A highly individual school, but with significant shortcomings in academic education, communication, and consistency
Shonan International School offers a very small and individual learning environment. Classes are exceptionally small, sometimes with only a handful of students in an entire grade. This allows for personal attention and a close-knit school community, which can certainly be appealing to some families.
However, based on our family’s experience, there are several aspects that prospective parents should carefully consider.
Academic Education and Bilingual Learning
The school’s curriculum is based on IB principles, with a particularly strong emphasis on social-emotional learning, self-awareness, and personal development. While I consider these important elements of education, I felt that the balance came at the expense of fundamental academic subjects such as mathematics and Japanese.
Although the school promotes bilingual education, our experience was that English clearly dominated. We became particularly aware of the shortcomings in Japanese education after transferring our child to another school, where the difference in teaching quality and academic expectations became evident.
Expectations of Parents and Different Educational Perspectives
Another aspect worth considering is the school’s expectation of parental involvement. Parents are encouraged, and at times seemingly expected, to follow the school’s educational methods at home, participate regularly in morning and parent-teacher group meetings, and take on considerable responsibilities related to homework.
For families with demanding professional schedules, this can be challenging. We also felt that alternative perspectives on education were not always sufficiently acknowledged or respected. There appeared to be an expectation that parents should fully adopt the school’s philosophy rather than engage in an open exchange of different educational approaches.
Consistency Between Educational Philosophy and Daily Practice
The school culture is strongly influenced by its approach to social-emotional learning. While the underlying principles are often reasonable, we occasionally experienced inconsistencies between what was taught and what was practiced.
For example, parents were advised not to rush their children, as being late was presented as a consequence of insufficient planning and preparation. I generally agree with this philosophy. However, our child repeatedly reported being told to hurry up at school, sometimes in rather strong terms. Such contradictions made it difficult for us to fully embrace the educational approach.
We also had concerns regarding practical care and judgment. During autumn beach activities, our child had to return to school by bus in wet clothing despite outdoor temperatures of approximately 17°C. According to our experience, this happened on three separate occasions. We found this difficult to reconcile with the school’s strong emphasis on children’s well-being and awareness of their needs.
Financial Administration, Transparency, and Communication
Unfortunately, our experience with the school’s administration was also disappointing, particularly regarding payments, contractual terms, and conditions.
We had several discussions and disagreements concerning financial matters and the interpretation of applicable terms and conditions. These situations resulted in considerable inconvenience, unnecessary complications, and frustration that could, in our opinion, have been avoided through clearer and more professional communication from the beginning.
What concerned us most was the lack of transparency and clarity in the school’s communication. Rather than receiving straightforward explanations and consistent information, several individuals became involved in discussions that should have been relatively simple to resolve.
Based on these experiences, we were left with the impression that the people responsible for financial administration did not always have a sufficiently clear understanding of the school’s own financial arrangements, applicable terms, or how to communicate them consistently and transparently to parents.
For a private educational institution, I believe that clear contractual conditions, reliable financial administration, and transparent communication should be fundamental expectations. Unfortunately, our experience fell short in these areas.
Overall Assessment and Value for Money
Overall, my impression is that the school sometimes places so much emphasis on emotional awareness and particular educational philosophies that academic development, practical considerations, administrative professionalism, and different parental perspectives receive insufficient attention.
In my personal assessment, the value for money was disappointing. Considering the tuition fees, the extensive level of parental involvement expected, and our experiences with academic quality and administrative communication, I believe there are better educational alternatives in the area that offer a more balanced combination of academic achievement, emotional development, and awareness of the world.
Shonan International School may be a good fit for families who strongly identify with its philosophy and are willing to participate extensively in its educational approach.
However, for parents seeking a stronger academic foundation, genuinely balanced bilingual education, professional and transparent administration, and greater flexibility in how they support their children at home, I would strongly recommend carefully evaluating other options before making a decision.
This review reflects our family’s personal experience and is intended to help other parents make an informed decision.
