We are a Japanese school supported by the Government of Japan for Japanese-speaking children between the age of 6 and 15 years old. We also have a nursery for Japanese-speaking children between 4 and 6 years old. At the school, we teach the Japanese curriculum set by the Japanese Ministry of Education. We are based in Leeds and teach every Saturday between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm. The school is a non-profit organisation that the student’s parents run.
The History of YHJS
The Yorkshire and Humberside Japanese School was established in 1991 with the support of Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds City Hall, Yorkshire Forward, the Japanese Government and the Foundation for Overseas Children’s Education. When the school first opened, there were just seven students. Now, we have over 50 students, and more than 1,000 children have studied Japanese with us.
YHJS Course Structure
Learning within Yorkshire and Humberside Japanese School is split into three key categories – nursery, primary and secondary. Below, we provide a brief overview of what children will learn in these categories.
Nursery – Age 4 to 6
Within the nursery, we create a playful and fun learning environment that aims to improve conversational skills and expose students to Japanese culture. We sing, dance and practice speaking through games and show-and-tell. By the end of the two years, children should also be familiar with the basics of reading and writing hiragana and katakana.
Primary – Age 6 to 11
Within the primary years, we provide lessons that follow the curriculum set by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The lessons are designed to develop the pupils’ speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills, so that if they ever were to return to Japan, they would easily integrate into the Japanese educational system.
Secondary – Age 11 to 15
Within secondary, like with the primary years, we again follow the curriculum set by the Japanese Ministry of Education. However, the content is much more advanced, and will enable students to express themselves freely in Japanese, both orally and in writing.
If you would like to know more about our course structure, please click here or contact us using the form below.
School Events
To give students a taste of Japanese culture, we hold a number of events throughout the year. This includes an annual opening ceremony, the annual bazaar, the Christmas party, recitations, the new year’s party and the graduation ceremony. To find out more about the many events YHJS offers, please click here.
YHJS Teachers
We are blessed with some incredible teachers at YHJS, some of whom have been with us for over 10 years. Find out about some of the teachers below.
If you would like to meet more of the teachers at YHJS, please click here.
Protecting Your Children
At YHJS, we take both your safety and your children’s safety very seriously. For this reason, we have a dedicated safeguarding officer, a dedicated health and safety officer and a variety of different insurance policies to give you peace of mind. For more information about how we protect your children, please click here.
YHJS Testimonials
If we would like to see the full testimonials, please click here.
YHJS Admissions Policy
To enrol at the Yorkshire and Humberside Japanese School, children must be six years old and know sufficient Japanese to communicate with their teacher. This includes understanding the teacher’s instructions and responding to questions.
To enrol at the nursery, children must be four years old and, again, know sufficient Japanese to communicate with their teacher.
If you would like to find out if your child is eligible for either the school or the nursery, please send us a message using the form below.
School Commitment
YHJS runs from 10 am to 12:30 pm on Saturdays for 42 weeks a year. Children who enrol at YHJS will be expected to attend every week unless they are unable due to illness. Furthermore, all students enrolling at YHJS must commit to at least of four hours of homework each week. This is the minimum required to keep pace with the Japanese curriculum. In addition, student parents will be expected to volunteer some of their time each week to help manage and run the school.
YHJS Blog
Check out the latest posts from the Yorkshire and Humberside Japanese School blog. Here you will find news about our students, events we have hosted and any new recruits. To see all our posts, simply click here.
Enrol at YHJS
If you would like to enrol your child at the Yorkshire and Humberside Japanese School, please complete the form below. We look forward to hearing from you.
