Nursery, preschool and kindergarten admissions support

We support admissions and transfers from nursery (around age 2) to the final year of kindergarten (around age 6). International school admissions from primary age, and boarding school placement in Japan and abroad, are each covered on their own page. If you are not sure which stage applies to you, please raise it in a free consultation.

We recommend getting in touch 6 to 12 months before the application. Application and selection dates vary by school, and at some schools places fill early. Booking school visits, and putting your family's educational philosophy into words for the application, both take time. If you have less time than that, we will set priorities with you and propose what can realistically be covered.

At this age many schools do not treat English ability itself as the main basis for their decision. What they look at is how a child settles into a group, whether they follow instructions, and whether your family's approach matches the school's. That is why ELT's Early Years packs do not include lessons for your child: the weight goes to school selection, application documents and the parent interview. Selection methods do differ by school, so we check the requirements of your target schools individually.

It varies by school: some interview only in English, some only in Japanese, and some use both. ELT supports interviews in either language. We work through the likely questions and structure your answers in whichever language you are most comfortable in, and where an English interview is required you practise with a native-speaker teacher in an interview English lesson.

Because at this age the outcome turns on judging the fit with the school, the application documents and the parent interview rather than on your child's English. The packs are designed to put a limited budget where it has the most effect. Interview English lessons (PREMIUM Professional) are taken with parent and child together, so your child also gets used to the interview setting within those lessons. If you would like English lessons for your child, we can suggest a separate kids' English course.

Complete covers up to three schools, and includes school assessment, review of the application and family statement, and School Visit preparation for three schools each. Essentials covers one school. If you want to apply to four or more, we can add individual services, so please raise it in a free consultation.

We agree in advance what to look for and what to ask at open days, information sessions and family meetings. Schools differ in what they emphasise, so we prepare observation points and a question list tailored to each target school. Afterwards we review what you found and feed it into your ranking of schools and into what you write in the application.

We do not guarantee acceptance to a specific school, or exam scores and grades. Final selection and decisions rest with each school and examination body. ELT continuously manages your child's situation and proposes and accompanies you with evidence-based learning and application strategies to maximise the possibility of acceptance and progression. We make no exaggerated promises of results.

Yes, all of our services are provided online. We have a track record of supporting families across Asia, Europe, North America and elsewhere. We are happy to accommodate different time zones flexibly.

Your payment currency depends on the language of your support. If your contract, counseling, and all correspondence are handled entirely in Japanese, you pay in Japanese yen (the lessons themselves are conducted in English). If you would like your contract, counseling, and correspondence in a language other than Japanese, payment is made in US dollars. Prices are shown in Japanese yen when the site language is Japanese, and in US dollars for all other languages.