Tokyo International Progressive School

A small American-curriculum school in Setagaya for grades 4 to 12, built specifically for students with mild learning differences. Effectively the only dedicated SEN international option in Tokyo at this scale.

TIPS opened in 2000 and serves students with mild learning differences and academic, emotional or social challenges, including high-functioning autism, ADHD and students who have struggled in mainstream international schools. Class sizes average six and cap at ten. The teaching team is supported by an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, counsellors and a learning support coordinator. The campus sits along the Tama River near Futako-Tamagawa.

The curriculum follows Common Core in the middle grades and uses University of Nebraska High School online courses with AP options for upper school. Roughly 80 percent of graduates go on to college. Head Lyn Sato has been at TIPS since 2006 and took the principalship in 2019, which gives the leadership a continuity that matters at a school this small.

• A sparse parent-review footprint makes the school hard to read from public feedback alone.
• One teacher-side discussion names a serious historical governance issue under the school's former identity, while current public-facing material emphasizes small classes and support for students with learning differences.