Tokyo Weekender - October 2017

ONLY THE
BEST WILL DO
HOW THE BRITISH SCHOOL IN TOKYO
NURTURES ITS STUDENTS TO ENSURE
THE BRIGHTEST FUTURE
The British School in Tokyo has enjoyed
an enviable reputation for the provision
of high quality education since
first opening its doors in the heart of
the city in 1989. Almost without exception,
we recruit our teachers from the best schools
in the UK or from other highly rated British
international schools around the world.
Uniquely, because we know that finding the
right people is crucial to our future (and to
that of our students) we insist on seeing each
one of them teach in their own schools before
confirming any appointment. Only the best
will do.
The recent acquisition of additional
space and the completion of major refurbishment
work on our Showa
campus has extended our learning
facilities and accommodated
the introduction of a range
of exciting new A Level study
options, including Computer Science,
Economics, Photography
and Theatre Studies.
Following the achievements
of last year’s graduates and their
YOUNG PEOPLE
TODAY SEE
THEMSELVES
AS GLOBAL
CITIZENS
success in winning acceptance at some of the
top universities around the world, the Class
of 2017 were keen to emulate their predecessors
and this year’s group has certainly set
the bar high for those who will follow them.
Remarkably, 45% of all entries were graded
A*/A, and over 70% were awarded a B grade
or better. These results are well above the UK
national average, where just 26% of entries
attained the top two grades. It is no surprise
then to see so many of our students being
offered places on extremely competitive
degree courses at prestigious UK Russell
Group universities, including Cambridge,
Edinburgh, Imperial and UCL. In keeping
with our international outlook, BST students
will also be taking up places
at universities as far afield as
Canada, the Netherlands and
the USA and, closer to home, at
Keio University here in Japan.
The success of our oldest
students in recent years has led
to a dramatic increase in applications
from ambitious young
men and women of all nationalities
who are keen to give themselves
the best chance of going
on to study at the university of
their choice. Young people today see themselves
as global citizens and they recognise
that UK A levels offer an academic passport
that can take them almost anywhere. Most
universities worldwide are very familiar
with Britain’s public examination system and
are more than happy to accept students with
A levels or their equivalent.
Of course, there is much more to life
at BST than preparation for examinations.
While parents are impressed by the academic
rigour and structured progression of our
particular brand of British education, students
here learn so much more than how to
achieve top grades. Sport, music and drama
are woven into the fabric of school life from
the very start, and both community service
and adventurous activity are real strengths.
We firmly believe that real education
should extend well beyond the four walls
of the classroom and we recognise that in
today’s world so-called “soft skills” are every
bit as important as paper qualifications. BST
students are encouraged to explore and to
take risks, to express their opinions and to
listen to the ideas of others, to discover the
joy of exceeding even their own expectations
of themselves. From their early years in our
Nursery and Reception classes, our children
are given countless opportunities to develop
the independence and resilience that will
enable them to take the next step in their education
– wherever it might take them – with
confidence and a smile.
To find out more about joining The British
School in Tokyo, please contact our experienced
admissions team via admissions@bst.ac.jp
BST IN NUMBERS
There's no doubt that all good schools are
built on the vision, commitment and talent
of good people. Here’s a quick snapshot of
The British School in Tokyo's impressive
resumé…
28
1,050
The number of years BST has been
open in Tokyo.
The number of students at
BST. Growth has been so
steady that the school now has two sites,
one in Shibuya and another in Sangenjaya.
3 to 18
60
The wide age range of
students.
The number of different nationalities
represented at BST.
42 | OCTOBER 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER