Nurturing practical English skills through joyful after‑school learning
Building confident English learners by visualising progress with English Benchmark Test – Young Learners
For many children in Japan, years of English study do not always translate into the confidence to use English. KidsUP set out to change that. Under the motto “LEARN with FUN”, Kids UP provides after-school English conversation programs for children aged 3 through to junior high school. By combining immersion, play and practical communication within an all‑English environment, Kids UP helps young children develop real-world English skills and the confidence to use them. In 2025, Kids UP introduced Pearson’s Benchmark Test – Young Learners 4-skills assessment to strengthen English learning and enable personalized teaching and help every child recognize their own growth with confidence.
Organization: Kids UP Industry: Education Location: Japan Solution: Benchmark Test – Young Learners
Challenge
Tackling the English progress gap in young Japanese Learners
Only about half of learners reach the Japanese government's CEFR A1 target by the end of junior high school, suggesting that many students don't develop strong enough foundations in their early years. Gaps at this foundation stage can later become significant barriers when students are expected to communicate confidently in real-world contexts. However, without clear, objective measures of students' progress, teachers and parents may struggle to gauge development and provide timely support.
To address this, Kids UP recognized the need for an immersive learning environment combined with a child-friendly global assessment to track growth and guide more effective teaching.
Solution
Fast, accurate, gameified assessment, specially designed for children
In 2025, KidsUP introduced Benchmark Test – Young Learners, Pearson's gamified 4-skills assessment test that reduces stress and maintains children's engagement.
The test is a game-like digital experience and is powered by AI-based automatic scoring. Teachers and parents receive dedicated reports featuring personalized learning recommendations and skill-specific scores, reported on the international Global Scale of English (GSE).
Results
Smarter teaching, joyful learning, stronger progress
KidsUP teachers can now track learner progress more effectively, identify strengths and gaps, and provide targeted support – driving measurable improvements in instructional quality. Just as importantly, children can clearly see their own progress, building confidence, reinforcing motivation, and encouraging pride in their achievements.
By combining a joyful learning environment with a global assessment framework, KidsUP is strengthening its ability to nurture confident, practical English users who are ready to communicate in Japan and beyond.
Using the "Can‑Do" statements allows us to set concrete goals for each child, making post‑lesson feedback significantly clearer.
Teacher, Kids UP
+1.7
Average GSE improvement of 1.7 points in 5 months
+2.3
Average GSE growth in listening and speaking of 2.3 points in 5 months
62%
62% of parents find skill-specific scores useful for understanding their child's strengths and weaknesses
My child looks happy since the results of their hard work are clear to see.
Parent of second-grade student at Kids UP