Once you have narrowed down your search and identified your top choices, it’s time to book a school visit or information session.
Step 1: Call the nursery schools
Make the phone calls as early as possible. I’d recommend contacting your top choices as early as May (for April admissions), targeting first the most popular facilities as the waiting time might be roughly a month in some cases. It might seem too early to do so, but most families start preparing almost a year before the application period.
Step 2: Prepare for your visits
Browse online the websites of the schools to collect information beforehand and prepare questions for the school staff. We have prepared a checklist with questions you might want to ask while visiting. Click here to download the full pdf version.
Step 3: School Visit
Wear comfortable but casual smart clothes. Be prepared to remove your shoes before entering. It might be a good idea to bring your inside shoes with you if you don’t want to walk with socks or barefoot inside the school.
Visit the school with your child to check how the teaching staff and other children interact with you and your child. Being a foreigner in Japan can bring new challenges for you and your child. You will most likely stand out in this new environment. Visiting the schools will allow you to test the teaching staff’s and children’s reactions towards foreigners and possibly detect any unwelcomed behaviours.
Also, this is a good opportunity for your child to explore the space and play with the available toys. Plus, in this way, you will have the chance to introduce the idea of starting school to your child and discuss what it might mean. Always stay positive and cheerful while visiting the schools with your child. But also after the visit when you talk about the school in front of your child.
Check here our guide for how to prepare your child for starting nursery.
Take with you a printed copy of the KindiePlus checklist and a pen to make notes on the notes’ section of the checklist during the Q&A session.
If you have more questions about childcare in Japan or you need help with your application, book an online consultation with our expert Educational Consultant. For more information see our Services. We provide a wide range of consultancy services, including personalized advice on how to prepare, what schools to choose and how to submit the applications.