Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - OWIS Osaka

We recommend scheduling a personalized 1:1 counselling session with our admissions team to facilitate your family’s admissions journey. Kindly email us at [email protected] or use our website contact form.

There is no fixed nationality quota. As an illustration, our sister school in Tokyo comprises 55% Japanese students and 45% from approximately 20 other countries.

You can transfer between any OWIS campuses with minimal friction, and there is no registration fee in these cases.

OWIS has two OWIS campuses in Japan, one in Osaka and another in Tsukuba. We intend to have even more OWIS campuses expanding around Japan in the coming years. We also have over 11 OWIS campuses across the globe.

We offer a 25% admissions discount for each additional child applying within the same family. See our school fees page for more information.

Yes, we offer multiple bus routes. You can see the details of our bus service on our bus services pages. We are currently collecting input from applying families to establish more bus stops and routes. Our Tokyo campus operates 22 different buses.

Yes, we offer EC classes such as sports, Hip-hop dance, Intensive English Classes, and Early Childhood Afterschool Care. You can see a full list of our EC’s and afterschool programmes here.

We are progressively expanding our grade levels, intending to offer education up to Grade 12 (age 18) by the year 2029 at the latest, gradually introducing at least one new grade each academic year. By September 2025 we will offer education between Early Childhood (age 3) up to Grade 8 (age 14). For more details and information, please enquire here.

If you wish to enrol a child in a grade level that is currently unavailable at OWIS Osaka, we encourage parents to express their interest and register their child’s details with us for the desired higher grade level. This helps us gauge interest and plan accordingly for future expansions. Rest assured, we are committed to broadening our academic offerings to encompass higher grade levels. As we progress in our growth, we will communicate updates regarding the availability of new grade levels to all interested parties.

School hours are scheduled from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with extracurricular activities and business operations commencing post-school hours, up until 6:00 PM.
The school is not open on the weekends or national Japanese holidays.

Our dining facility, Cezars Kitchen, offers buffet-style international cuisine. Alternatively, students are welcome to bring packed lunches from home.

Our availability for each grade is continually changing. Our most popular grades fill up quickly so we recommend that you pay the application fee to save your spot. To check availability and secure a spot for your child, please contact our admissions team at [email protected] or use our contact page.

The application fee and registration fee are non-refundable. This fee covers administrative costs associated with processing applications and assessments. See our school fees page for more information.

Our certified, experienced, and passionate teaching team comprises educators from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. We pride ourselves on having a culturally rich international faculty, all of whom have native English speaking ability. Most of our teachers come from Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US.

Yes, we offer an Academic English Preparation (AEP) programme designed to support students in developing English proficiency. This programme is tailored to assist students in acclimatising to an English-first classroom setting. We also offer afterschool Intensive English classes for aspriing students wishing to accelerate ther learning as fast as possible.

Our campus includes a black-box theatre, smart boards in every classroom, iPads, ApplePC’s and Macbooks for student use, specialized labs for woodworking, 3D printers, a gymnasium and stage, a rooftop swimming pool, a multi-purpose sports field, and more! These resources enhance our experiential learning approach and provide students with tools for creative expression and innovative learning.

The language of instruction at all OWIS schools is English. As a supplement, we will require all students in Kindergarten (age 5) and above to take Japanese language courses such as kokugo for native Japanese speakers and Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) for non-natives.

Other languages are also being considered as per popular demand. If you have a language that you would like your child to learn, let our admissions counsellor know using our contact form.

Our admissions process is smooth and simple. There are a few different steps in the process which may take up to two weeks to complete, subject to your availability.

Starting from the Academic year 2025-2026, we will be hosting an annual four-week Summer camp, a one week Winter Camp, and a one week Spring Camp.

Check out our seasonal camps page for more details.

Finally, from 2025 onwards, we look forward to adding two weeks of Summer School at the end of the academic school year dedicated to providing additional academic and language development to those students who require the additional support.

Applications can be submitted up to two academic years prior to the intended start date for your child.

We are not certified to sponsor visas for students, parents, or guardians.

Transferring students are eligible for a waived application fee. To ensure complete organization and transfer of documents, it’s necessary to complete the application process via MyOWIS. Following this, the admissions team will inform the finance department about the application fee waiver.

No, we do not offer boarding facilities; we are a day school.

The curriculum is built around a North American model and uses American books but with influences from the UK, Australian, and Canadian models as well. The curriculum is centred around an inquiry-based methodology, additionally, we are an IB PYP candidate school.

We strongly advise that you have an online consultation with our admissions counsellor first if you wish to apply, as they will best be able to guide you. It is possible to secure your seat from abroad by completing the application process, but there are additional requirements in order to fully enrol your child into the school. To complete the final enrolment process, we require a valid long-term visa to stay in Japan, and the child will have to pass the assessment on campus before they start school. We do not do online student assessments. Once you have the long-term visa, it is possible to get the other necessities that are required to enrol. To learn about the full list of requirements, please contact our admissions team.