Thank you for considering International School of the Sacred Heart.
Tokyo Japan
International School of the Sacred HeartDescription
Founded in 1908, the International School of the Sacred Heart continues to be Tokyo's top school for girls to learn in an English-speaking and truly diverse environment that focuses on each student's academic, social-emotional, spiritual, psychological, and physical development.
Sacred Heart is accredited by CIS and WASC, a founding member of JCIS, governed by the Sacred Heart School Corporation, and an active participant in the global network of 100+ Sacred Heart Schools in 35+ countries. Through 23 international Advanced Placement courses, high school students earn university credit before matriculating to some of the best universities in the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, and worldwide. Athletic teams compete across the Far East Association, student leadership is developed and exercised at every level (K3-12) through student council, clubs, Model UN, debate, and more. Student choral and orchestra performances are awe-inspiring, and internationally acclaimed. Students actively support a vast array of service organisations and causes, including a deeply meaningful 20+ year relationship with a school in Nepal.
Nestled in Hiroo in Shibuya-ku, the campus is a wooded oasis easily accessed by the Metro that offers safe off-street drop-off and pick-up, has an excellent gymnasium, turf field, top-grade tennis courts, a large playground, chapel, labs for art, science, ceramics and food technology, spacious multipurpose spaces for drama, assemblies, and receptions. Sacred Heart's mission is love, and this level of belonging gives strength to the community, engages parents, and keeps alumni connected across the globe. With privilege comes responsibility; Sacred Heart students are taught to have courage and confidence in making a positive difference in our world.
- Day school tuition No Information
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Grades for day school
Pre-K/Reception -
12th Grade/Year 13 - Number of Students 590
- Year founded 1908
- Boarding school tuition No Information
- Curricula Advanced Placement, UK National, US National, International Primary, AP Capstone, Australian National, New Zealand National
- Type Girls
Accreditations
We are accredited by:
Admissions Information
Entry Requirements
We welcome interested families to check out our Admissions Policy and Process, or contact our Director of Admissions, Ms. Hideko Inoue, at admissions@issh.ac.jp.
- Students can join after the academic year begins Yes
- Waiting List Yes
Waiting List
When there is no availability in a class, or when there is no availability in the appropriate English Language Acquisition (ELA) programme for a student with ELA support needs, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool.
Waiting pool placement is valid until the end of the school year for which the applicant has applied for enrolment. Waiting pool applicants who remain interested in enrolment past the initial school year are encouraged to submit a new application for the following school year.
Academics
- Assigns homework Yes
- Use of technology in the classroom Yes
- Language of instruction English
- ELL support Yes
- Native English teachers Yes
- Languages taught English, French, Japanese
- Examinations available
Languages Taught
ISSH offers additional languages classes at a variety of levels of fluency in Japanese and French. Outside of foreign language classes, all subjects are taught in English.
School Life
- Sports teams available Yes
- Pastoral Care Yes
- School provides lunch Yes
- Supervised care before or after school Yes
- Uniform required Yes
School Lunch
ISSH provides an optional school lunch service through Cezars Kitchen, with meals and snacks prepared and cooked onsite and served hot. Dishes range from Western classics, such as spaghetti bolognese, fish fingers, pizza, roast pork with gravy, to traditional Japanese meals, to cuisine from around the world. Every month offers something a little bit different—check out the current lunch menu here.
Alongside the hot lunch options, Cezar's offers sandwiches, salads, wraps, and Japanese onigiri rice balls in a cold case, fresh sweet and savoury baked goods, noodle dishes, bottled and fountain drinks, and soft-serve ice cream. Faculty, staff, and parent visitors are all welcome to purchase and enjoy food from the cafeteria.
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ELL
The ELA programme supports students who are in the process of acquiring academic English language skills. The programme is a combination of in-class support and small group lessons. A limited number of spaces are available in the ELA at each grade level.
Supervised Care
The Extended Day Programme (EDP) provides a safe and enjoyable environment from 3:00 – 6:00 pm. for children of working parents. It is offered at a flat rate by semester—parents simply pay the fee and then may use the programme as much or as little as they need for the duration of the semester. Through the EDP, we aim to ensure a Sacred Heart education is accessible and equitable to families with diverse needs and schedules.
While not a structured after-school activity, the EDP aims to provide students with meaningful activities as well as time to relax and homework time for students in relevant grades. Students eat a snack after arriving, enjoy outdoor playtime when weather permits, and engage in arts and crafts.
Sports Teams
ISSH is the home of the Symbas—our fierce student athletes who train, compete, and win with courage and confidence! Swahili for "lion," our teams have been the Symbas for more than half a century, and they live up to the mascot's symbolism of strength and courage.
Athletics are a vital part of the extracurricular offerings at ISSH. Middle and High School students compete in six different sports across three sporting seasons (Fall, Winter, and Spring) through the Kanto Plain League and various other international and domestic tournaments. Girls interested in sports are encouraged to participate in the way that suits their own unique interests, whether they've played soccer since they were toddlers or are curious to try out basketball for the first time. We offer both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams in the High School and A, B, and sometimes C teams in the Middle School to ensure that as many students as possible have a chance to participate. In Kindergarten and Junior School, many athletic opportunities are available through the After School Activities and After School Enrichment Programs.
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Uniform
All students in grades 1–12 wear uniforms.
Pastoral Care
Sacred Heart provides a comprehensive support network for the emotional and social wellbeing of all students, promoting a safe and welcoming environment where each person is valued. In alignment with our Goals and Criteria, we place emphasis on ensuring every student feels deeply cared for, loved and respected.
Pastoral Care at ISSH is woven into the student experience in a variety of age-appropriate ways at each level of schooling.
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University Relations
- University counseling Yes
- Percent that pursue university 100%
University Destinations
The majority of ISSH grads attend university in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia. A smaller percentage attend university in Europe or Asia, including in Japan.
Some highlights of our recent grads include:
United States
- Cornell College
- Dartmouth College
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of Michigan
- University of Pennsylvania
- Yale University
- McGill University
- University of British Columbia
- University of Toronto
- University College London
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Manchester
- University of Bristol
- University of Glasgow
Check out our list of university destinations for graduates for the three most recent graduating classes.
University Counseling
At Sacred Heart we consider university/college guidance as an integral piece of our comprehensive school-wide cooperative efforts to provide for all aspects of our students' futures. Students and parents are given relevant information at the proper developmental stages through class meetings and parent programmes.
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Fine arts program:
The arts are at the core of the Sacred Heart experience—whether through music, visual art, dance, or drama, creative expression is fostered and developed through a host of extracurricular activities, from our internationally recognised competitive choirs and orchestras to the electric energy of our HS and MS rock bands.
Creative expression is woven throughout the curriculum and developed through a host of extracurricular activities. Middle and High School students can audition for our various orchestras and choirs and participate in a host of competitive and collaborative arts events with other international schools and DoDD schools in the Tokyo area through the Kanto Plain Association. For those who want to try out something new, or delve into an art form not offered through KPASS, there are endless possibilities through student-led clubs. In Kindergarten and Junior School, many artistic opportunities are available through the After School Activities and After School Enrichment Programs, including our widely popular Junior Duchesne Choir and Junior School Handbell Choir.
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Student leadership opportunities:
At Sacred Heart, developing leadership skills through hands-on experience is a prominent way in which our girls "grow with courage and confidence." They are given opportunities to learn to lead responsibly, effectively, and compassionately all the way from Junior School, instilling them with a foundational understanding of key leadership skills that continue to serve them in tertiary education and their future careers.
At girls’ schools, students demonstrate great confidence in female leadership and become increasingly interested in leadership positions themselves (while data suggests that girls at coeducational schools actually become less interested in leadership positions with age!) and Sacred Heart is a prime example of this phenomenon. (Read more facts about the benefit of girls' education from the International Coalition of Girls' Schools!) Our girls have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of leadership roles all the way from Grade 4 through graduation. This also allows them to serve as role models for one another—our students never doubt whether or not girls make effective leaders, because all of the leaders around them are girls.
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