St Andrews Priory School

224 Queen Emma Square

Honolulu, HI 96813

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 06, 2021

We love SAS for the lower school Prep and for the preschool. We have had just a wonderful experience with the staff and especially the teachers! The teachers are just amazing and so well trained with HUGE hearts and passions for education.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2017

I feel that my daughter could not be at a better school. Having started in 1st grade, she is now in upper school; she has become a confident, poised and caring thinker. She enjoys going to school and the small class sizes are perfect for her. The curriculum is ambitious but allows the students to succeed. Two things that stand out to me: the new administration is highly visionary and the energy at school is transcending everything - it is contagious. Secondly, my daughter is an athlete and the Priory accommodates her demanding schedule - the school is flexible in a way that allows her to succeed in her sport as well as academically. For us, there is no better place than St. Andrew's Schools.
Submitted by other on August 25, 2014

This school's recent attendance is majorly down and it's obvious why: the administration. As many as eleven teachers have left just in the previous year; they were either driven from the school or asked to leave. The teachers in their place are inexperienced and confused. The students are forced to use programs that help "modernize" the priory, when really, it is a major hassle for everyone involved. The teachers form cliques and pick favorites. Way too much pressure is put on students. Overall, it is an extremely toxic and competitive place for young women.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2014

My daughter has had the most terrible experience at the Priory. She has attended the Priory for several years, but it seems as though she got absolutely nothing out of this school. According to my daughter, the atmosphere of the school is very negative and many of the students are catty. The teachers are overall very incompetent, and my daughter does not learn as much as she wants to. There is also zero school spirit and only very few parents who are involved in school activities. The clubs and electives are very limited, and although it is a small school, there should be more choices. Please don't send your daughter here. Both my daughter and I regret choosing for her to go there.
Submitted by other on June 24, 2013

As a graduate of Priory and a new college graduate, I can say now that attending St. Andrew s Priory was the best decision my mom ever made for me. I was a bit apprehensive about coming to the school when I first started in the 9th grade, but I can see now how much the school has helped me to become the person that I am and succeed in my college and job related experiences. Priory is a small and close-knit community that truly wants you to feel like a part of the family and succeed in all you do. In that it is such a small school, I was able to have a wide array of experiences I would not have had at a larger school I was able to be an officer of my class student council, a member of the choir, take a variety of art classes, and be on the school paddling team to name a few. In my time at Priory, I was able to get to know each one of the wonderful girls in my grade and made life long friends that I still keep in contact with and visit even when on the mainland. I know that Priory has prepared me well for life and that my Priory ohana is always there if I need them.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2012

We highly recommend the Priory. We have one child at the Priory (now in middle school) and another who attended public school first, then went to Punahou. This wider perspective allows us to be more objective. The Priory is an excellent, nurturing school with a good blend of flexibility (electives, activities, high school program with Hawaii Pacific University) and structure (uniforms, academic rigor). Even in elementary school, there was an art teacher, a PE teacher, and a music teacher.. and of course the grade-level teachers, who teach the core subjects. This system allows the grade level teachers more time to prepare during the school day. This seems to work well for all. Positive energy and patience continues throughout the week, and avoids the cranky exhaustion by Friday that I've seen elsewhere. It also allows students to receive excellent instruction, consistency, and year-to-year progress in the specialty areas. The size, location, and parental involvement provide a sense of community. This avoids the lonely anonymity that can cause problems - and serious losses - in the teen years. Excellence in education since 1867... yes, it is a great school.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2012

Solid is the word I use to describe the Priory. My daughter has been in the lower school going on 5 years and she has learned and grown so much in that time. I credit her teachers who have been dedicated, attentive, responsive, and supportive, and the small class size (10-13 per classroom for the young girls: what other school of Priory's caliber can match those numbers?). The small size of the school means that my daughter knows a number of girls in the upper school who have been excellent role models. I really appreciate the Priory community and think the students and their parents are wonderful. There is tremendous value to a girls school -- it is terrific that no matter what the subject, activity, or event, girls are participating and leading. I believe my daughter will graduate from Priory knowing that she can accomplish anything and thanks to Priory she will have the skills and self-confidence to do so.
Submitted by other on July 04, 2012

Its not a secret that this school is probably the best school in the state, but that doesn't mean that it is the best for your child. I attended this school from kindergarten through middle school and i have to say the education your learn is great, but the atmosphere is so negative that its hard to get anything good out of this school. The school is full of clicks, backstabbers, and pretentious brats. It is extremely expensive to attend and not honestly worth it. It is a waste of money when you could go to a free public school and have a better time in school. The teachers are fully qualified, im not denying that, but most of them expect way more out of the students then they are probably capable of, like they are college students. And i realize that they are trying to set everyone up for college but honestly i was in middle school not military school. I really don't recommend going to this school. Save your money and just go to public school.
Submitted by parent on November 15, 2011

My daughter is a recent graduate who has gone on to a highly selective private college on the East Coast--she is thriving and doing extraordinarily well...and it is because the Priory prepared her for the challenges that awaited her in college. They say it takes a village, and at the Priory, the teachers take a personal interest in each student--that is one of the added values of a small, private, all-girls education. While tuition is a challenge, it's one of the most important investments we can make as parents--and the education these young women receive at St. Andrew's Priory is priceless.
Submitted by other on July 18, 2011

I am a recent graduate of the Priory and it has been the most unbearable experience of my life. I am going off to college, but I know that I won't have any Priory friends to hang out/reunite with next summer. Yes, this school is good academically, but its at the cost of a social life. At the Priory, we are put in a situation where we don't have the option of choosing our friends; we are forced to hang out with the girls in our class. Most teachers are unprofessional and passive aggressive. I was humiliated and singled out in one of our class meetings by an advisor. DON'T SEND YOUR DAUGHTER HERE! It's a punishment to attend this school. Of course most parents will write wonderful reviews, but they don't know what its like to attend this school today. When I was in 2nd grade (10 years ago), I remember feeling a loving atmosphere. As the years passed, this atmosphere has vanished and has been replaced by something very different. Maybe it's just me, but I honestly hate this school and wish I could have memorable high school years. Also, the electives suck! There aren't that many to choose from and most end up being cut since not enough students sign up for it.
Submitted by other on June 09, 2011

As much as we complained while going to the Priory, it has really made us all into fantastic women. Priory has truly empowered us and prepared us for the real world and collegiate life. I know I was able to grow into a woman who is not afraid to have her own opinions and to speak out for things I am passionate about. Priory truly has given me my best friends, friends I know I will be connected with for the rest of my life. These girls have been alongside me through think and thin; they are the girls who are going to be standing alongside me at me wedding, at my bedside when I give birth, and supportive no matter what. I cannot express in words how much Priory has shaped my life. Looking back at my time there I am truly happy that my parents chose Priory for me; I loved it there.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2011

The Priory is the best all girls school in the state. My daughter entered as a shy, insecure young girl in the 7th grade and just graduated as a mature, articulate, intelligent and socially responsible young lady. Academics is very challenging and she had to work hard to keep up with her peers, but she did with the help of wonderful faculty and administration. I am very grateful to the Priory and firmly believe the small class size and an all-girls environment allowed my daughter to thrive. She gained confidence, found her passion and is looking forward to pursuing her dreams! Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Priory, it's faculty and administration for believing in each student, challenging the students to be the best they can be, encouraging them to reach for the stars, dream big dreams and giving them the skills to achieve anything!
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2011

St. Andrew's Priory is one of the very best private schools in the nation, and certainly the best all-girls school in the state of Hawaii. Our daughter is a recent graduate who has continued to excel and thrive in the competitive college environment. We truly believe that it is because of the Priory's outstanding academic program, nurturing teachers and environment that our daughter is so well-adjusted and successful.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2011

Our daughter is graduating in a few days, finishing many outstanding years at this wonderful school. Her teachers have been so caring and encouraging; they have challenged her to do her best. We are so very proud of our daughter, she has become an amazing and confident young woman. Sending our daughter to the Priory was the best decision we ever made for her.
Submitted by other on June 02, 2011

I am a student who regrets each day I spent in this school. I was forced by my mother who thought I would be distracted by guys and ended up having a horrible experience in high school. In this school, you are treated 'guilty' before they find out more information about what you did. You are never asked if you did something. They always assume you did and punish you before they even find out if it's your fault. I obviously know this from experience. I did something inappropriate and got a yelling before I could defend myself, explain the circumstances, and even before they had enough evidence. And if you are proven 'innocent', which almost never happens because you get punished right then and there without explaining, their reaction is "oh...". (where's my apology??) They also don't seem to care about singling out certain people and playing favorites. The teachers also act very immaturely and talk back to the students and get in childish arguments. I hope you don't make the mistake of sending your daughter to this school.
Submitted by other on June 01, 2011

I attended this school for many years. If you are not a conforming student who puts on a fake act to please the teachers and admin, you will be openly disfavored. The education is more than great at the sacrifice of a normal social life and friends. I graduated this school with no friends, but with many genuine, individual, outgoing, outside of school friends. The teachers publicly humiliate students they do not like, and sometimes gang up together. They do not play fair and act childish. Tuition is high, but what you do not know is students must buy their own textbooks, uniforms, and fundraise like crazy. If fundraising isn't enough, which it won't be in most cases, students pay from their own pocket.