Academics
Sacred Heart students are passionate about learning. They are enthusiastic seekers of knowledge who engage fully in our challenging and well-rounded course of study. Students are learning to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and apply knowledge and skills from varied disciplines toward a thoughtful understanding of the world. (adapted from the Sacred Heart Portrait of a Graduate document).
Sacred Heart Schools’ fully accredited program serves children in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade in three academic divisions: Primary School (grades PK-SK), Lower School (grades 1-4) and Middle School (grades 5-8). Each school is led by a Division Head who works closely with the students, faculty and parents of that Division. The intimacy of the three divisions maintains the family-like atmosphere and individual student attention for which Sacred Heart education is known.
Our 7:1 student to teacher ratio is among the best in Chicago. Class size averages 15-16 in senior kindergarten and 18-20 in 1st grade and above.
From the earliest grades, children study French, Spanish, art, music, technology, physical education and religion in addition to our core curriculum of language arts, math, social studies and science. This well-rounded academic experience is further enhanced by services from The Learning Center, Kolber Library, School Counselors, and Technology.
Classrooms are organized by gender at grade levels above senior kindergarten; girls are students of the Academy and boys are students of Hardey Prep. Many aspects of campus and student life are coeducational. Preschool and senior kindergarten are coed.
Click on Primary School, Lower School, and Middle School to read more about their curricula.
What makes Sacred Heart education one of a kind?
We are Catholic and independent. Sacred Heart is both an independent and Catholic school. We benefit from our relationships with the Chicago Archdiocese and the Network of Sacred Heart schools, and we are self-governing and free to pursue our own vision and standard of excellence.
We offer single-gender classrooms on a coed campus. Sacred Heart provides a purposeful blend of single-gender and coeducational approaches. 95% of recent graduates reported preferring single-gender classrooms.
We educate the mind and the heart. Sacred Heart educates children in accordance with the ideals and intentions of our foundress, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Her goal was to instill in each of her students a deep love of God, a strong sense of integrity, a respect for the inherent value of every person and a curious mind open to new ideas.
We prepare students for the future. Sacred Heart provides a thoughtful and thorough high school counseling program that guides students through each step of the secondary school admissions process. On average, 95% of students were accepted by their first-choice school.