The Japanese School in London is one of the most distinctive entries on any list of the international schools in London. It is a Japanese medium school that teaches the home country syllabus rather than a British or international qualification, and it serves a specific community: the children of Japanese families posted to the capital who expect to return to Japan. Established as a full time school in 1976 and settled at its Acton site since 1987, it grew out of an earlier supplementary class first run for a handful of Japanese pupils in the 1960s. For relocating families it is a reminder that London's school map includes national community schools as well as the familiar IB and British names.
The Japanese School in London at a glance
| Curriculum and exam boards | Japanese national curriculum (MEXT), taught in Japanese |
|---|---|
| Stages | Primary and lower secondary, roughly age 6 to 15 |
| Founded | Full time school 1976; Acton campus from 1987 |
| Accreditation | Registered independent school in England; follows the MEXT syllabus with teachers dispatched from Japan |
| Type | Japanese medium community day school |
| Fee band | Not published on a public page |
| Campus area | Acton, London Borough of Ealing, West London |
Curriculum and academics
Teaching follows the national curriculum and course of study set by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, known as MEXT, and lessons are delivered in Japanese by teachers dispatched from Japan. The emphasis is on Japanese language arts, including reading, writing and the steady acquisition of kanji, alongside mathematics and the other subjects a child would study at home. The aim is academic parity: a pupil who returns to Japan should slot back into the system without losing ground. Because the school covers the elementary and junior high stages, it does not run a sixth form or enter pupils for GCSEs, A Levels or the IB.
That single purpose shapes everything. Families weighing a Japanese medium education against an international track often compare it with the IB curriculum, which teaches in English and travels across borders, and the choice usually comes down to whether the family expects to settle in the United Kingdom or return to Japan. For those staying longer, the school's Saturday programme is the bridge, letting children attend a British school in the week while keeping their first language and home syllabus alive.
Budget the full cost of a London school place
Use our fee calculator to bring tuition, registration and the usual extras into one annual figure before you commit.
The Japanese School in London fees
The Japanese School in London does not publish a headline annual fee on a public page, and a place is tied to membership of the community it serves rather than offered on the open market. That makes it different from the schools tracked in our guide to international school fees in London, where tuition at the better known names runs from the mid tens of thousands into the premium band after the January 2025 introduction of VAT on private fees. We do not quote a figure here that the school itself does not state.
Families who are eligible should ask the school directly for the current schedule and for any registration or membership costs. As with any London school, it is sensible to budget beyond tuition for lunches, materials and activities, and to plan the total in advance. Our fee calculator is the quickest way to model what a full year costs once you have the school's own numbers in hand.
Admissions
Admission to the full time school is intended for Japanese speaking children whose families are living in London, most often on a posting that will end in a return to Japan. Because the curriculum is delivered in Japanese, a working command of the language is central to a child settling in, and the school can advise on the right stage for a child's age within the elementary and junior high structure. Entry follows the Japanese school year, which begins in April, rather than the September start of British schools, so timing matters when you plan a move.
Parents who want their children in a British school during the week, but keen to keep up Japanese, should ask about the separate Saturday programme, which has its own enrolment. Either way, contact the school early, confirm the documents needed and check the intake timetable, as community schools of this kind run to their own calendar.
Location and who goes there
The full time school sits in Acton, in the London Borough of Ealing in West London, an area with long standing Japanese community ties and good road and rail links across the capital. The Saturday classes spread wider, running at sites in Acton, Brent and Croydon so that families in different parts of London can reach a class without a long journey. West London more broadly, around Acton, Ealing and neighbouring districts, has historically been a base for Japanese families working in the city.
The community here is, by design, Japanese: children of families on corporate and diplomatic assignments who want continuity with the education system at home. That is a narrower intake than the cosmopolitan mix at most international schools. For how this part of West London compares with the neighbourhoods favoured by other expatriate communities, and where the IB and British international schools cluster, the London city hub sets out the wider map, and our guide to London zones and international schools shows how families choose an area around a school run.
Reviews
No verified reviews yet. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish parent reviews only once we can confirm the reviewer is part of the school community. If you have experience of The Japanese School in London, please share it through our school reviews hub to help other families.
Frequently asked questions
How much are The Japanese School in London fees?
The school does not publish a headline annual fee on a public page, and places are tied to membership of the Japanese community it serves. Families should request the current schedule directly. Budget separately for registration and the usual extras as you would at any London independent school.
What curriculum does The Japanese School in London teach?
It follows the Japanese national curriculum set by MEXT, taught in Japanese, so that pupils stay in step with peers in Japan and can return to the Japanese system smoothly. The core focus is Japanese language, mathematics and the subjects of the home country syllabus.
Who can attend The Japanese School in London?
The full time school in Acton serves Japanese speaking families living in London, mainly those on assignment who plan to return to Japan. A separate Saturday programme supports children who attend British schools during the week and want to keep up their Japanese.
What ages does The Japanese School in London cover?
The full time school covers the primary and lower secondary years, roughly ages 6 to 15, mirroring the elementary and junior high stages of the Japanese system. Older pupils typically continue their education in Japan or move to a senior school.
Where is The Japanese School in London?
The full time school is in Acton, in the London Borough of Ealing in West London. Saturday classes also run at sites in Acton, Brent and Croydon to reach families across the capital.
