Japanese lessons and teachers

Japanese is offered at GCSE and A-level (Edexcel) and IB, with provision concentrated in a small number of independent and specialist schools. The challenge has three layers: the spoken language and grammar, the two phonetic scripts (hiragana, katakana), and kanji, where the volume increases sharply at A-level. Tutoring helps most with kanji consolidation, with the long-form reading papers, and with the speaking exam. Heritage speakers and full-beginners need different approaches. Be explicit about which. Native fluency matters, but so does explicit experience of the specific UK spec, which differs meaningfully from JLPT-style assessment.