese lessons of 10–30 minutes depending on age. It has 4 classes, Kaze (15 months–2 years), Yuki (ages 2–3), Tsuki (ages 3–4) and Hana (ages 4–5), and besides 5 days a week, you can choose 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or 2 days a week (Tuesday, Thursday) (Hana is 5 or 3 days a week). Dual Immersion began in 2002; Yama (ages 2–3) has half of each day in English and half in Japanese, and the ages 3–5 classes have half the week in English and half in Japanese. Each class has two homeroom teachers, native speakers of Japanese and English. Yama is 2, 3 or 5 days a week, and the ages 3–5 classes are 5 days a week. There is park play time every day. Care hours are 8:15–14:00 for Full Day and 8:15–12:30 for Half Day (Kaze only). After school, the English Sora Class runs from 14:00 to 18:00; pick-up can be at any time, and fees are hourly. There are also after-school classes such as ballet, drama, STEAM, Chinese, Japanese, music and violin (vary by term).

Accreditation

International Baccalaureate (IB World School, PYP)

Tuition

Tuition amounts are not published on the official website. The Tuition Policy on the application form says tuition is paid in a lump sum or in 2 installments (August–December and January–June) and is not refunded for any reason. The after-school Sora Class is charged hourly, but the amount is not listed.

Fees at entry

Application fee ¥22,000 (tax included, non-refundable). A non-refundable registration fee (Registration Fee on the application form, enrollment fee on the admissions steps page) is charged at entry, but the amount is not on the official website.

Japanese lessons

The Regular Program has daily Japanese lessons of 10–30 minutes. Dual Immersion teaches half of lessons in Japanese.