An afterschoool program to nurture high-level critical thinking skills and a spirit of inquiry in elementary students.
Venture into a New World! Real Inquiry-based Activities
CGK Preschool, well-respected as a center for global education in childcare and early childhood education, pursues deeper learning to raise children's Self-expression, Critical Thinking Skills, and a Spirit of Inquiry. We provide a place for people to feel close to the world, to look at the world as a global citizen, and to envision a future where everyone can be happy.
Features of CGK Afterschool
Point 01
Raising Real Global Kids
Focusing not only on English ability, but also on raising “Real Global Kids” with Self-expression, Critical Thinking Skills and a Spirit of Inquiry. Our programs are made for the children to express themselves, to research their curiosities and to think deeply.
Point 02
Not a Place to Study English
The children already have good English language skills so instead of spending a lot of time studying English, we emphasize learning in English. We seek to find enjoyment through the learning of different topics in the English language, instead of simply enjoying English. As a general rule, the classroom is an English-only environment.
Point 03
English Ability will be Checked
In order to further develop “global education” at CGK Preschool where we nurture Self-expression, Critical Thinking Skills and a Spirit of Inquiry, part of our enrollment selection process will be to check the student’s English ability. Our curriculum is designed without language barriers.
Point 04
A Fun and Lively Place to Enjoy Advanced Learning
The students experience learning on a daily basis that stimulates critical thinking skills and a spirit of inquiry, based on communication skills (self-expression) essential for active learning. Enjoy learning and get excited about the new world ahead.
Real Global Kids with Self-expression, Critical Thinking Skills and a Spirit of Inquiry
The Ability to Express Yourself to Others
Rather than surface language skills, we place importance on the ability to understand other people's ideas, conveying their own ideas and engaging in dialogue.
They will also give presentations and hold discussions in order to them develop necessary English skills.
The Ability to Create without Convention
Through the understanding and tolerance of diversity and the use of critical thinking skills to think outside the box, children can develop the ability to find new paths on their own, while still being conscious of the need for both cooperation and independence.
Endless Motivation Toward the Future
Through various activities that will broaden their horizons, we'll nurture interest in a new world and open up endless possibilities for the future. We value excitement towards learning and wanting to know more.
School Information
Name
CGK International School – Afterschool
Location
2-25-2 Minaminakadori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa (Greater Tokyo) 231-0006, Japan
Number of Students per Day
Around 15 per class (3 classes per day)
Age
Elementary school 1st - 6th grade *Advanced course is for 5th grade to 9th grade students.
School Days
Monday to Friday
School Hours
2:30-7:00pm *6:00-7:30pm for Advanced course
School Holidays
Saturday, Sunday, National holidays, Golden Week (1 week), Obon holidays (a few days), New Year holidays (1 week)
Kannai Campus Layout
Access
4-minute walk from Bashamichi Station (馬車道駅) on the Minatomirai Line (directly to/from the Tōyoko Line and Fukutoshin Line)
5-minute walk from Nihon-ōdōri Station (日本大通り駅) on the Minatomirai Line (directly to/from the Tōyoko Line and Fukutoshin Line)
5-minute walk from Kannai Station (関内駅) on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line
7-minute walk from Kannai Station (関内駅) on the JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line
School Bus Pick up
We provide a pick-up service from eligible elementary schools ("After-school Kids Clubs"), etc.
We will pick up students at the end of elementary school's 5th period. Any other time of day the students will need to make their own way to CGK Afterschool.
Please note pick-up times vary and we do not provide drop-off service to your home.
Eligible facilities
Some public elementary schools in Naka, Nishi and Minami wards (please inquire for details)
This is a service that allows children over 4 years old to use a taxi alone. This service is available at no extra charge with advance registration. The taxi company in charge differs depending on the area you live in, so please refer to the following and contact them directly.
Please be sure to contact CGK Afterschool before using the taxi service for childcare.
A question becomes an inquiry when children have ways to investigate it.
Sky Class (5-year-olds) has been exploring a cycle of predicting, trying and reflecting. Outdoors, children used magnifying glasses to look closely, opened reference books and compared what they noticed with friends.
Mountain Class (4-year-olds) has been investigating plants, growing daikon cress and considering what plants need. Looking after something over time gives children changes to notice and ideas to revisit.
At home, a simple invitation such as “What do you think?” or “How could we find out?” can make room for that thinking. Curiosity has somewhere to go when children can observe, investigate and talk through what they find.
Understanding a study-abroad destination includes knowing what daily school life and support will look like.
This November, CGK is holding two information sessions for current CGK families, with international-student staff from partner schools in New Zealand joining online. Glendowie College will introduce its school and study opportunities on November 16, followed by Gulf Harbour School and short-term study on November 27.
Families can hear directly about the learning environment, everyday life and support for international students. These conversations are part of how CGK helps families consider options that fit their child`s stage and interests.
Participation is limited to current CGK families. This post introduces that provision; session information and application details are shared with our families through Toddle.
At Nogeyama Zoo, a question about turtles became a chance to connect classroom learning with the world outside.
Mountain Class (4-year-olds) explored how animals behave and adapt to their habitats. A child`s question about the difference between a turtle and a tortoise led to investigating life in water and on land.
Back at school, children chose ways to represent what they had observed, using clay, drawings or toy figures. Observation and expression were connected, with space for each child to choose a method.
A conversation at home can extend that learning: which animal surprised them, and what did they notice about how it lives? A shared question can open up more to explore.
What happens when students want to keep working on a project after its original time has ended?
During the Summer School period, Afterschool Class D began a mini project to create their own countries. The students wanted to continue, so the idea became a Student Choice project. As they developed their countries in detail, a rich and varied world took shape.
That shared world then became the setting for a role-playing adventure, with characters created by the students themselves.
Following an interest over time gives ideas room to develop. In Class D, the children`s choices helped connect one project to the next, and their different ideas became parts of a world they could explore together.
A classroom inquiry can become the starting point for something children make together.
Sky Class (5-year-olds) drew on their learning about Egypt to create sarcophagus-shaped bowling pins for the School Festival. They collected recyclable materials, shared ideas and added their own details as they worked.
Jungle A Class (3-year-olds) brought a familiar story to life through a Humpty Dumpty game, making eggs, horses and a brick wall. Their seasonal art activities also offered opportunities to explore colours and materials.
These projects gave children a purpose for revisiting what they knew and turning an idea into something others could enjoy. Their choices and contributions were part of the making process.
Five of the games at this year`s Elementary and Middle School Sports Day began with our students` ideas.
Working in small groups during PSPE lessons, students developed games including Sharks and Treasure, Blind Mail and Dangerous Pizza Delivery. Creating a game gives them a reason to explain an idea, listen to other suggestions and work together to refine it. Communication, social skills and critical thinking are part of the process.
At CGK, the learning behind Sports Day includes the thinking and collaboration that happen before the event. The students` ideas will become activities for their school community to enjoy together.
Sports Day is an event for the CGK community only.
Join us at our Kannai campus on Sunday, November 8. Explore our approach to education, curriculum, school life, tuition and admissions, whether you are ready to apply or still considering your child’s next step.
PRESCHOOL (ages 2–5) 9:00–10:30am — Japanese 11:15am–12:45pm — English / Japanese
ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL 9:00–11:00am / 2:30–4:30pm Both sessions: English / Japanese
Venue: CGK Kannai Campus, Yokohama Advance registration required. Check your program and session on our website: cgkis.com.
Yokohama Excellence ( @yokohamaexcellence_official) is a professional basketball club based in Yokohama. CGK International School is a Gold Partner for the 2026-27 season.
On October 17, CGK students, families and staff joined local supporters at Yokohama Budokan for CGK International School presents: Yokohama Excellence vs Gifu Swoops. Excellence took the win, 96-86!
Cheering clappers, a school-bus papercraft and an exploration game set in Yokohama brought a little of CGK’s playful spirit to the day. For our tenth anniversary, it was a chance to enjoy making, cheer together and connect beyond the classroom.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the Yokohama Excellence team. See the photos and the story behind the day on our blog.
A rocket and a castle: the inquiry behind the work.
Rocket movement and the history of Japanese castles may seem unrelated. In CGK Afterschool miniprojects, a programme for Grades 1–9, both became investigations of how researched ideas could be represented.
A student researching rockets explored energy and escape velocity. In the model, reversing the direction of the current reversed a motor to represent launch and landing. This was a representation of movement, not a model that could travel into space.
A group building a castle investigated Japanese history, architecture, clan crests and culture. Behind the finished work were research and decisions about how to express what they had learned.
Classrooms become haunted houses—and taking the stairs becomes a challenge!
At CGK School Festival 2026 on 24-25 October, Middle School students in Grade 6 and Grades 7/8 are preparing The Haunted 9th Floor. Discover their student-created experiences and join the Step Challenge.
G6 | The Haunted 9th Floor Grade 6 is transforming classrooms and corridors into a spooky walkthrough. Visitors will move through themed areas featuring decorations, student actors, sound effects, lighting and surprises designed to create a fun and frightening festival experience.
G7/8 | The Haunted 9th Floor G7/8 students will create a haunted house in their classrooms and corridor, with themed areas including eyes, spiders, the ocean, jump scares, lightning and trypophobia. The students are designing all the stories, rules and decorations themselves. Visitors can also make their own magnets at the gift shop.
Step Challenge Elevators get crowded during School Festival, so please use the stairs! Climbing up to the 9th floor can be tiring, but make it fun with our Step Challenge! Anyone with a smartphone step counter can join. The person who takes the most steps that day wins a prize!
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教室が、お化け屋敷に。階段移動も、チャレンジに。
10月24日(土)・25日(日)のCGK School Festival 2026では、中等部のG6・G7/8が「The Haunted 9th Floor」を準備中。生徒たちがつくる仕掛けと、会場を歩いて楽しむStep Challengeをご紹介します。
G6 | The Haunted 9th Floor G6が教室や廊下を、不気味なウォークスルー型のお化け屋敷に変身させます。テーマごとに装飾されたエリアを進みながら、生徒たちによる演出や効果音、照明、思いがけない仕掛けを体験できます。楽しくもちょっぴり怖い、スリル満点のフェスティバル体験をお楽しみください！
G7/8 | The Haunted 9th Floor G7・G8の生徒たちが、教室や廊下を使ってお化け屋敷を作ります！目玉やクモ、海、突然驚かせる仕掛け、雷の演出、集合体恐怖症をテーマにしたエリアなど、さまざまな恐怖が待ち受けています。ストーリーやルール、装飾全てを生徒たちで考えたお化け屋敷をお届けします。 出口のギフトショップでは、オリジナルマグネット作りも楽しめます！
Step Challenge School Festivalではエレベーターの混雑緩和のため、階段の利用にご協力ください！9Fまでの階段移動は大変ですが、楽しみながら挑戦できるStep Challengeを開催！スマホの歩数計があれば誰でも参加OK。当日最も歩いた人には賞品をプレゼント！
Details via the link in our profile. / 詳しくはプロフィールのリンクから。
Small creatures, many similarities and differences.
In Ocean Class (2-year-olds), changes in autumn and an interest in small creatures are opening up inquiry: weather, leaves, wind, and differences in creatures` bodies, faces and sizes.
Moving from Who We Are towards How We Express Ourselves, children notice similarities and differences between themselves and other living things. Observations connect with language and ways of expressing ideas.
The class has also explored the idea that other creatures have families and should be treated with care. Small discoveries become opportunities to develop an interest in the living world around us.
Elementary School classes are preparing for CGK School Festival 2026 on 24-25 October. From detective mysteries to space adventures, which booth would you like to try?
G1A | Spooky-Cute Animal World! Try thrilling games with friends and discover surprise prizes.
G1B | Creepy Playhouse Students are creating games, practising turn-taking, compromise, sharing ideas and listening.
G2A | Detective Headquarters Follow clues and hidden evidence to solve the case of the missing animal.
G2B | Halloween Game Centre! Try basketball and taiko drumming, then complete a stamp rally for a prize.
G3A | Water maze race Roll for water, race an opponent through a maze and escape in as few turns as possible.
G3B | Jungle Maze Navigate rainforest vines and animals, solve riddles and claim a prize.
G4 | Game Centre Try a Tom & Jerry ball toss and a game combining bowling with air hockey.
G5 | Space Adventure! Throw planets, try planetary bowling and set off on a space adventure.
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子どもたちがつくる、8つのゲームブース。
10月24日(土)・25日(日)のCGK School Festival 2026に向けて、初等部の各クラスが準備を進めています。探偵の謎解きから宇宙の冒険まで、どのブースに挑戦してみたいですか？
From an image of a country to everyday life at a school.
What is it like to learn overseas? On September 14, CGK welcomed Belmont Intermediate School Principal Nick Hill and International Student Director Lee Rang Lim from New Zealand for a study-abroad information event.
Families heard about the school`s educational approach, everyday life and international-student support, and could ask their questions directly. It was an opportunity to consider the actual school, rather than relying only on an image of the country.
CGK`s individual consultations also consider a child`s age and grade, the length of a stay, interests and goals. There is no single form of study abroad that suits every child.
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国のイメージから、学校の毎日へ。
海外で学ぶことを、現地の先生に直接聞く。9月14日、CGKで開催した留学説明会には、ニュージーランドのBelmont Intermediate Schoolから、校長Nick Hill先生と留学生担当ディレクターLee Rang Lim先生が来校しました。
In Jungle A and B Classes (3-year-olds), learning centres offer children opportunities to choose activities and explore at their own pace. Interests and ways of learning differ from child to child.
On Friday afternoons, the two classes join together. Literacy, numbers, patterns, shapes and writing can be explored without pressure to produce a single right answer. Trying things and making discoveries remain central.
The setting brings together personal choice and time with other children. Both are part of supporting children`s agency.
What kind of home can you design within a limited space? In the Elementary and Middle School tiny-house project, students used measurement, area and spatial reasoning while developing floor plans.
Choosing rooms and features was only part of the task. Would the dimensions work? Would the plan fit the space? Students checked, reconsidered and improved their designs.
The challenge called for both creative ideas and mathematical accuracy. Calculation became a tool for thinking about real architecture and design, rather than an activity confined to a worksheet.
See what learning in English after school looks like through a visit to a real lesson. CGK Afterschool welcomes students in Grades 1–9. Our programme centres on project-based learning and inquiry.
During an individual Open School visit, you can observe a lesson and learn more about the school. Children are welcome to join you.
Weekdays, 5:00–6:00 pm CGK International School, Kannai Campus, Yokohama Japanese and English / Online sessions available Other times can be arranged.
Details and registration: visit the link in our bio.
