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International School of the Sacred Heart

Japan, Tokyo

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees ¥2,640,000 - 2,940,000
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 585
Type Co-educational, Girls School
Opened 1908
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IPC (International Primary Curriculum), Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Taught languages French, Japanese
Typical class size 22
Strengths Performing Arts, STEM, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

International School of the Sacred Heart (ISSH) in Tokyo was founded in 1908 and is located in Shibuya-ku, about three minutes from Hiroo Station. The school enrolls approximately 585 students and is co-educational in Kindergarten (ages 3–5), then girls-only from Grade 1 through Grade 12. ISSH describes its programme as an in-house curriculum and uses the Early Years Foundation Stage in Kindergarten and the International Primary Curriculum in Junior School. In Grades 11–12, students can take Advanced Placement courses. ISSH lists 22 AP subjects including sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Computer Science A and languages (French and Japanese). Outside class, the school offers competitive sporting teams through the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools (KPASS) and participates in arts and academic activities through KPASS such as Model United Nations, Debate, and Artscape (an annual exhibition event). Particularly of note are Sacred Heart's award-winning orchestras and choirs, which routine receive top scores at domestic and international competitions.

4 Chome-3-1 Hiroo, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0012, Japan

The Essentials

International School of the Sacred Heart has 585 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
International School of the Sacred Heart is located at 4-3-1 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012, Japan. The Hiroo district is a residential part of Tokyo with convenient access to central Tokyo by subway. The campus is a short walk from Hiroo Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, and the area offers safe off-street drop-off and pick-up.

Stages
The school comprises Kindergarten (K3–K5), a Junior School (Grade 1–4), a Middle School (Grade 5–8), and a High School (Grade 9–12). Kindergarten is coeducational, while the Junior School, Middle School, and High School serve girls only.

Type
Independent international school; co-educational in Kindergarten, girls-only from Grade 1 onwards.

Pupil Nationality Mix
The school represents students from about 50 countries, and languages spoken at home total 31. The most represented nationality is not publicly published. Admission policy requires non-Japanese passports for Grade 9 and below, indicating a diverse international intake.

Additional learning support
The Learning Support program is designed to support individual student needs. The school recognises that some students may require additional support even when admission is at or above grade level, using a variety of methods and materials.

Country affiliation
ISSH is a truly international school and is not affiliated with any one particular country or culture. It is a part of the Sacred Heart network of schools and hosts frequent exchanges with sister schools worldwide, including chances for high school students to study abroad in at Sacred Heart schools in countries such as the United States, France, and Germany. At ISSH, students use curricular materials from a wide variety of countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Religious affiliation
ISSH is a Catholic school and is affiliated with the Sacred Heart Network of Schools. The school is a diverse and welcoming environment, enrolling students from more than 15 different faith traditions as well as those who do not identify with any particular religion.

School day structure
The school day starts around 8:20-8:30 am with a morning break for snack and an early afternoon hour for lunch. The time of each break varies slightly by school level; please check ISSH's website for more details. Kindergarten and Junior school dismissal is between 2:50 and 3 pm, while Middle and High School dismissal is at 3:30 pm.

Bus service
There is no school bus service; families typically use public transit or private arrangements for transport.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Uniforms are required for ISSH students. The ISSH School Shop carries uniform items, including kindergarten smocks and PE T-shirts. Details on purchasing the uniform are available through the parent portal.

Food Options
Cezars Kitchen provides a Bento Box Lunch System for ISSH. Lunch is provided as Bento boxes; for details, contact issh@cezarskitchen.com.

Governance and Ownership
ISSH is governed by the Sacred Heart School Corporation in Japan, which forms part of the Society of the Sacred Heart's Japanese Province. The Board of Directors/Trustees and the Board of Councilors include members from the Society of the Sacred Heart and lay members. ISSH is part of the global Sacred Heart network of schools.
Fees

Annual tuition at International School of the Sacred Heart ranges from JPY 2,640,000 to JPY 2,940,000 for 2026/27.

Application and entry fees
- Application Fee: ¥30,000 per student (non-refundable).
- Registration Fee: ¥300,000 per student (non-refundable, one-time).
- Educational & Building Development Fee: ¥600,000 per student (non-refundable, one-time).
- Building / Maintenance Fee: ¥220,000 per student (non-refundable, annual).

Tuition — annual and per academic quarter (per year group)
- Kindergarten 3 and 4: Annual tuition ¥2,420,000; per academic quarter (annual ÷ 4) ¥605,000.
- Kindergarten 5: Annual tuition ¥2,530,000; per academic quarter ¥632,500.
- Grades 1–8: Annual tuition ¥2,620,000; per academic quarter ¥655,000.
- Grades 9–11: Annual tuition ¥2,640,000; per academic quarter ¥660,000.
- Grade 12: Annual tuition ¥2,720,000; per academic quarter ¥680,000.

(Quarter amounts are calculated from the published annual tuition; the school uses academic quarters for proration of tuition for late enrollment.)

Billing schedule and payment terms
- All tuition and school fees must be paid in advance.
- For students who enroll after the school year begins, tuition is calculated on an academic quarter basis; attendance for any portion of a quarter requires payment for the entire quarter. Tuition and fees must be paid in full prior to enrollment.
- The published information does not include a public calendar of invoice dates or a multi-installment billing schedule; the requirement stated is payment in advance and quarterly proration for late starters.

Fee payment options and bank details
- Payment currency: Japanese Yen only. Payment method: bank transfer. The payer is responsible for any bank processing charges.
- Bank details (as published):
- Account Name: International School of the Sacred Heart
- Bank/Branch: Mizuho Bank, Ltd., Roppongi Branch
- Account Type: Ordinary Account
- Account No.: 2236320
- SWIFT Code: MHCBJPJT
- (Japanese account name and branch details are provided in Japanese on the school's payment information.)

Boarding fees
- The school operates as a day school and does not publish boarding facilities or boarding fees. No boarding fees apply.

Other costs and recurring extras
- School Shop: the school shop sells school-spirited merchandise and certain uniform items (for example, kindergarten smocks and PE T-shirts). Full uniform availability and specific uniform items are managed through the school's uniform supply channels. Prices for uniform items are not published on the public admissions/tuition pages.
- Extended Day Program (EDP): SEMESTER FEE ¥265,000 per student. Families pay for an entire semester at a time; the fee is a flat semester amount and does not pro-rate for days not attended. The EDP is not available on national holidays. The EDP fee is non-refundable.
- Additional optional costs that may apply (not itemized in the public tuition page): after-school activities, special event fees, supplies, trips, examination fees, elective or program-specific charges may be billed separately; those items are not listed with fixed amounts on the publicly accessible tuition page.

Refund information
- The following published fees are explicitly non-refundable: Application Fee, Registration Fee (one-time), Educational & Building Development Fee (one-time), and Building/Maintenance Fee (annual).
- The Extended Day Program semester fee is stated as non-refundable.
- The school requires tuition and all school fees to be paid in advance and uses quarterly proration for late enrollment; there is no publicly posted tuition refund or withdrawal refund schedule on the school's published admissions and tuition pages. The publicly published pages do not provide a detailed refund timetable for tuition when a student withdraws mid-year.

Notes on amounts and calculations
- All amounts above are published in Japanese Yen. Annual tuition figures are listed per year group; quarter figures shown above are straightforward divisions of the published annual tuition by four, consistent with the school's use of academic quarters for proration.

If you need any specific line-item clarifications that are not publicly posted (for example, uniform price lists, installment billing dates, or a formal withdrawal/refund schedule), those items are not available on the public admissions and tuition pages; the published statements above are the school's public tuition and fee positions.
Academics

International School of the Sacred Heart teaches IPC (International Primary Curriculum), Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage) for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
ISSH offers an all-English K‑12 curriculum built on the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria, with a Values program and an international-mindedness focus that aims to develop women leaders. Kindergarten (K3–K5) is co‑educational and uses the International Primary Curriculum framework for science and social studies, with Language Arts and Mathematics taught through specialist instruction in Art, PE, Music, Library, and Japanese and with technology integrated into learning. The school is organized as Junior School (Grade 1–4), Middle School (Grade 5–8), and High School (Grade 9–12), with a co‑educational Kindergarten and an all‑girls program from Grade 1 to Grade 12. In High School, ISSH offers a broad Advanced Placement program with about 22 AP courses, including AP English Language and Composition, AP Biology, AP French Language and Culture, AP Japanese Language and Culture, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP World History, AP Economics, AP Computer Science A, AP Art courses, and AP Music Theory. Graduation requires earning at least 22 credits across core subjects and requirements (English, Mathematics, Language, Science, Social Studies, Electives, Values, Art, PE, Options, Personal Finance, and Personal Education). ISSH is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a member of the Kanto Plain Association of Schools.

Exam Results
ISSH does not publish exam results, however, 100% of graduates matriculate to college, university, or other tertiary education. See below for more details.

Higher Education Progression
100% of ISSH graduates matriculate to college, university, or other tertiary education. Recent highlights include:

Australia:
University of New South Wales
University of Melbourne
University of Sydney

Canada:
McGill University
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia

United Kingdom:
  • University of Oxford
  • UCL
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Manchester
  • King's College London
  • University of the Arts London


United States
  • Harvard University
  • Yale University
  • Cornell University
  • Dartmouth College
  • Duke University
  • Emory University
  • University of California—Berkeley
  • University of California—Los Angeles
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • The New School—Parsons School of Design
  • Pratt Institute


A full list can be found here: https://www.issh.ac.jp/academics/post-graduation/college-acceptance
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
ISSH provides a comprehensive social and emotional wellbeing support network, including homeroom-based pastoral care, a School Counselor, New Student Orientation, High School Peer Support, and Still Point on Wednesdays to foster a safe, inclusive environment.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Learning Support at ISSH addresses individual needs through Study Skills classes and Individual Learning Plans; the program is described in Junior School and Middle School, and the admissions policy notes that the school seeks students who can thrive within its programs, indicating ISSH is not presented as a dedicated SEN specialist institution.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
English as a Second Language is integrated into the curriculum (Junior School), and the admissions guidelines reference English Language Acquisition (ELA) and learning support as considerations, rather than detailing a separate EAL department.

Mental Wellbeing
The Mental Wellbeing program includes full-time school counselors who provide individual and group counseling, a Counseling Policy, and collaboration with families; the Student Health Officer also supports health and wellbeing, including health education and policy development.

Safeguarding
ISSH maintains a Child Protection Policy and Handbook of Policies and Procedures rooted in Japanese law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with safeguarding details published on the school's safeguarding page.
Parent Experience

History
The Society of the Sacred Heart was founded in Amiens, France, on November 21, 1800, to educate girls with enduring values. In January 1908, four Sacred Heart sisters arrived in Yokohama, Japan, to establish a school in the Sacred Heart tradition. In the 2007-08 academic year ISSH celebrated its Centennial, marking over a century of educational heritage. Today ISSH operates in Tokyo as part of the global Sacred Heart network and continues to uphold the founders' educational vision. For more than 100 years, ISSH has embraced diversity and prepared girls from many countries and faiths for global citizenship.

Community
The ISSH community is diverse and student-centered, with events organized by the Parents' Association and student leadership. Family Festival is the largest annual event, featuring games, music, food, a tots' playground, and a shopping bazaar. One World Day is a student-run celebration where students represent their country of origin, and Japan Day showcases Japanese culture through activities like pottery and kimono experiences. Other annual events include the Christmas Concert, Bingo, and May Show, which highlight music and performance by students.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
ISSH's Parents' Association is a volunteer group that coordinates fundraising, social, and charitable activities for Sacred Heart families. Board members lead key events such as the Family Festival, Bingo Night, and the Christmas Party, along with other programs listed by the association. The association supports the school and family community by funding school improvements, running uniform sales, hosting educational workshops, making charitable donations, and managing a student scholarship fund. It also arranges events such as College Talks with alumni, Break the Ice parties, a kimono photo session, a Teachers and Staff Appreciation Lunch, and various social gatherings. Details on events, meeting dates, minutes, reports, and photos are available to parents via the Parent Portal, and the association maintains an Events page on the school's channels. Anyone interested in getting involved can attend PA meetings, which are open to all parents.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The International School of the Sacred Heart is located on an expansive, wooded campus in Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, just three minutes from Hiroo subway station. The campus houses two libraries serving the K–12 community, with more than 34,000 books in English, Japanese, and French, plus periodicals and a digital platform for ebooks and listening materials. Academic facilities include dedicated laboratories for art, science, ceramics, and food technology, along with access to subscription databases such as Britannica Online, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and Explora. Sports and outdoor facilities include a gymnasium, turf field, and tennis courts, together with a large outdoor playground and a chapel, and spacious multipurpose spaces for drama and assemblies. The on-site cafeteria, Cezars Kitchen, provides a Bento Box Lunch System.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
ISSH offers a broad range of academically oriented clubs and activities for high school students. The clubs include MOOT COURT, Math, Psychology, Research, and Robotics, with DECA x YE and Investment Alliance providing entrepreneurship and finance experiences. The school also runs Brain Bowl and Math Field Day competitions that challenge students across disciplines; these events are described on the high school clubs and arts pages. The Academic Council coordinates academic life and supports activities such as Japan Day and involvement with Model United Nations.

Arts & Creative
ISSH has a comprehensive high school arts and music program. It includes ensembles such as Chamber Strings, Orchestra, HS Band, Choir, and Vocal Ensemble, as well as festivals and events like Artscape, Drama Festival, Film Festival, and Speech Festival. Auditioned groups include Honor Band & Honor Orchestra and Honor Choir, providing high-level performance opportunities. Artscape is a long-running interschool arts festival in central Tokyo that involves ISSH students from multiple nationalities.

Cultural & Language
ISSH hosts a range of multicultural and language-related activities. Notable events include One World Day, where students represent their country of origin, and Japan Day, which celebrates host culture through activities such as pottery, kimono dressing, and Ikebana. High school life also includes student-led, global engagement through the Academic Council's coordination with Model United Nations. Clubs such as International Cooking Club provide cross-cultural experiences.

Social & Hobbies
ISSH offers a variety of social and hobby clubs and activities beyond academics. The Tennis Circle is a student-run club; other options include the Dance Club, Gardening Club, and International Cooking Club. ISSH also runs an After School Activities program (ASA) with a full list of offerings published in the Parent Portal. Student leadership and peer-support opportunities are part of campus life, including the High School Peer Support program and student councils that organize events.

Community & Service
ISSH emphasizes social awareness and service as core values, encouraging direct service and advocacy among all community members. The Social Service Council coordinates volunteer opportunities and fundraising, including initiatives such as Hands on Tokyo and SEEDS-related campaigns. Direct service and advocacy are embedded in the school culture and aligned with the Sacred Heart goal that students act for justice.

Leadership & Professional
ISSH provides leadership development through multiple student councils and committees. Key bodies include the Academic Council, Boosters, Executive Student Council, Fine Arts Council, Social Service Council, Sports Council, Well-being Council, and World Council. These groups organize events and initiatives such as Japan Day, student council exchanges, and service projects, and offer mentoring and collaboration opportunities. The leadership structure supports student involvement across academics, arts, service, and wellbeing.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
ISSH offers a robust athletics program with fall, winter, and spring seasons: Cross Country, Tennis, Volleyball; Basketball; Soccer and Track and Field; teams compete in the Far East Tournament and the Asia Pacific Invitational. Well-being and mindfulness are supported through the Well-being Council and a comprehensive counseling program that includes mindfulness and mental health topics. Pastoral Care and daily homerooms foster a safe, welcoming environment that supports emotional and social wellbeing.
Languages

Language Provision
English is the language of instruction across ISSH; Japanese is taught as a language subject by specialists, and French is offered through the AP program (AP French Language and Culture) alongside AP Japanese Language and Culture. AP-level language offerings indicate advanced study; the library's resources include English, Japanese, and French. Non-native English speakers receive English Language Acquisition (ELA) support through in-class and small-group instruction, with English-language screening (WIDA) used for eligibility and placement.

Bilingual Teaching
The educational program is provided through English and the common social and communication language is English, while recognizing the value of a student's heritage language(s). English Language Acquisition (ELA) supports non-native English learners with in-class and small-group lessons, with applicants from non-English instruction backgrounds taking a WIDA English language assessment; spaces for ELA are limited and placement is made on a case-by-case basis. Japanese is taught as a language subject by specialist teachers, and AP language offerings include AP Japanese Language and Culture and AP French Language and Culture.
Reputation

Awards
Publicly accessible ISSH pages do not publish a school-wide awards list for the past five years. No ISSH-published page or press release on the site announces awards awarded to the school itself in that period.

Accreditations
The International School of the Sacred Heart is accredited by two bodies: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS). WASC accreditation is noted on ISSH's Accreditation & Affiliations page, and CIS accreditation is likewise listed there.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Step 1 — Admissions policy, eligibility, and language: Begin by reviewing ISSH's Admissions Policy and Guidelines. ISSH serves Pre-K and Kindergarten (ages 3–5) and girls in grades 1–12, with admissions governed by age cutoffs and passport nationality rules; for grades 9 and below, an applicant or at least one parent must hold a non-Japanese passport. The school states that the educational program is provided in English and that one parent must be able to speak and read English. These factors inform whether ISSH is a suitable fit for your family before applying. 2. Step 2 — Language considerations and ELA: Applicants come with varying English proficiency, and ISSH maintains an English-language program with an English Language Acquisition (ELA) pathway for those needing support. The admissions process notes that all applicants participate in English reading and writing assessments, with the ELA program offering in-class and small-group support where needed. Space for ELA is limited and allocations are made on a case-by-case basis, potentially placing some applicants in a waiting pool if ELA seats are full. 3. Step 3 — Admissions timeline and rolling process: ISSH uses rolling admissions, processing applications as spaces become available. Applications for the next school year open in September, and families should aim to finalize applications for Grades 1–12 by early December to be considered for available seats. Kindergarten has its own timelines (e.g., K3–K5 have specific milestones), with first-round interviews typically scheduled in January–February of the following year and additional interviews in March if spaces remain. 4. Step 4 — Online inquiry and application initiation: The process begins with an inquiry and proceeds to an online application. Families complete the online application, attach required school reports and documents, and initiate requests for teacher or school recommendations through the online portal. 5. Step 5 — Application fee: The application fee is ¥30,000 per student and is non-refundable. The fee is paid by bank transfer, and the payer covers any bank charges; you must include the applicant's official name to ensure proper attribution of the payment. 6. Step 6 — Application documents: Submit reports, transcripts, and any standardized test results in English (or with English translations where needed). Required documents vary by grade but typically include school reports from the current and prior years, translation if necessary, and confidential recommendations submitted through the online portal. 7. Step 7 — Application review: After all materials are received, the admissions committee reviews each application. Some applications may be declined at this stage, and all decisions are final with no public feedback on reasons. If a class has no available places, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool and reviewed when seats reopen. 8. Step 8 — Screening and assessment: All applicants for Grades 1–12 must complete a screening or assessment; Kindergarten applicants are screened on a case-by-case basis. The assessments differ by grade level (e.g., online math and English for Grades 1–4; math, English reading comprehension, and English essay for Grades 5–12). 9. Step 9 — Interview, admission decision, and enrollment: Applicants who pass the screening proceed to a family interview (both parents and the student). Interviews are conducted by the Principal and a member of the Admissions team, and may be held via Google Meet for overseas applicants. Following the interview, the Director of Admissions notifies families of the outcome; all admissions decisions are final. If offered a place, families complete the online enrollment checklist and pay the registration fee; for August enrollment, the remaining fees and tuition invoice may be issued in May. 10. Step 10 — Post-acceptance enrollment logistics: Successful applicants must complete enrollment steps and pay the registration fee promptly. ISSH notes that invoicing for tuition and the remaining balance may follow the enrollment period, especially for August enrollment. 11. Step 11 — Additional policy notes: Applications are submitted online with no reliance on third-party agencies, and ISSH does not offer priority admissions from outside programs. Siblings of current students and children of alumni receive priority if space is available, and applicants may be added to the waiting pool if spaces are not yet open.

Scholarships
Scholarships: ISSH has named scholarship funds intended to support tuition for students for whom paying full tuition would be prohibitive. The Sister Culhane and D'Huarte Scholarship Funds are established to provide tuition assistance to eligible students. Gifts to these scholarship funds may be restricted to this purpose, and donors can designate restricted gifts to support financial aid. The school also runs fundraising programs (Annual Fund) to support broader needs, including financial aid. Details about specific eligibility criteria or application processes for these scholarships are not published publicly, but the scholarship funds exist to provide tuition support to qualifying students.

Waitlist
Waitlist/Pool: When a class has no available space or when there are no available English Language Acquisition (ELA) seats for a student requiring ELA support, applicants may be placed in the waiting pool. Waiting pool placement is valid until the end of the school year for which the applicant applied, and interested applicants are encouraged to submit a new application for the following school year if they remain interested. Siblings and alumni may receive priority, provided space is available and the screening/interview results are favorable.
School Events
The school has not added events
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