EN – Harrow Appi

Trail Running Through Tokyo

Posted on May 8, 2026May 8, 2026 by Gloria

26.6km. Three days. One unforgettable Kyoto adventure.

Our students hit the trails of Kyoto this week, covering over 26km on foot — including an impressive 15.2km on Day 2 alone, which by all accounts became a firm favourite. Running through the iconic torii gates of Fushimi Inari, taking on a city-wide scavenger hunt and finishing at the Kyoto Station Sky Way – it was a trip that asked something of everyone, every single day.

At its heart, this trip was about perseverance and resilience — the willingness to keep going when the kilometres pile up and the legs start to ache. Well done to all students who participated!

Torch Lit Descent: A Graduation Tradition

Posted on May 7, 2026May 7, 2026 by Gloria

As darkness fell over the mountain at the end of last term, all 34 of our pioneering Sixth Form cohort made their way down the slopes of Appi Kogen one final time — torches in hand, the mountain lit by their light.

The torch lit descent marked a deeply moving moment in our first ever Sixth Form graduation celebrations. A symbolic farewell to the mountain that has shaped them, challenged them and carried them through some of the most formative years of their lives.

They arrived as our first. They descend as our finest.

British Universities in Japan Fair at Harrow Appi Japan

Posted on May 7, 2026May 7, 2026 by Gloria

At the end of term, the Sixth Form Centre came alive with a British Universities in Japan Fair, specifically for our students. Representatives from leading UK universities joined us in person to speak directly with our Year 10, 11 and 12 students:

🏛️ University of Leeds
🏛️ Loughborough University
🏛️ The University of Edinburgh
🏛️ University of Huddersfield
🏛️ University of Exeter
🏛️ King’s College London
🏛️ Oxford Brookes University

There is a real difference between reading about a university and hearing from the people who live and breathe it every day. Our students left with a far richer understanding of what each institution offers – and, just as importantly, a clearer sense of where they might see themselves in the years ahead.

The future is taking shape!

Head Student Workshop

Posted on April 7, 2026April 7, 2026 by Gloria

This term, our Head Student and Deputy Head Student led a dedicated workshop for the Chairs of each of our Student Leadership Committees — focusing on key areas of leadership, sharing guidance and running hands-on activities to equip our student leaders for the year ahead.

At Harrow Appi Japan, student leadership is taken seriously. These are young people who are not just representing their peers — they are shaping the culture, the voice and the future of this school. Watching them invest in one another’s growth is a reminder of just how extraordinary this community is.

The next generation of leaders, leading each other.

Easter at Harrow Appi Japan 2026

Posted on April 7, 2026April 7, 2026 by Gloria

Happy Easter from the mountains of Iwate!

Over the weekend, our boarding houses came alive with Easter celebrations — and no two houses did it quite the same way. Elizabeth House sent students on an Easter egg hunt across campus, Masamune House paired their chocolate eggs with a deep dive into the history and traditions behind the holiday, and the festivities continued throughout our community in the most wonderful ways.

There is something truly special about being part of a diverse, international school where traditions from around the world are not just acknowledged – they are celebrated.

Harrow Appi Japan’s First Sixth Form Prom

Posted on April 7, 2026April 7, 2026 by Gloria

Our first ever Prom.

There are moments in school life that you know, even as they are happening, will stay with you forever. Last night was one of them.

Our pioneering Sixth Form cohort celebrated in style — a leavers dinner at the hotel, before the Speech Room was transformed into something truly magical. A Starlit Garden, brought to life by thousands of warm white fairy lights suspended overhead like a night sky, trees and flowers in full bloom, and a chocolate fountain at the centre of it all.

The evening was entirely their own. Mocktails of their own invention, a playlist chosen with care, live performances, photobooths, and the kind of silly photos with friends that will be treasured just as dearly. Every detail, dreamed up and made real by this remarkable cohort.

Watching this group grow into the young people they are today has been one of the great privileges of this school’s short but remarkable history. They arrived as our first. They leave as our foundation. 🎓

We will cherish this night every bit as much as they will.

Resilience in Education: A Critical Competence for the 21st Century

Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by Gloria

By Mr David Fitzgerald, Deputy Head Enrichment

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the 21st century, resilience has emerged as a critical competency for students to develop, influencing not only academic success but also personal and professional development. Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt positively in the face of adversity, equips learners with the skills to navigate challenges and uncertainties (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2020). As global issues such as climate change, economic instability, and social unrest become prevalent supranational features of this century, fostering resilience in educational settings is essential for preparing students to thrive and positively influence a complex and increasingly interconnected world (Berkel et al., 2021).

The importance of resilience extends beyond academic performance; it encompasses important emotional, social, and psychological dimensions. Research indicates that resilient individuals demonstrate better problem-solving abilities, higher emotional intelligence, and greater adaptability (Masten, 2021). These traits are particularly transferable, allowing students to apply their resilience across various life domains, from personal relationships to professional endeavors (Patterson et al., 2020). With this context, it seems pertinent that schools prioritise resilience-building practices to support the cultivation of well-rounded individuals equipped with the transferable personal and professional attributes to thrive in an unknown future world.

Despite this well supported rational, developing resilience within educational environments is a complex and challenging task. Utilising research and international best practice can provide an initial ‘direction of travel’ for schools to build their own independent approaches to developing the resilience of their students. However, advancing this concept into policy and practice poses a challenge to school leaders and teachers, causing an understandable hesitancy that can result in this important topic remaining towards the bottom of a long to do list.

One example of an evidence informed avenue for schools to develop students’ resilience is to systematically implement experiential learning approaches that engage students with the natural environment. To further develop the theme of outdoor learning, schools can explore outdoor learning through programmes of challenging adventurous activities or by integrating the natural environment into the curriculum. Activities that involve outdoor learning, including adventure-based programmes provide students with opportunities to face and overcome real-world challenges (Glover et al., 2022). Although each school possesses a unique demographic and access to the natural environment can be dependent on the institution’s location, budget, staffing levels, transportation availability and culture, there are approaches that schools could viably explore when looking to utilise nature to support resilience development.

For instance, participating in adventurous activities or team-building exercises in natural settings not only enhances interpersonal skills but also fosters a sense of belonging and community – both critical components of resilience (Miles et al., 2020). If adventurous or risk-taking activities pose implementation challenges, then schools can more simply embed programmes that take students outdoors for activities that encourage exploration and reflection, helping them build a resilient mindset. For example, nature-based therapy has gained traction in educational settings, promoting emotional regulation and coping strategies among students facing challenges (Hawkins et al., 2021).

Moreover, integrating nature into the curriculum through structured lessons has been shown to reduce stress and enhance psychological well-being, further supporting resilience (Bowler et al., 2022). This can be executed through (i) systematically planning outdoor learning activities that are built into the enacted curriculum, (ii) stimulating engagement with nature through environmental projects or (iii) planning a schedule of visits that enables a mapped engagement with the outdoors.

Resilience is an indispensable quality for students in the 21st century, offering vital skills for personal and professional success. Although there are many levers of change that schools can pull to advance student resilience, by incorporating strategies that utilise nature within educational frameworks, schools begin to reliably and effectively nurture resilience. Experiential outdoor learning that occurs through nature-based adventure and challenge, through curriculum delivery or through a thorough visits schedule, present as accessible starting points for schools to bring in resilience practices.

As educators, fostering this quality not only prepares students for the complexities of modern life but also empowers them to become proactive, adaptable, and resourceful individuals in an unpredictable world.

How are Harrow Schools in Asia Breaking the Mould on Mental Wellbeing?

Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by Gloria

By Mr Peter Rogers, Head of Sixth Form and Teacher of Business and Economics.

Student well-being is an increasingly pressing concern in schools around the world. Within the Asian private school system high academic pressures, long school hours, and the intense focus on entrance exams makes this especially acute where these factors contribute to stress, anxiety, and mental health issues among students. Additionally, societal expectations for academic and social success place a heavy burden on young people which, in this post-covid world, is more evident now than ever. Contextually, with rising concerns around bullying and the effects of burnout, schools in Asia are increasingly recognising the need to focus on mental health support, creating a more balanced environment that promotes both academic achievement and emotional well-being.

Values, Enrichment and never settling for second best

What makes a Harrow School different from all the other schools out there in Asia?

“Key to education is the well-being of the student. If children are not healthy—mentally, emotionally, or physically—they are not going to learn effectively. Schools need to be environments where students feel safe and supported in all aspects of their development.”

Sir. Kenneth Robinson

The need for staff awareness and support of wellbeing in schools has never been more necessary than it is right now. For any teaching professionals out there, who have been through a mental health first aid course, you may be familiar with a principal often referred to as your ‘stress container’. The premise is fairly simple. Everyone has one. They vary in size depending on your level of resilience. The water flowing in from the tap above is your stress. The water falling through the drain at the bottom is as a result of those things that you do for the benefit of your mental wellbeing which includes exercise; meditation; mindfulness; healthy eating. And like it or not, if you don’t have the right balance, everyone runs the risk of overflowing from time to time. The consequences of which for adults, who typically possess just about the right level of self-awareness to recognise that they might need some support, even for them can be challenging. But for an adolescent without said life experience, the consequences can be disastrous.

Everyone works on their mental wellbeing to some degree. But what is rarely taught to children is the importance these activities can have on your mental wellness in the long term. The reason for this I think is obvious. For a very long time, the need to educate children about this stuff has been limited. They are called mid-life crises for a reason; they tend not to happen until mid-life. But with the ever changing and increasingly hostile environments young people are growing up in, I personally can’t think of a better time to be working with young people to raise their awareness as to how important all of this is.

So what is different about a Harrow School? Well, I’m writing to you from Japan. Deep in the heart of the northern prefecture of Iwate where, along with all the other AISL schools, Harrow Appi is trying to instill in its young charges a sense of well roundedness that encapsulates a healthy young mind. Where school leaders are working around the clock to ensure that the three pillars of education are of equal strength, of equal height, and are suitable for the task or providing a foundation on which our young students can thrive. Combining academic, pastoral and enrichment in such a way that regardless of the uniqueness of each child, every child has a chance of finding their strengths and building on them.

This, however simple it sounds, is no small task. It requires a coordinated effort amongst all staff across multiple fields to ensure that each child’s unique journey is effectively supported. The Harrow model of close personal tutoring, combined with pastoral expertise in Boarding and a wide range of extra and super curricular activities goes a long way to ensuring this is the case.

Supported with innovative systems, the tracking and monitoring of each child, given the correct staff to student ratios, is actually very possible if it’s done right. Across Harrow Appi, every child has access to Pulse, a new IT software program where multiple times a week, each child is able to ‘check in’ and score how they’re feeling, to signpost their close personal tutor and give them the information they need to provide effective support. With tutors coordinating with teachers and parents, layers of support can exist so that safety nets and scaffolds are in place to support a child if and when they are most vulnerable.

Child wellbeing is the vital link to progress that so many schools are currently seeking. If the pandemic taught us anything it was that student motivation and focus has never been more fragile. Social media and screen time have played a significant part in eroding peer to peer relationships that used to be the life raft that helped keep young people afloat. Now more than ever, children are navigating high school alone, with only their smart phone for ‘company’. Strategies to support child wellbeing should aim to keep them busy, build relationships and most importantly, build individual resilience. To rely on my earlier analogy, the focus should be to ensure that there are enough activities letting stress out of the ‘container’ so that however much is flowing in at the top, no young person is ever in a position where they ‘overflow’.

Harrow Appi Japan Ski Team

Posted on March 27, 2026March 27, 2026 by Gloria

Did you know we have a Ski Team?

As part of our Academy Programme, the most talented students in each sport are identified and invited to join a dedicated team – trained further, challenged deeper, and given the opportunity to compete both locally and internationally.

This season, our Ski Team hasn’t stopped! They competed in 3 FIS ski competitions across Iwate and 2 internal ski races — including our first ever Parallel Team Slalom race. Each student accumulated an extraordinary additional 35 hours of dedicated race coaching, complemented by weekend training sessions and Academy gate sessions on the mountain. They even learned to tune and wax their own skis!

At Harrow Appi Japan, we are committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to discover, develop and excel in their chosen discipline. And with plans already in place for more competitions across Iwate next season, the best is very much still to come!

Safeguarding and Boarding Conference 2026

Posted on March 27, 2026March 27, 2026 by Gloria

Last week, we were proud to host our Safeguarding and Boarding Conference here at Harrow Appi Japan – and what a remarkable event it was!

Over Sunday and Monday, we welcomed delegates from over 15 schools across Japan, Asia and the UK, alongside 17 members of our own staff and over 15 of our students, who played a wonderful role in showcasing the very best of boarding life at Harrow Appi Japan.

Two days of expert-led sessions, shared best practice and meaningful conversation — all centred on how we best protect and nurture our students in an ever-changing world. It was an honour to open our doors, share what we do, and in turn gain such exciting and valuable insights from colleagues across Asia and beyond.

To every delegate who made the journey to the mountains of Iwate — thank you. We are already looking forward to seeing you again.