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in-depth report
Sacred Heart School of Halifax logo
OUR KIDS REPORT:

Sacred Heart School of Halifax

Grades JK — 12 — Halifax, NS (Map)
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THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Sacred Heart School of Halifax
REPORT CONTENTS
Reviews
Analysis

School overview

  • Grades
    JK — 12
  • Gender
    All boys, All girls, Coed
  • Class Size
    15 — 20 students
  • Tuition
    $16,550 to 23,190/year
  • Language of instruction
    English, French, Spanish
  • Special Needs Support
    No support
  • Enrolment
    510 day students
  • Curriculum
    Traditional
  • Associations
    CAIS
  • LOCATION
    Halifax, NS (View address)

The big picture on Sacred Heart School of Halifax

We wrote a book reviewing the school

The 50-page review of Sacred Heart School of Halifax is part of our series of in-depth accounts of Canada's leading private schools. It provides a unique and objective perspective on the school's academics, programs, culture, and community.

Read our in-depth review

We questioned the school administration

1. Who are you, as a school?

"Founded in 1849, Sacred Heart School of Halifax teaches the whole child — mind, body, and spirit. Our iconic campus in the heart of Halifax offers a diamond model of education — co-ed in Grades JP-6 and Grades 10-12 and single-gender in Grades 7-12. Sacred Heart has earned a stellar reputation for the quality of our academics, the strength of our community, and the meaningful contributions our students and alumni make. As part of a global network, we have a strong and unique Mission guided by our Five Goals."

  • Rigorous academics in the Senior School, including the Advanced Placement (AP) Program.
  • A diamond model of education that includes both co-ed and single-gender education.
  • A robust offering of athletics, arts, debate, and extra-curricular activities at every level.
  • As part of a network of Sacred Heart schools around the world, we offer global exchange programs.
  • As part of our Mission, social justice and social action programs are considered a priority.
  • Our incredibly rich heritage provides us with ceremonies and traditions unique to us.
  • We offer an early years bilingual program and core French class for older Elementary students.
  • Our High School curriculum includes Core, which helps students navigate complex social issues.
  • Students are provided with a university prep game plan that includes classes and counselling.
  • We are accredited by both CAIS and SHCOG.

2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?

Our Goals and Criteria are sacrosanct at Sacred Heart School of Halifax, and we live them authentically and passionately. There is no other school in this region guided by such an intentional mission, and it means our families know exactly who we are and what we stand for. We also have a unique model — we are the only school that offers single-gender education on a co-ed campus and a full slate of courses through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, which allows our students to tailor their university path to the subjects they’re most interested in. Our unique history, heritage, and traditions give us a special character unlike any other school in the country.

3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?

Our model is more complicated and expensive because we have Religious Studies, a Campus Ministry, and single-gender classes. This model and our overall focus on faith and spirituality do not appeal to every family. As a result, we have sacrificed higher enrollment numbers to keep our model and Mission strong.

4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?

There are several milestones in our long and storied history, beginning in 1800 when St. Madeleine Sophie Barat started the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ) in France and began the first Sacred Heart school for girls. In 1818, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne brought the Society and the Sacred Heart model to North America. Our School was founded in 1849 when Sr. Hardey took up residence in downtown Halifax, and in 1851, the school moved to our present location. The school originally operated as the Convent of the Sacred Heart until 1985, when it was reincorporated and named Sacred Heart School of Halifax. In 2005 a boys’ high school division was created and housed in temporary quarters until 2010, when it became a permanent part of our campus. Through all these milestones, Sophie’s belief in the power of education to transform society and her philosophy of educating the whole child — spiritual, intellectual, moral, and social — have always been a distinct part of our experience.

5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?

Students interested in a Sacred Heart education should be motivated and willing to work for an education and experience that will fundamentally change their lives. Beyond their academic pursuits, they should also be open-minded and interested in being part of a vibrant community through which they can explore their interests — whether that’s art, music, athletics, or something else entirely —develop leadership skills, and raise their voices for the causes and issues they believe in.

6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?

If a family does not value faith or spirituality or the student is not interested in academics and working hard, Sacred Heart might not be the right school for them. Otherwise, we are very inclusive and welcoming.

7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?

We know our families choose our School for two primary reasons: our legacy of academic excellence and our welcoming community that feels, for so many, like an extended family.

8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?

Given our iconic history and location, we are extremely well-known in Halifax. And, according to our market research, we have a very positive reputation in Halifax. Strong word-of-mouth from our families has helped us earn that reputation and is just one of the reasons we see so many multi-generational families here at Sacred Heart.

9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?

Our diversity. Halifax’s population has changed dramatically over the past few decades and our school makeup has changed with it. For example, in the 2024-25 Academic Year, almost 40% of our students came from a diverse background which means more and more of our families can see themselves reflected in our school.

10. What might families find surprising about your school?

Many people don’t know that we offer a highly-coveted international program that brings students from around the world to our campus for short or long-term stays and who take part in our Homestay Program where local families welcome them to live as part of their family. These students are looking to improve their language skills, experience a Sacred Heart education, and live like locals in Nova Scotia. Our local students benefit from having the unique voices, perspectives, and cultures of these international students and it makes for a more robust and distinctive on-campus experience for both.

11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?

The three most recent changes are a move to a diamond model of education whereby we offer co-ed education in Elementary School and Senior High in Grades 10-12, but have retained our single-gender model in Junior High in Grades 7-19. This allows us to offer the right education at the right time. We offer a new Enrichment Program in the Elementary School that includes differentiated teaching and learning and Enrichment Clusters, thoughtfully designed experiences that broaden students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. And, we offer a bilingual program in Grades 1 and 2 with a half day of learning in French and a half day of learning in English. In the Senior School, we recently renovated our science labs and equipped them with the latest in resources and technology. We did the same with our Lunch Room, which is now a more modern, dynamic, and accessible space for gathering and learning.

12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?

We are working within the vision of our three-year strategic plan focused on Academics, DEI, Innovative Mindset, and Sustainability. Within those four core areas, we have a number of initiatives that we are working on that will be implemented over the lifespan of the Plan. We encourage prospective families to visit our webisite to learn more.

We got insight from alumni, parents, and students

Sacred Heart School of Halifax: Parent Review from Vurain Tabvuma

SK to Gr. 7 (current), Gr. 2 to Gr. 9 (current) — Watch our parent interview with Vurain Tabvuma to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Sacred Heart School of Halifax.
Sacred Heart School of Halifax, Parent Video Review from Vurain Tabvuma

Sacred Heart School of Halifax: Parent Review from Mary Shakespeare

Gr. 9 to Gr. 12, Gr. 10 to Gr. 12, Gr. 11 to Gr. 12 — Watch our parent interview with Mary Shakespeare to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Sacred Heart School of Halifax.
Sacred Heart School of Halifax, Parent Video Review from Mary Shakespeare

Sacred Heart School of Halifax: Q&A 2025

Watch our Sacred Heart School of Halifax Q&A discussion with Heidi Sapp (Parent), Myla Murphy (Student), Ishan Mukhida (Alum) to gain fresh insight into the school’s culture, values, and strengths.
Parent and Student Q&A Roundtable with Private Schools and Educational Consultants

Sacred Heart School of Halifax: Alumni Review from Kogie Esteban

Gr. 11 to Gr. 12 — Watch our alum interview with Kogie Esteban to learn about the unique experience of attending Sacred Heart School of Halifax.
Sacred Heart School of Halifax, Alumnus Video Review from Kogie Esteban

Roundtable Q&A (2021)

Watch our Sacred Heart School of Halifax Q&A discussion with Andy (Alum), Claire (Alum), Denise (Parent) to gain fresh insight into the school’s culture, values, and strengths.
Parent and Student Q&A Roundtable with Private Schools and Educational Consultants

Sacred Heart School of Halifax: Alumni Review from Ailin Chant

Watch our alum interview with Ailin Chant to learn about the unique experience of attending Sacred Heart School of Halifax.
Sacred Heart School of Halifax, Alumnus Video Review from Ailin Chant

Parent, Mary Shakespeare (2025)

(4.5)

Gr. 9 to Gr. 12,Gr. 10 to Gr. 12,Gr. 10 to Gr. 12 — My son’s experience at Sacred Heart was very positive, and I think the biggest influencing factor was the size of the school. Joining the school in grade 9 could have been quite a difficult transition for him, but this tight-knit community embraced him immediately. The friendships he gained during his time there would probably be considered the most positive part of his overall experience. However, I also believe that the size of the school was a great benefit to him, from an academic point of view as well. Because the teachers are focused on a limited number of students, each of those students gets an enormous amount of attention. This attention really helped my son to work to his full potential and achieve results far beyond those he was getting when he first arrived.

Parent, Vurain Tabvuma (2025)

(5)

K (current),Gr. 2 (current) — The experience at Sacred Heart School of Halifax has been an excellent one for both our boys. One thing that I believe clearly speaks to this is that our boys are both eager to go to school every morning and have plenty to report at the end of each day. Our older son really appreciates the connection students can have with their teachers because of the smaller class sizes. Our younger son has a strong appreciation for Conge, a Sacred Heart tradition where, on one school day, students are surprised by faculty and the school council with a day of fun activities. We really appreciate the robustness and rigour of the academic program they offer at the school. It prepares them well for university. Importantly, Sacred Heart School of Halifax has a strong faith tradition rooted in the Catholic Church, and this helps shape the character of the students.

Alumnus, Kogie Esteban (2025)

(4.9)

Gr. 11 to Gr. 12 — My time at Sacred Heart School of Halifax was honestly life-changing. It wasn't just a school, it was a community where I always felt supported, seen, and valued. As an international student, being part of a smaller, tight-knit environment made all the difference. I always felt supported, encouraged, and truly known, which helped me build the confidence to flourish in university and beyond. The values of faith, hope, and love weren't just words at Sacred Heart, they shaped how we lived every day. The school's focus on being the best for the world, not just in it, really stuck with me. Today, I carry that mindset into my work in green energy research, where I'm not just striving for personal success, but working towards solutions that can have a real, positive impact on the planet. What stood out most was how personalized the education felt. Teachers really took the time to understand our strengths, passions, and dreams. Sacred Heart prepared me not just academically, but personally, teaching me how to lead, collaborate, and think globally. For any prospective student: expect a community that will challenge you, believe in you, and inspire you to grow into your best self.

Parent, Catherine Phinney (2023)

(5)

Gr. 3 (current) — Our child loves going to school now. She loves being truly engaged in the classroom, which is always interactive and creative. A small class means more opportunities to participate and have her voice heard. She feels welcomed into the classroom, and the emphasis on being kind, caring, and respectful means that learning how to get along in a group is done collaboratively and with great care and attention from the teachers. She loves all the additional aspects of being at Sacred Heart and is getting to participate in things that she might not have had the confidence to do otherwise, such as intramural sports, musical theatre, and science clubs. Getting outside three times a day and having access to nearby green spaces are also favorite things for her. We love that too!

Parent, Leona Milne (2023)

(4.9)

JK (current),JK (current) — My children simply love school at Sacred Heart. It's a place where my children get excited to see their friends and teachers. They enter school each day, warmly greeted by staff who know them by name, and they confidently walk to their classrooms, ready to learn. Sacred Heart is a warm and welcoming "second home" where my children are enveloped within a community of inclusion and kindness. One of the best aspects of the school is the amount of integration there is between older students and younger ones. My youngest in JP is currently in a "buddy" reading program with a Grade 4 student - he adores his reading friend and I am pleased with how this experience has encouraged his love of reading and literacy at the age of 4. The student experience is rich by design, and my children love going to school at Sacred Heart each day.

Alumnus, Ailin Chant (2021)

(4.3)

My time at Sacred Heart School of Halifax was incredibly memorable. I often hear people talk about high school as an experience they are happy is over, however that wasn't close to my experience. I loved high school and that was because of Sacred Heart. The culture of care was incredible. The feeling that you would get when you saw Carol at the reception desk in the morning wasn't like walking into school but into another home or community. We all used to get to school early or stay late just so that we could hang out with each other or chat with our teachers. I really enjoyed the small class sizes and individualized learning experience for each student. I felt that the small classes and single-sex education really created a space for us to become confident. As well as having opportunities to participate in so many things, such as students' council, which had a large impact on my confidence and led me to continue in student leadership roles in university. Even though SHSH is small they still have many resources for students to add to their experience. The academics at SHSH are challenging but once you get to university you will feel so incredibly prepared that it is all worth it plus you have the support of amazing teachers to help you along the way. I know that Sacred Heart had a huge impact on my next steps in life from confidence and organization skills to public speaking and being academically prepared. If you are considering Sacred Heart then expect to be challenged academically and socially, have the opportunity to try new things, gain the confidence to be who you truly are meant to be and join a community that will help you grow. I highly recommend it!

Parent, Gord Cooper (2021)

(4.3)

We have four children at Sacred Heart School of Halifax (SHSH). If I think about our eldest son, who has gone from Grade 6 to where he is now (Grade 11), he may not put it in these exact words himself but two of the things that he would appreciate the most include: (a) Connections: He has truly rich friendships. It is clear that some of his classmates are close friends for life. Some teachers may even make the same cut. (b) Challenge: SHSH creates the conditions that challenge him to do his best academically, where the primary goal is learning and preparation for university, not brute-force academics for the sake of it. The school has nurtured a sense of curiosity in him that represents a love of learning for sake of personal growth. To be clear, he inevitably reflects on the harsh reality of wanting to get into the university of his choice, etc. But what is evident to his parents, grandparents and others is that he has developed an appreciation for learning as a noble pursuit on its own. Particularly as he gets older, he has sometimes expressed frustration that seeing 'the girls' in between classes and in extra-curricular settings isn't as much as he'd like. He has never objected to the pedagogical merits of split-gender classrooms (and socially seems to appreciate some benefits of that). But halfway through Grade 11, he sometimes says he wishes he could engineer more time with his female counterparts at school. Sometimes he grumbles about uniforms...but no different than I did as a teen in an independent school.

Parent, Anna Stuart (2021)

(4.8)

Our daughter joined Sacred Heart School as a shy student whose early years experience robbed her confidence and her joyful nature. She stepped into her Grade 4 classroom at SHSH as if into the arms of family. Her teacher that year (and in all subsequent years) showed a genuine interest in her as an individual person. Her teacher's ability to be lovingly kind while holding consistently high expectations for our daughter's performance created a safe pathway for our daughter's spirit to come back to life. Throughout her time at Sacred Heart, our daughter was generally a 'reluctant' student, more interested in the relational aspects of school than in academic pursuit. Her teachers journeyed alongside her in ways that respectfully nudged or pulled her to academic success beyond what we had imagined could be achieved while ensuring she had space and support to engage with others in ways that filled her relational tank. In Grade 11 our daughter was recognized for her contribution to the spirit of the school - an award that was fitting for the person she aspired to be and one that sums up perfectly her experience of Sacred Heart as a place where academic success matters and where contribution to others is rewarded.

Parent, Jennifer Derwey Deane (2021)

(4.8)

My partner and I are parents of 3 girls. When our youngest daughter was ready to begin Primary we weren't happy with the school our older two children were attending, and we weren't ready to put our youngest daughter into a school that wasn't working for us. We had tried just about every option our town had to offer except Sacred Heart, but I have to say, after the first year we knew we had made the right decision. Our youngest daughter, who was shy and used to having her family and sisters nearby, blossomed under the guidance of a compassionate environment that made her feel safe and nurtured. She's now the first one out the door each day! That's a real transformation from those early first days, and it helped ease my concerns as a parent to know she was in good hands.
See all reviews (15 total)

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