UK schools & establishments teaching Japanese

Directory of establishments teaching Japanese in the United Kingdom

Click here to see the list as an Excel file.

This directory includes all establishments know to the Japan Foundation that are teaching Japanese language. If you are looking for a Japanese course, you can use this list to help you find a suitable establishment. The list is divided into:

• Primary and Secondary Schools, including Middle Schools, Independent Schools, Further Education & 6th Form Colleges, Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units
• Universities
• Non-school education establishments, including colleges, private language schools, council-run language courses, nurseries etc.
• Schools for mother-tongue/heritage speakers of Japanese, including Saturday Schools, Japanese nurseries etc.

This list is produced and managed by the Japan Foundation London. It builds on the initial results of the 2015 Japan Foundation Survey of Japanese-Language Education. The list aims to give an accurate, up-to-date picture of Japanese language teaching in UK schools and to help teachers and coordinators of Japanese develop stronger networks. However, it is necessarily a work-in-progress, and we are very grateful for your help in keeping it up-to-date.

For more detailed information about universities teaching Japanese and Japanese Studies, please see the Japan Foundation Japanese Studies Survey 2015 here.

Add your establishment!

If you represent a school or other establishment in the UK that teaches Japanese, you can apply to be included in this directory. Please complete an application form here.

If your establishment is already in this directory and you would like it removed or details changes, please email info.language@jpf.go.jp.

Can’t find a school near you?

If you are looking to study Japanese but can’t find a suitable establishment teaching Japanese near you, you may wish to check our list of Private Tutors of Japanese. You may also consider using Minato, our e-learning platform in which you can take free self-study courses in Japanese, or tutor supported courses.

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Case studies of UK schools teaching Japanese

Why teach Japanese in primary schools?

This booklet contains information about the practicalities and benefits of teaching Japanese in primary schools, through the case studies of seven different UK primary schools

Why teach Japanese in secondary schools?

This booklet contains information about the practicalities and benefits of teaching Japanese at several of the UK’s top Japanese-teaching secondary schools.

Dartford Grammar School

Dartford Grammar school has been offering Japanese lessons for over 20 years. It is one of the largest Japanese teaching institutions in the UK. All pupils study either Japanese or Mandarin from Year 7, and take this language up to GCSE level. The enjoyment pupils feel for Japanese has had a real impact on their appreciation of the benefits of learning languages in general, which in turn has helped the European language department. Click here to read the full case study.

St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, Maidenhead

Pupils at St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School study Japanese, Latin, French, and Spanish. In 2014-2015 Japanese was the main language studied by Year 4 and Year 5, a total of 105 children. The children have responded very positively to learning Japanese. They look forward to their weekly class and actively participate in lessons. The school also received positive feedback from parents who have enjoyed learning Japanese from their children. Click here to read the full case study.

Luton Sixth Form College

Japanese was introduced into Luton Sixth form in September 2011 for a class of enthusiastic sixth formers during lesson time, and also for pupils from the surrounding secondary schools as an after school class. Students have been working towards the Asset Languages Breakthrough exams and have worked together to create a fantastic Japan related website for the Japan Webpage Contest for Schools. Click here to read the full case study.

Netherthong Primary School

Netherthong Primary School's popular Japanese course is offered to pupils as an enrichment activity after school. The children learn hiragana, greetings, basic grammar and are working towards Asset Language qualifications in Japanese.

Impington Village College

Impington Village College is an 11-18 comprehensive Foundation School. It has been offering Japanese for over 10 years as part of the International Baccalaureate, and as a club activity. The school also started to offer a Japanese GCSE course in 2009. Click here to read the full case study.

Tavistock College

Tavistock College is an 11-18 comprehensive community college with Specialist Language Status. It offers Japanese GCSE, AS and A2, and has been teaching the language for over 10 years. Click here to read the full case study.

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Japan-related websites of UK Schools

These websites have been created by schools in the UK that teach Japanese language or culture, or have done so in the past. Most of these websites were entries for the Japan Webpage Contest for Schools. If your school has created a website, blog page or any other online feature about Japan-related projects at your school and you would like to feature in this section, please email info.language@jpf.go.jp.

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Primary Japanese Campaign

Since September 2014, it has become compulsory for maintained primary schools in England to teach a foreign language of their choosing to Key Stage 2 pupils. In response to this, the Japan Foundation launched the Primary Japanese Campaign, in order to support primary schools and teachers offering, or aspiring to offer, Japanese language lessons for their pupils.

Some of the activities that the Japan Foundation has held as part of this campaign includes:

• Events for primary schools and teachers about teaching primary Japanese
• Developing specialist resources for teaching primary Japanese
• Holding Japanese language courses and workshops especially for primary teachers
• Providing funding for primary schools to launch their own Japanese classes
• Distributing practical information and advice to schools about teaching Japanese

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