Membership Criteria
NOTE: JCIS membership criteria have been updated as of April 2026. Details regarding the membership application process are currently under review and are expected to be posted by the end of the 2025-26 school year. In the meantime, if you represent an international school in Japan that is interested in possible JCIS membership, please send an inquiry via our contact form.
Criteria for Membership
Section 1: JCIS member schools promote and support a thriving network of international schools in Japan, and advocate for the interests of international education within the context of Japan and internationally.
1.1 The school demonstrates a commitment to contributing to JCIS’s mission and community through active participation in meetings, professional learning initiatives, and the hosting or organization of events where feasible.
1.2 The school actively establishes and maintains ethical and professional relations with neighboring schools, local and national partners, and other organizations.
Section 2: JCIS member schools are quality institutions that adhere to a high standard of learning, student welfare, community engagement and ethical practice.
Governance and Administration
2.1 The school has a clearly delineated governance structure, which empowers the Head of School as the clear operational and educational leader, and in which the board and/or ownership are responsible for, and engaged with, fiduciary, strategic and generative functions.
2.2 The Head of School is actively involved in financial planning and oversight and has autonomy to make decisions within the budgets agreed with the board or ownership.
2.3 The Head of School has responsibility for the execution of strategic plans that are approved by the board/ownership, including key decisions concerning the use of time and resources.
2.4 The Head of School is the member’s sole representative to JCIS and, as such, a JCIS Trustee.
2.5 Schools not only evidence high-quality education at the present time, they also demonstrate the financial capacity and strategic intention to continue to deliver on their promise to parents, students and staff into the foreseeable future.
2.6 The school has a clearly formulated written set of Guiding Statements.
2.7 The school’s mission and guiding statements are effectively implemented through the distribution of appropriate leadership positions.
2.8 The school operates at least one full division beyond Kindergarten (e.g., Elementary K–5, Middle 6–8, High 9–12, or their equivalents within international programs), ensuring sufficient breadth and continuity of educational offering.
2.9 The school holds international accreditation/inspection status from a recognized and reputable agency whose protocols align with or exceed the JCIS membership criteria and cover all aspects of operational management.
2.10 The school demonstrates that it has the necessary legal certification to operate under the laws of Japan.
Faculty and Staff
2.11 Faculty and staff hold qualifications and experience that are suitable for the roles for which they have been employed.
2.12 Faculty and staff have access to relevant professional learning opportunities.
Curriculum
2.13 The school has a fully articulated curriculum which is:
- Available in written form
- Evidenced in teaching and learning
- Evidenced in learner outcomes
- Adequately resourced
Student Welfare (Wellbeing)
2.14 The school demonstrates effective child protection and safeguarding practices that align to accreditation standards and include, as a minimum, a published and operable policy, a staff code of conduct, a system for handling disclosures, and a staff member with designated leadership responsibilities for child protection/safeguarding.
2.15 The school follows a documented and effective approach to social and emotional learning (SEL), provides training for all adults in supporting SEL, and has the capacity to deliver adequate counseling and pastoral care to learners.
2.16 The school has documented health, safety, and critical incident response protocols that ensure the safety of faculty, staff and students during emergencies. Policies must be published to the community and subject to a regular review cycle.
Community Engagement
2.17 The school has effective systems and processes for internal and external facing communication that build relationships and shared understanding of the school’s guiding statements.
Ethical Practice
2.18 Recruitment and retention of staff follows safeguarding best practices as defined by the school’s accrediting body, including mandatory reference checks and background checks, and appropriate measures for handling safeguarding concerns with existing staff.
2.19 The school demonstrates clear policies and practices that promote staff wellbeing, including equitable working conditions, a transparent grievance policy, and processes to ensure staff are aware of and able to access these supports.
2.20 The school has an established and operable Ethical Reporting Policy (also known as Whistleblower, Speak-Up, Safe Disclosure, or Integrity Reporting Policy) to ensure employees can report concerns confidentially and without fear of retaliation. Policies are published and reviewed on a regular cycle.
Section 3: JCIS member schools offer a full English medium learning environment in which English is the language of instruction, or a fully bilingual learning environment in which English is at least an equal partner to any other community language.
3.1 The curriculum is predominantly taught in English, except in designated bilingual or dual-language programs where English and one (or more) other language(s) are of equal importance.
Section 4: JCIS member schools serve a community which is diverse and at which a predominant number of constituent families are international/bilingual/bicultural in nature.
4.1 The school faculty and staff reflects international diversity and demonstrates a strong commitment to international-mindedness, in alignment with the JCIS Inclusion Framework.
4.2 The school serves a student body that reflects international diversity and demonstrates a strong commitment to international-mindedness, in alignment with the JCIS Inclusion Framework.
Section 5: JCIS member schools offer an internationally-minded learning experience in which students are engaged in exploring diverse perspectives, understanding and valuing a sense of ‘self’ and ‘other’ and developing the ability to address local, national and international issues.
5.1 The school has a clear commitment to a vision for international mindedness and promotes this throughout its community.
5.2 The written, taught and assessed curriculum reflects the multinational nature of the student community, is rich in multicultural themes and perspectives, and is congruent with the JCIS Inclusion Framework.
Policy on Multi-School Membership
JCIS membership is held at the level of the individual school. In the case of a multi-school organisation, each school is required to apply for membership independently. The JCIS representative should be the senior educational leader responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of that individual school (e.g., Head of School or Principal), rather than a system-level executive overseeing multiple schools. In the case of a single school operating across multiple campuses, the representative should be the senior educational leader responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of all campuses.