Creating Future Innovators at Japan’s Only Science International School
Laurus International School of Science is Japan’s only science-focused international school. Here, science is not a subject, but rather a way of thinking. The scientific method and approach is ingrained into all of our subjects as a problem-solving tool. Located in Tokyo, we teach students from preschool right up to high school level and have done so since 2001.
Our mission shapes everything we do: creating future innovators who change the world for the better. Technology and society are changing fast, and education has to do more than pass on knowledge. Students need to think critically, question assumptions and build creative solutions to problems nobody has faced yet.
A Cambridge International Curriculum pathway
We built our academic pathway on the Cambridge International Curriculum, which our students follow from age six to 18. Its philosophy fits our mission, particularly the Cambridge Learner Attributes. Cambridge aims to develop students who are:
- Confident
- Responsible
- Reflective
- Engaged
- Innovative
These describe what we already believe at Laurus. Innovation grows from curiosity, reflection, responsibility and real engagement with other people. Cambridge and Laurus share the same goal: young people who are ready to shape a better future.
Global awareness in an international classroom
Cambridge is recognized around the world, and it lets students explore their interests in depth while keeping a broad, international outlook. At Laurus, students learn alongside classmates from different countries, making different viewpoints part of every discussion to celebrate each student’s individuality and creativity.
The curriculum also pushes students to connect ideas across subjects. That builds curiosity, open-mindedness and the ability to move comfortably between ways of thinking. For students who will work in an interconnected world, these are essential skills.
Project-based learning, real-world collaboration
At Laurus, the Cambridge Learner Attributes come to life through project-based learning, the foundation of learning across the school. In group projects, students learn the content and also how to work with other people.
As in any workplace, they run into different opinions and approaches. They learn to sort out misunderstandings, communicate clearly and work through problems together toward a shared goal. It isn’t always smooth, and that’s where much of the growth happens. Students build four core skills as part of the wider Laurus Learner Profile:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
Along the way, students grow more confident, responsible, reflective and engaged, and they gain the interpersonal skills to thrive in a global society.
Scientific inquiry: asking questions, testing ideas
Within these projects, students follow the same inquiry process that Cambridge encourages and that real scientists use:
- Ask meaningful questions
- Form a hypothesis
- Investigate
- Analyze the evidence
- Evaluate the outcome
Then they repeat the cycle, reflecting and refining each time. Students come to see that learning isn’t about getting the right answer on the first try. It’s about staying curious, adapting to new information and learning from every result. When an experiment doesn’t work, that’s a new hypothesis in progress. Students build resilience and the confidence to challenge their own assumptions.
Inquiry at Laurus also goes beyond individual projects. Students regularly share their work at science fairs, exhibitions, pitching events and in-class presentations. A real audience celebrates their achievements and pushes them to reflect on their work, explain it clearly and learn from what others think. Inquiry becomes a shared experience, and it builds both innovation and a lasting love of learning.
The Laurus Entrepreneurship Programme
Cambridge emphasizes engaged and responsible learners. Laurus builds on that with a dedicated Entrepreneurship Programme alongside our science curriculum, because good ideas matter most when students know how to turn them into solutions that help society.
Students learn project management, how to pitch an idea and how to weigh the ethical consequences of their decisions. They then use these skills in real settings, from innovation projects and student-run ventures to community service.
When students see the tangible impact of their work, they connect what they learn to a larger purpose and feel more committed to making a difference. Innovation is about more than having ideas. It means using knowledge and skills responsibly to improve other people’s lives.
Journey of self-discovery and purpose
A Laurus education is also a journey of self-discovery. Guided by the Cambridge curriculum and shaped by our focus on science, entrepreneurship and project-based learning, students gain knowledge and skills, and they also find out who they are.
Working with peers on projects that match their interests, they start to see their own strengths, perspectives and contributions. Cambridge’s depth lets them dig into the topics they care about most, and they discover where their interests, strengths and ambitions meet. As they go deeper, their sense of identity gets clearer, and they begin to picture how their talents could help the world. They learn what they love to study, and also what they want to create, improve and achieve.
Students who have confidence rooted in purpose act on their ideas. We want more than academic success for them. We want them to understand both their potential and their responsibility to contribute to society. With scientific rigor, an entrepreneurial mindset, collaborative skills and global empathy, they are ready for that role. That’s how we fulfill our mission of creating future innovators who will change the world for the better.
