HJIS curriculum is especially adapted to the unique needs of international students. The programs we adapt ensure a healthy transition between year levels while allowing each teacher to fit the programme to the particular needs of their students.

During 2008 Horizon Japan International School made the important decision to implement the Cambridge International Primary and Lower Secondary Programmes. Although they are closely aligned to the UK National Curriculum, it is used widely in international schools around the globe. This decision was made following extensive research, observation and consultation, and was only made after confirmation that the program could provide the framework for what was already a strong academic background at the school.

In a nutshell, we have adapted the UK based Early Years Foundation Stage frameworks at the Early Learning Centre, which we believe will provide a good basis for our young learners’ education. At the Primary and Middle Schools, we have implemented Cambridge International Programme for the core subjects of English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science. UK National Curriculum frameworks have been adapted for implementation of the subjects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Music, Art and Design, Physical Education, and Design and Technology. We have developed and adapted our own frameworks for Japanese, Social Studies, Topic Exploration, History, Geography, Citizenship and French as a Foreign Language to meet the needs of our students.

As with all curriculum programs the Cambridge programs and the UK National Curriculum bring with them an assortment of terms and jargon specific to the educational community from which they derive. We hope the glossary will provide a basis from which you can ‘unlock’ the language you may meet when using the various links to educational organizations on our site.
We have endeavoured to inform you about the educational provisions of our school while keeping our own descriptions of programs as simple as possible.

The curriculum is enhanced by a range of support programs, including EAL support and field trips as well as extra-curricular activities. We are using a wide spectrum of assessment methods, all of which help us refocus our instruction and provide the students with any individual instruction they might need.