The school was first established in 1989 as a partnership between Mr. Steve Bernard and his wife Ms. Yuko Bernard (current president). They opened up their very first school right in the middle of Tsukuba in an area known as Takezono.During the next 10-year period, the school saw rapid growth at a time when the general economy was struggling here in Japan. The school was growing at a rate that was better than a new location school each year. Recently, over the last three to five years, the school has consolidated its position as being the largest privately owned school in the IbarakiPrefecture.

Why has the school been so successful?
The school has solid leadership, is very directional about its intent and above all, is very committed to providing a high standard of service to those Japanese that would like to come to the BernardEnglishSchool to learn English.

How many schools are there now?
There are currently 13 learning centres in the area. These locations are: Takezono, Ushiku, Shin Moriya, Shimotsuma, Ami, Ishioka, Ryugasaki, Fujishiro, Matsushiro, Shimodate, Tsuchiura, Azuma, and Tsukuba Higashi

About TsukubaScienceCity: Regarded as a top quality research centre. Located just 45 minutes north from the national capital, Tokyo on the new TX rail express. With the new rail link having opened in August 2005 the population growth now sees it achieving the second fastest population growth area in Japan.

Location: Tsukuba is located in the southern part of IbarakiPrefecture. It is 50km northeast of Tokyo, and 60km northwest of TokyoInternationalAirport in Narita. It is some 30km from north to south and about 15km east to west. It is dominated by Mt. Tsukuba 877 metres high in the north, and sits on the Kanto Plateau. Japan's second largest lake is just 10 km away in Tsuchiura. The city has several rivers and contains forests, farmer's fields, and rice paddies, making it a place where one can feel at home in a town that is semi-rural. Because of its location on the Pacific side of the country, the average yearly temperature is a comfortable 15 degrees Celsius and has a yearly rainfall of just under 1400mm.

It snows about twice or three times a year in the winter. It can get fairly cold in the winter, however, because of the cold "Tsukuba Oroshi" wind that blows off the south of Mt.Tsukuba.

The city is the second largest city in the prefecture behind the capital, Mito.