Kyoto International School Joins Novana as the First NovaSchool

We’re excited to announce that Kyoto International School (https://kis.ac.jp/) has joined Novana as the first NovaSchool.

Founded in 1957, Kyoto International School has been a long-standing pillar of international education in Japan. As Kyoto’s first and only full International Baccalaureate Continuum School, KIS offers a complete IB journey from Early Years through the Diploma Programme, emphasizing thoughtful learning, strong community, and a deep commitment to educational quality.

KIS is accredited by both the International Baccalaureate and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and was the first school to receive COBIS accreditation through WASC. As a not-for-profit institution, its focus on personalized learning and inclusive school culture closely aligns with Novana’s mission.

As the first NovaSchool, KIS is not simply piloting a product. The KIS leadership team and Novana are working together as early co-design partners, exploring how accreditation and school improvement can become continuous, visible, and embedded in daily school operations rather than a process that occurs every few years.

Novana is building the AI Operating System for K–12 school quality — transforming fragmented evidence, documentation, and accreditation workflows into real-time quality intelligence that helps school leaders understand standards, progress, and improvement opportunities as they happen.

We’re deeply grateful for the trust and openness of the KIS leadership team, and especially to Matt Topliss for the thoughtful conversations and leadership behind this collaboration.

The NovaSchools network is now beginning to grow across APAC, bringing together schools that believe quality should be structured, visible, and continuously improving.

Schools interested in shaping the future of accreditation and school improvement are encouraged to connect with the Novana team.