Annual Report 2020 - 2021
Annual Report
Contents 03 04 05 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 02
Principal’s Review Chair of the Board’s Review Strategic Plan - Progress Report PTA Reflections Primary Reflections Secondary Reflections Physical Education and Sports Review Music Review Examination Results Toranomon Azabudai Project BST in Numbers Financial Outcomes
Annual Report
Principal’s Review It gives me great pleasure in contributing to BST’s first published Annual Report. The introduction of the Annual Report is part of the school’s enhanced communications strategy, as highlighted in our new Strategic Vision and Plan. During the 2020-2021 school year, we continued to grapple with the difficulties posed by the pandemic while making progress with our development priorities and, most importantly, ensuring our students learn within a supportive environment. On-campus face to face learning remained our default approach, although blended learning was necessary at certain times of the year in various school phases. During such a complex year, the entire school community needed to be adaptable and agile as we collectively weathered the storm. Our students were resilient and patient, our staff flexible and calm, while our parent community was supportive and understanding. Indeed, throughout a prolonged period of adversity, it was the mobilisation of our greatest strength, BST’s community spirit, that ensured our students continued to learn successfully. Equally, through guidance from members of the Board of Trustees, The School Advisory Committee and the ParentTeacher Association BST continued to thrive. The Board of Trustees plays a crucial role in holding the Principal to account, overseeing the school’s strategic approach, keeping a watchful eye on finances, and acting as a critical friend to the leadership team. At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, the Chair of the Board, James Hollow, stepped down after 10 years of exemplary service. James‘ time as Chair has been superb, always selfless, visionary, determined and driven by a passion for education. His legacy is the solid foundation on which the school will continue to develop, grow and succeed.
During the year, we also wished Fiona Read (Head of Primary) and James Thomas (Head of Secondary) farewell and thanked them for their contributions to the school. Both Fiona and James returned to the UK as they embarked upon new chapters in their careers. The year was also notable for sustained progress on constructing our new campus in Toranomon Azabudai and operational planning for the Primary school’s relocation. We also implemented our Strategic Vision and Plan, and after one year, I am delighted with the progress made. Particular highlights of year one of our Strategic Vision and Plan included the refresh of our guiding statements, our renewed commitment to internationalism, the launch of the BST Learner Profile and changes in our approach to communication. Also, we saw the exponential growth in the use of learning technologies and the strengthening of our educational ties with our partners through various collaborative projects. Undoubtedly, as a result, BST is in a strong place and ready to move to the next level as we pursue our bold and aspirational change agenda. Change is happening all around us, and within the field of education, we wish to ensure that we are at the forefront of developments – striving for excellence and pushing back boundaries. In doing so preparing our students with the skills, aptitudes and mindset for a world that is transforming at a rapid pace. This is an exciting time at BST and in education more broadly. I am proud of our school community, who we are and what we stand for. BST occupies a well-respected and highly regarded space in Japan’s educational landscape. We are committed to harnessing the considerable talents of the school community to lead from the front in shaping international education in Japan and Asia for many years to come.
Paul Tough Principal
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Annual Report
Chair of the Board’s Review As I write this 10 years to the month since I joined The Board, I am reminded that at that time the school community was also recovering from a big external shock that caused many to reflect on their priorities and focus on what mattered most to them. Many of these priorities were commonly shared, but not all, reflecting the diversity the school comprised. In late 2011 it was the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and as a governance group we were trying to balance the long term vision and ambitions of the school with the immediate priority of serving the multiple and sometimes divergent needs of the community. Fast forward to today and the school’s profile is much changed, being around double the size in terms of students, the facilities footprint is much expanded, and we are today even more diverse as a community, but the need for balancing the board’s efforts and attention feels very similar. As does our core role as a critical friend to the SLT, the school’s leadership group that, among so many other herculean efforts this past year, stepped up to design and implement new and evolving operational policies during the pandemic, requiring an unprecedented level of dialogue and collaboration with The Board. Although demanding on all involved, in retrospect the ongoing COVID response focused our minds on our priorities and core purpose, and brought us closer together as a group, enabling collaborative progress on several other key strategic agendas during the year. Most notable among them was the renewal of our guiding statements, implementation of Strategic Vision and Plan, a comprehensive review of our risk profile and updating of our risk register, as well as laying the foundations of a new phase of growth and development for the school in the decade to come, quite literally in the case of the
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new Primary campus at Toranomon-Azabudai development, as well as with the establishment of a development function and strategy. Less immediately tangible but no less important was the time invested in strengthening our core partnerships, particularly with Showa Women’s University, and generating new ideas and potential strategies for the long term future of our Secondary provision, spanning curriculum pathways, facilities and educational partnerships. Finally, succession is always a key part of governance, and fresh eyes and perspectives are vital to a healthy governance culture. On that score, the past year has seen a significant changing of the guard, culminating in my own tenure coming to an end. It has been a true privilege to serve this remarkable community school and as a parent I am truly excited about where it’s leadership and board will take it from here.
James Hollow Chair of the Board
Annual Report
Strategic Plan Progress Report As our newly launched Strategic Vision and Plan illustrates, we have high aspirations for all of our learners and, in turn, seek to reach the highest possible standards in every area of school life. We aim to be one of the best schools globally, and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence in all that we do is fundamental to realising this intent.
Guided by our Strategic Vision and Plan, the school has developed at pace over the last academic year. Through concentrating our efforts on four strategic priorities: learning, identity, community and infrastructure, we have achieved good progress in our pursuit of a bold and ambitious agenda.
Learning
Identity
Inspiring young minds with exceptional opportunities
Demonstrating confidence in who we are and our place in society
Excellence in Teaching and the BST Learner Profile Challenge and Support for All Learners Curriculum Innovation Learning Outdoors Learning Technology
Values in Action Guiding Statements Partnerships in Japan and Abroad Accreditations and Networks International Mindedness
Community
Infrastructure
Celebrating individuality and collective responsibility
Ensuring organisational strength to support students’ education
Wellbeing Celebration of Achievement Engagement and Involvement Student Voice High Expectations
Facilities, Resources and Sustainability Communication and Marketing Systems and Administration Development and Advancement Staffing and Training
Whole school development priorities for 20202021 included the following areas:
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• • • • • •
launching the new BST Learner Profile; embedding our refreshed guiding statements; developing our approach to internationalism; linking with broader educational networks in Japan and Asia; challenging and stretching students in their learning; articulating and ensuring high expectations;
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evolving our methods of internal and external communication; providing more significant opportunity for parent involvement in the life of the school; and planning for the Primary School’s move to Toranamon Azabudai in 2023 and the future of the Secondary School.
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Annual Report
During the new school year, we will look to embed many of these developments and accelerate the pace of change in a host of other areas. Looking ahead, additional whole school development priorities for 2021-2022 will include the following:
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To be sure, much remains to be done and the Strategic Vision and Plan will continue to guide our individual and collective actions. As we all know, change is the only constant in life, and work will never be done. That said, thanks to progress to date and with the continued commitment of the members of the BST community, we’re confident that BST will accelerate its progress this coming year and achieve its ambitious goals. The first year was promising; we look forward to what’s ahead. The Strategic Vision and Plan is reviewed termly by the Leadership Team and twice a year by the Board of Trustees in conjunction with the Leadership Team. The Strategic Vision and Plan is also underpinned by annual development plans in both the Secondary and Primary schools. A summary illustrating progress towards meeting priorities and commitments in the Strategic Vision and Plan can be accessed on the website.
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• •
• • •
achieve a near to normal experience (in year three of the pandemic) for students and staff while remaining mindful of health and safety concerns; embed the new BST Learner Profile and continue to prioritise the development of teaching and learning; ensure diversity, inclusion, equity and equality of opportunity for all; develop a rigorous, relevant and innovative curriculum framework that includes alternative pathways for students in the Secondary School; recognise and celebrate student achievement in all its forms; communicate with conviction the “BST difference”; find more opportunities to celebrate our British heritage whilst also embracing our unique Japanese context;
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launch the school’s new development strategy which includes the Annual Fund; and enhance community engagement, purposeful communication and relationships built upon positive intent.
Paul Tough 06
Principal
Annual Report
PTA Reflections In this Annual Report, I would like to write a few words to celebrate and express my gratitude to all the parent volunteers at BST. Volunteering is fun and rewarding. It gives the sense of rightness and balances the “give and take” in our lives; it helps us practise old skills and add new ones, bringing us together. At BST, we are fortunate to have such a fun, diverse and engaged parent community that our mission as the PTA – to build a sense of belonging for our community within BST and more broadly in Tokyo – becomes a true joy. 2020-2021 will undoubtedly remain a memorable year for all of the community, including members of the PTA Committee. As one State of Emergency extended into the next, we couldn’t help but feel the worry and pressure of trying to fulfil our mission even as we had to call off, one by one, annual events, gatherings and activities that we, in different times, look forward to as highlights in our academic year. Our PTA volunteers, several big-hearted mums and dads, had to find creative ways of working together. Sometimes, we went back to old-school phone calls. Other times, we jumped forward and embraced Zoom meetings, trying anything to remain connected, collaborate, and generate ideas that had legs for implementation.
The very few coffee mornings we could have were outside, and our welcome picnic saw a great turnout, showing how eager we were to mingle and share face to face. But there could only be so few… While navigating up and down the pandemic path, we tried to answer questions like: How do we keep the community together? How can we support our families and community to achieve emotional balance in such challenging times? How do we recognize teachers’ continuous and dedicated efforts towards levelling up the learning experience for our students? How can we make our newcomers feel welcome and comfortable? How can we raise money for local charities and some of the school projects? We teamed up with the school’s Senior Leadership Team, consulted and engaged in strategic projects run by the Communications Team and the School Development Committee, got a seat at the School Advisory Committee table, and had an open the door to our Principal’s office. Thank you for that! I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue working alongside my fellow parent volunteers for the good of our community and towards laying a solid foundation for parents who will step up next year when this team will bow out. If you are interested in getting involved in our efforts, please reach out to us!
Gabriela Mandrea Chair of the PTA
In the name of our mission, we worked hard to reinvent and adapt our traditional PTA activities, such as by organizing webinars for parents on well-being and parenting skills, especially in challenging times, with a focus on social media and friendships. A special shout-out also goes out to the sales team, who organized sales for our second-hand uniforms online with one-in, oneout time and size slots.
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Annual Report
Primary Reflections Despite these unprecedented times, the Primary School maintained on-campus face to face, learning for most of the year. This undoubtedly has had an impact on the quality of learning experiences that have occurred. As we are aware younger children benefit hugely from being with one another in person and from being with their teachers; we have seen this first hand in the way all of the Primary students have progressed in their learning. During the occasional times year groups have had to switch to blended learning, the process was seamless. This was due to the collective efforts of the staff, parents and students themselves. There have been many highlights this year and ones in which we have seen the whole BST school community strengthen their ties. The Earth Day organised by the Nursery children was a display of our continued efforts in highlighting the important roles we all play in protecting our environment and world. In the same vein, it was great to see our Primary themed days such as; Roman Day, Viking Day, World War One Day, Rainforest Day and Dot Day, to name a few, all take place this year. These events outside the classroom helped the learning take on new meanings.
It was also lovely to reinstate year group assemblies focused around the Learner Profile animals (attributes). These have definitely provided the Primary School with a shared language of learning. The ever so important transition of students from the Primary School through to the Secondary School was given the platform it deserved this year as we recognized all students’ efforts and achievements through class ceremonies. Year 6 students, who through a series of end of Primary events, graduated to our Secondary School as confident and curious learners ready to embark on new discoveries. We wished them all the very best as they moved onto the Secondary School. We also said farewell to students, families, and staff as they left the BST community. Thank you to the Primary School’s staff, students and parents for being so adaptable and committed throughout the year. In particular for their support for the numerous changes to date. It is through turbulent times when we realise that a collective vision and purpose, underpinned by shared values, brings much needed stability. I am very grateful for the kindness, compassion, and dedication displayed by the BST Primary community and feel well supported in terms of leading the planned developments of the Primary School in the coming year. There are exciting times ahead for the Primary School.
Eleanor Loran Head of Primary
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Annual Report
Secondary Reflections This year there have been significant successes within the Secondary School. Staff, students and parents have had to show particular resilience as we have faced situations posed by the pandemic – particularly in switching between on-campus face to face learning with blended learning, when necessary - yet we should all be very proud of the achievements on a number of levels. In the classrooms, although looking somewhat more formal than normal owing to restrictions, there have still been thousands of lessons full of intrigue, investigation and initiative. Developments relating to Teaching and Learning have been wide-ranging including embracing the important aspects of the new BST Learner Profile and the increase in the use of technology as part of the one-to-one laptop programme. Teachers have worked tirelessly to produce excellent lessons in order to engage and inspire students. The ability to adapt resources and activities to an online format has been laudable. We hope to have some very pleased students and parents in the summer when they obtain their examination results. This year there will be a mixture of results produced by examination (Cambridge International Assessment) and those assessed by the school (Pearson/Edexcel and AQA).
work on environmental matters and our support of the United World Schools project. One hopes that as normality returns next year programmes such as volunteering will extend even further, including the next project with Operation Wallacea. The House system remains a pillar of the school and this year marks the first cohort of students who will have spent their whole Secondary School career in vertical tutoring. The relationships between students of all different ages enables us to have a strong and caring community. The support of the Heads of House and Form Tutors, alongside our Counsellor, the Student Peer Listeners with our Wellbeing courses, enabled students to have a first-rate pastoral experience and I am sure they will benefit a great deal from this later in their lives. A final note should go to this year’s Prefect body, and notably Illina Patki and Erina Fukuura who have been wonderful Head Prefects. They have very much set the tone with their proactive, positive, sensible and sensitive approach to so many aspects of school life. The team of Prefects that they have led have been constant sources of support and leadership and we hope that future years will follow in their footsteps however big their shoes may seem to fill! Many thanks to all who have been so supportive of the Secondary School’s efforts in 2020-21. We look forward to further successes in 2021-22 and I wish Mrs McCallum all the very best as she takes on the Head of Secondary role.
James Anthony Thomas On the extra-curricular front, as my colleagues will discuss elsewhere in this report, we have enjoyed a limited but engaging sports programme, by using a professional videographer we produced a number of musical performances for the community to enjoy, and our thespians embraced the online Drama festival with other schools. On the charity/ service front we have continued our excellent
Head of Secondary
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Annual Report
Physical Education and Sports Review Despite some initial restrictions at the start of the academic year, our High School and Middle School Volleyball and Football teams were able to once again begin competing against other International Schools in the Kanto region. It was great to see our students thriving in this environment and showing fantastic team spirit. Morning and after-school clubs were also operating once again with students across the school enjoying the opportunity to participate in a range of different sports. In the interest of student safety, fixtures and sports practices sadly come to a halt across the school following the Christmas break. Although through a modified PE curriculum students continued to learn and thrive in lessons. Students enjoyed the opportunity to further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding supported by a range of socially distanced activities and modified practices. We also emphasised the importance of inter-house activities within curriculum time to help replace the loss in competitive opportunities normally experienced as an extracurricular activity.
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During these challenging times the mental health and well-being of the BST community became of utmost importance. By collaborating with the PTA and BST Communications, the PE Department delivered the BST Relay; a fitness challenge designed to travel across Japan, stopping off at key residential sites normally visited by BST students. It was a huge success and helped to engage the whole community. Our Primary School PE classes continued to enjoy the use of Nagasawa Sports Ground on a Friday afternoon. The extra space allowing whole year groups to enjoy the opportunity to build upon their learning from their PE lessons and apply this to a more games focused environment. It was also great to see our Upper Primary School classes back in the water at the Showa Swimming Pool developing their stroke technique and building their confidence in the water. The year finished on a high with a collection of hugely successful Primary School Sports Days for both Shibuya and Showa students in Term 3. Examination results at A-Level and IGCSE PE were incredibly positive with many students exceeding our predictions, particularly those achieving the highest grades. As we look to the future, the department has enjoyed making a positive contribution to the ongoing development of the sports facilities for the Toranomon Azabudai Project along with continuing to work closely with colleagues to further strengthen PE as a whole school department.
John Morris Director of Sport
Annual Report
Music Review I’m incredibly proud of how adaptable and innovative our students and teachers have been this year. Whilst the challenges for singing, instrument lessons and performance were evident, our students and staff changed their approach to ensure high quality learning experiences were able to occur. A curriculum and performance schedule that could function within the parameters of safety protocols was put in place. Major changes included the adoption of technology to allow for some online peripatetic teaching to continue via Zoom at school, online masterclasses to take place and more interactive music technology platform options to be available in curriculum teaching in the absence of large group singing and collective performance opportunities. We are grateful that we have been able to have performance opportunities available at the end of each term in the format of a recorded film by a professional videographer. We received extremely positive feedback from parents and students and are considering offering more filmed concerts in addition to live performances in the future. At the end of Term 1, we released the Music Department’s first ever filmed version of our Primary Instrumentalists’ Concert. In the months prior to recording, the children and our peripatetic staff worked extraordinarily hard to prepare, as many of the young performers had not had face to face lessons since March 2020. However, through their hard work, we were able to capture the performers at their best. This was shared with the whole community just in time for the Winter break in a bid to spread some festive Christmas Cheer, please see the result - HERE.
together the performances, in particular the Choirs performances of popular carols. With the assistance of Mr. Matthew Wall the individual recordings were mixed and mastered to produce the final choir performance. The Secondary Christmas concert, linked HERE, was the first opportunity of the year for our students to perform despite the absence of a live audience. In Term 2 the Secondary Advanced Musicians’ Recital took place and was filmed by our professional videographer, linked HERE. The performances themselves took place in the Green Hall which gave our IGCSE and A-Level students the opportunity to showcase their examination performances. Whilst the whole group demonstrated their individual musical prowess, Luke Marrable once again stunned the audience with his highly technical rendition of Scriabin’s Piano Sonata - regarded as one of the most challenging pieces of piano repertoire. At the end of Term 3 in the absence of the end of year Summer Concert, we put together a music documentary that beautifully captures and details the events of the year and how the department and students have responded to the challenges. It illustrates the range of opportunities BST provides across the school, from curriculum lessons to performance. This gave the school community an insight into the daily life of the music department at BST and is perhaps the best testament of our achievements for the year. Please find the link to the documentary - HERE.
Louisa Danmeri Director of Music
The Secondary Christmas concert featured a number of our Secondary School music groups including the Orchestra, Choir, Jazz Band, String Ensemble and Taiko Group. This recording was characterised by the innovative use of technology to piece 11
Annual Report
2020-21 Examination Results
Grades & Scores Awarded
Grades Awarded
At the end of the year students in Year 11 and 13 received their examinations results through a hybrid model. The CIE IGCSE and A Level examinations went ahead as usual, with the remaining IGCSE and A Level grades being awarded through a Teacher Assessed Grading (TAG) process where staff submitted grades determined using a range of evidence from each candidate for individual subjects. This model was implemented by the examination boards in response to the disruption caused across the globe due to COVID-19.
A Level Results A*-A
A*-B
A*-C
72%
87%
94%
IGCSE Results A*-A/9-7
A*-B/9-6
A*-C/9-4
83%
93%
98%
We were delighted with such a strong set of results. This is testament to the students’ resilience and commitment. Also, the success can be attributed to the continued support of parents and the dedication of teachers to deliver high quality learning throughout the year. For both our Year 11 and 13 students, the A*-A percentage was the highest of the last three years. Within the statistics, some remarkable personal achievements can be seen as demonstrated by a stunning five Year 11 students receiving all 9/A* grades and 30 Year 13 students achieving at least 3 A/A* grades (over 50% of the entire year group).
Caroline McCallum Deputy Head of Secondary
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Annual Report
Toranomon Azabudai Campus Throughout the year plans for the relocation of the Primary School in 2023 progressed. The campus relocation heralds an exciting phase in the School’s development as it will unite all Primary year groups together under one, state of the art roof, while ongoing developments to teaching and learning will be further enhanced with world class learning environments for all year groups. Additionally, the move will provide Secondary School students with enhanced facilities at the School’s campus in Sangenjaya. The academic year 2020-21 was characterised by construction decisions and deadlines. The School has been working with Mori Building, their designated architects and contractors to finalise construction decisions. As such, the more detailed design of the learning environments is underway. Teachers and educational leaders have been instrumental in this process. Those leading the learning at the new campus are shaping the design of these spaces based on the latest curriculum developments. It is a very exciting phase of the process because these elements are now coming together.
the neighbourhood. Moving the school into a new community will give students the opportunity to connect with other organisations outside of the School, based within the development. BST continues to expand environmental education opportunities for students. The new campus building has been designed with many ecologically sound features, including solar panels and rainwater collection sources. In fact, the whole neighbourhood is being built with environmental sustainability best practice in mind. All of the electricity supplied to the entire development will be from renewable sources, which will meet the targets stipulated in the RE100 international environmental initiative. Furthermore, we have been discussing with Mori Building representatives how the students will be able to access the green, natural areas of the neighbourhood for science and outdoor learning experiences, of which there will be many. The relocation of the Primary School to the new campus is an historic stage in the school’s development. The opportunities that it will provide for the students will be world class and the facilities will support the highest educational standards. We are only two academic years away from moving to the new site and the detailed work to ensure the school maximises this opportunity in every way continues.
Ben Loran Director of Operations
Additionally, operational considerations were discussed with representatives from Mori Building with responsibility for different aspects of the development. We continued to discuss how the School could benefit from other partnerships in
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Annual Report
BST in Numbers Students
1054
492
562
Secondary
Whole School Total
559
Primary
Boys
495 Girls
(2020 - 2021)
Families
733 Families
61
Parent Nationalities
Represented
Un-represented
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
Staff
212 Staff
14
Staff Nationalities:
118
United Kingdom
61 Japan
5 3
Philippines United States Canada France New Zealand
2
Australia India
1
Brazil Indonesia
Mexico
Russian
Singapore
Federation
South Africa
Slovenia
Annual Report
Financial Outcomes In the 2019-20 academic year, the British School in Tokyo (the School) achieved JPY 2.8 billion total income before CCP donations. Tuition related fees including enrolment fees comprised 98% of total income. Other fees and donations including subsidies from Tokyo Metropolitan Government contributed to the remaining 2%.
As a non-profit organisation, the School retains all of its income within the school for the purposes of education. Recognising that human resources have the single biggest impact on providing high-quality education, 72% of expenses were allocated to salaries and benefits. This investment in quality has allowed us to attract and retain the best teaching and support staff.
Noriko Kosugi Bursar
Income
Expenses
¥ 2,832
¥ 2,531
(in million Yen)
(in million Yen)
Other fees
Donations excl. CCP
2%
0%
Class resources & activities
Other
2%
5%
Facilities & Depreciation
21% Tuition & Enrolment
Salaries & Benefits
98%
72%
Corporate Contribution Programme (CCP)
Total Income:
¥ 59.2 million
Participant companies:
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www.bst.ac.jp