Saint Maur International School Review

Admissions

Despite being a Catholic school, and offering an education based upon Christian principles, Saint Maur is a welcoming environment for all religions, nationalities, ethnicities and ethnicities. The school does not discriminate in its employment or student selection practices based on race, religious beliefs, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or physical disability, although it must be noted that the campus is not ‘barrier-free’ and students who may struggle with the physical demands of campus should speak with school administrators.

Applications are accepted from Japanese students who are applying from abroad and are classified as being members of the international community as they are either 

1. ‘Recent returnees’ 
2. Transfer students from other full-time English-medium international schools within Japan
3. Students for whom due to family background, attending a Japanese/ethnic local school within Japan would not be beneficial.

In the case of Japanese dual nationals, they are eligible to apply if one parent or legal guardian is a proficient speaker and reader of English and is able to communicate in written English to engage meaningfully with the school and support the student in their learning language. 

Admissions Process

The admissions process for Saint Maur’s is as follows:

1. Inquiry: The submission of an online pre-application Inquiry Form (no charge involved) is required to determine eligibility to apply to Saint Maur International School. The submission of an inquiry provides essential information, allows the correct personnel to be assigned to the file, and allows necessary clarifying questions to be asked.  After an inquiry is submitted, a family may visit the school if they are eligible for admission.
2. Application: If the family is eligible to apply, they will be sent an admissions link. The application requires various information to be submitted, including a copy(ies) of passport(s) and two years of academic records in English (with the exception of the French school). We will also require parents to provide contact details for two Confidential Teacher’s Recommendations. For Preschool students, it is recognized that such documentation may not be available or will be limited. Where a student has particular learning needs or differences, professional assessments, and related documentation will be requested. Particularly for secondary students, additional information may be requested, including standardized testing results and in high school, IGCSE, or IB related preparatory documentation. An application fee is collected, paid by credit card, in this portion of the application process.
3. Evaluations 
   1. 4th-11th Grades: All incoming students from Grade 4 through 11 are evaluated prior to acceptance. Saint Maur does not usually accept 12th grade students due to the demands of the IB Program that commences in 11th grade. Evaluations are conducted in a developmentally appropriate manner and cover English language skills and Mathematics. For students that are not in Japan or for students who cannot travel to campus, the evaluation will be administered remotely.
   2. 1st-3rd Grades: All incoming students from Grade 1 through 3 are also evaluated prior to acceptance. However, for such young students, it is not developmentally appropriate for them to be subject to a remote evaluation. Therefore, for students that are not in Japan or for students who cannot travel to campus, a “tentative” acceptance will be issued and the actual evaluation will be administered upon arrival prior to the student starting their classes. 
4. Acceptance: A full acceptance or “probationary/conditional” acceptance may be issued to allow a family to enroll the student. A “probationary/conditional” acceptance is issued when there are special student-specific requirements necessary for a student to be successful. 
5. In the case of full enrollment:  If an opening for the student is not available at the time it is determined that a student is admissible, that student will be placed in the Waiting Pool. The waiting pool is not sequentially structured and Saint Maur will accept first the student that is the best match for the school.

Admissions Standards

Montessori Pre-school: Children who are toilet trained, and do not require the use of ‘pull-ups’ or any form of diaper/nappies, and are 2 ½ – 5 years old are eligible to apply for entry into Saint Maur’s Montessori Pre-school. 2 ½ – 3 year olds are eligible for a half-day, or an extended day program. From the age of 4, students are expected to attend on a full-time basis to join the afternoon pre-literacy program. As no evaluation is given, acceptance into the program is based upon the understanding that the child is ready for formal schooling, and is able to use the bathroom independently and able to integrate within the classroom environment.

Acceptance into the Montessori Pre-school program does not make a student automatically eligible to transit into the elementary section of Saint Maur’s. All applicants seeking entry into the elementary school are required to 

• have attained an age-appropriate level of maturity;
• follow group direction, and implement such directions with the minimum amount of teacher assistance;
• can complete age-appropriate tasks within a prescribed time frame;
• have acquired age-appropriate social and behavioral skills;
• have acquired an age-appropriate level of language skills.

Elementary through Secondary School: Students who apply for entry into the Elementary through Secondary School sections are required to demonstrate that they have the potential ability to meet the demands of our academic/social program, and would benefit from the education Saint Maur International School has to offer. English Proficiency is desired, but not required for Grades 1 through 8. English as an additional language (EAL) support and classroom differentiation and support will be supplied as necessary to strengthen a student’s academic language ability.

Secondary School Entry: Students of all English language abilities are considered for admission from Grade 6 through Grade 9. From Grade 10 and above, academic English proficiency and skills are assumed, required and essential for success due to the increased rigor of the academic program.

Incoming 9th and 10th-Grade students will join the two year IGCSE program. Incoming grade 11 students will join the IB Curriculum and will participate in the IB program as either a Full Diploma Program Candidate or a Course Candidate. For students who register as Course Candidates, they are offered the option of registering for Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), and the Extended Essay (EE). All students are registered for the Theory of Knowledge (ToK) class.