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Frequently
Asked Questions
(FAQs)

Our FAQs will provide answers to the most common questions concerning Admissions, your child’s School Life and most importantly, our Academics.

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  • Where is the school’s location?
    Malvern College Tokyo is located in the city of Kodaira – a 40-minute commute from the city centre.
  • What are the school’s facilities?
    Our four-storey main building is equipped with classrooms, specialty rooms, a library, multi-purpose sport facilities (two-storey gymnastic stadium), a running track and administration offices.
  • How many classes do you plan and what is your class size?
    We aim to start small and will initially have two or three classes in each of the following grades: Prep 1, 2 and Foundation Year 1. There will also be one class in Prep 3-6, and Foundation Years 2 to 3. For lower year levels, we are targeting 20-22 pupils per class with a maximum of 24 pupils for other year levels. Teacher to pupil ratio: approx. 1:10.
  • What year levels are you offering?
    In the 2023-24 academic year we will offer classes from Prep 1 to Foundation Year 3 year. Classes will extend each year to ultimately offer a full curriculum for up to 950 pupils from Prep 1 to the Upper Sixth.
  • Are teachers hired internationally or locally?
    Our teachers will be recruited both internationally and locally. All staff members will be selected based on their qualifications and their IB teaching experience. Malvern College UK will also play a significant role in supporting the recruitment of our teaching staff. The school has a well-developed quality assurance programme and, to ensure consistency in the quality of learning and teaching, frequent visits to the Tokyo campus will take place to ensure that our programmes meet the same high standards that are associated with a Malvern College education.
  • Can my child transfer to any of the other Malvern College Family of Schools?
    Yes. Pupils in the senior school have the option to study at any of the other Malvern College Family of Schools, including The Downs Malvern (from Year 7), Malvern College UK (from Year 9), Malvern College Hong Kong, Malvern College Chengdu, and Malvern College Switzerland (for IGCSE, A-levels or IB). Support will also be given to those pupils who wish to study additional Advanced Placement subjects. The acceptance of any student will be dependent on availability of places and on them successfully meeting the entry criteria.
  • Is Malvern College Tokyo accepting local passport holders?
    Yes, we are dedicated in building diversity and welcome applications from families of all nationalities.
  • What is the school’s nationality mixture?
    We wish to welcome pupils with international exposure and we are aiming for 60-70% of our student base to be comprised of expatriate families and 30-40% to be Japanese families. All Malvern Colleges see diversity of the student body as a strength. We therefore hope to admit students of many nationalities so that we can develop the international mindedness and global perspectives that are so important.
  • What are the Malvern Qualities?
    The Malvern ethos is cultivated through a focus on eleven carefully selected qualities which are distinct to all Malvern schools: Resilience – having the ability to approach uncertainty with forethought, resourcefulness, and determination. Self-awareness – understanding one’s strengths and seeing opportunities in one’s weaknesses. Kindness – realising that one’s actions have an impact on others, so there is always an effort on making a positive difference. Open-mindedness – appreciating one’s heritage and cultural background as well as the values and traditions of others. Collaboration – learning to work effectively by seeing things from different perspectives. Risk-taking – being able to make decisions based on deliberate actions. Curiosity – knowing how to ask questions and having an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and continuous learning. Ambition – having a strong sense of achievement, whether for oneself or for others. Independence – being capable of acting independently guided by a strong thought-process. Integrity – awareness of the effects of one’s actions and the responsibility that comes with this. Humility – being self-reflective and open to the opinions of others.
  • Why are Malvern’s Qualities so important?
    We believe that these values will not only enable our pupils to grow whilst they are with us but they will become the bedrock of their future. The Malvern Qualities are enduring human values which we have found, over time, equip our pupils for life's challenges, enabling them to adapt and to succeed in a rapidly evolving world. We aim to instil all these qualities in equal measure in our students. We will refer to the Malvern qualities regularly, and they will be an integral part of our curriculum and extra-curricular programmes. House activities and outdoor pursuits will also provide opportunities for students to learn about these qualities and to apply them in their daily lives.
  • Do you have school buses?
    Yes. We currently have 5 buses. All buses are accompanied by an adult and the service is subject to seat availability upon application, including the shuttle bus. 1.Route A: Azabu Juban Station & Yurakucho Station 2.Route B: Futako Tamagawa & Chitose Funabashi Station 3.Route C: Meguro Station & Shibuya Station 4.Route D: Yotsuya Station & Shinjuku Station 5.Free Shuttle Buses: Kokubunji Station (Above information is subject to change)
  • Do we have to follow your age guidelines when submitting an application?
    Generally speaking, yes. We aim to place pupils in the correct year group according to their age. However, for some children this may differ from the expected year group, especially if they come to us from a different school system. In such circumstances, we will place children into the year group that is the best fit for them academically, physically, emotionally, and socially.
  • What is the school’s cut-off date?
    Our cut-off month is August. Please click here to refer to our age guidelines for more detailed information.
  • How and when can I apply?
    Applications can be submitted online via our online application platform. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the school year.
  • What documents do I need to provide?
    A list of the required documents can be found here.
  • Do school reports have to be in English?
    Yes, school reports in other languages must be translated into English.
  • My child’s school does not issue recommendation letters. What can we do?
    Please put down a note in your child’s application system and we provide further information accordingly.
  • If my child fails the online assessment, will he/she have a chance to be interviewed?
    In considering applications from prospective pupils, we are dedicated to building diversity. We understand that in some countries, children only start to learn English at the age of 7 years old, therefore they may have limited time to build-up their languages and may not reach the required English level. So, we will interview applicants regardless of their performance in the online assessment test to determine if they have a strong motivation to learn.
  • Should my child fail the admissions criteria, can I apply again?
    Yes, you are welcome to apply again. In most cases, the main reason for students not passing the admissions assessment is because of their English level, or in some cases, we find they are not yet sufficiently mature to attend the year level for which they have applied. We envisage applicants will need more time to acquire the required level of language skills or to develop various aspects of themselves. As such, we will only accept applications and arrange for a further admissions assessment at least nine months, or preferably one year, after the initial application.
  • Can remote interviews/assessments be organised for overseas families?
    Yes, for families that haven’t yet arrived in Japan remote interviews and assessments can be arranged.
  • What kind of online assessment are you using?
    We will use CAT4. This is a test to assess a student’s ability in problem-solving, reasoning, and communication skills.
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