How the British School in Tokyo is laying the foundations for a meaningful legacy.
The British School in Tokyo has steadily built for itself an enviable global reputation over a period of almost thirty years. An accredited member of the Council of British International Schools and one of only a small number of schools worldwide to have been inspected according to the UK standards for British Schools Overseas and judged to be excellent in every category, we aspire to set the bar high in all that we seek to do.
Now home to well over one thousand students, BST is a school where young people of all abilities from the most diverse backgrounds can find their niche and fulfil their potential. Over the past five years we have seen the number of 15-18 year old students on our IGCSE and A Level courses rise towards the 300 mark, while examination results have improved to the point where they more than match the gold standard set by the United Kingdom independent sector. Our talented graduates now regularly win places at some of the most prestigious universities in the UK and around the world.
Examinations are obviously important, and many parents are impressed by the rigour and structured progression of our particular brand of British education from the age of three through to eighteen. That said, students here know that there is much more to education than exam preparation. Sport, music and drama are intrinsic elements of school life, and we see both community service and adventurous activity as particular strengths. From their earliest years in our Nursery and Reception classes, 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.
As Japan prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and Tokyo looks forward to the Olympic and Paralympic Games just a year later, we are working closely with a range of national and international organisations in order to lay the foundations for a meaningful legacy at the school. We have recently welcomed a number of high profile visitors from the world of sport to inspire our students and, with the introduction of a range of new sports to our sporting calendar, including climbing and triathlon, we are determined that the next few years will see an upsurge in interest and involvement at all levels.
And of course, it is not simply a matter of active participation. There are so many valuable life lessons to be learned from elite sport: leadership, teamwork, the resilience to overcome adversity or to go the extra mile. Then there are those essential life skills that any ambitious young athlete has to get to get to grips with more quickly than the rest of us: focus, self-discipline, personal organisation – and a recognition of the vital role that a good night’s sleep and a healthy diet play in our ability to perform at our best.
At a time when there are so many concerns about the health and well-being of young people, the opportunities afforded by such proximity to these major events in the international sporting calendar are just too good to miss. They remind us that we have an obligation to do everything within our power to give our children the start in life that they deserve, to help them develop the mindset, skills and habits that will stay with them long after they have moved on from our care.
The Year of the Dog promises some exciting times!
For more information visit www.bst.ac.jp. To arrange a visit, contact [email protected] or call 03-6418-5351.
