Holy Name Elementary School

1560 40th Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94122

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 30, 2024

My kinder just started and so far loves it. Everyday my child is not only happy but I struggle to get him to want to leave -- extended care. All the teachers we met thus far are great, nice, caring, and incredibly responsive (24 hours on average). Existing students are welcoming and polite. My husband and myself are happy with Holy Name so far.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2024

My child transferred to this school after attending a public school for K-5. The experience was positive in many ways: as a whole the students have been welcoming and the teachers are mostly supportive and responsive to questions/concerns. However, I am unhappy with the school in two fundamental ways: First, the promises the school made to us during the admission process did not come to fruition. Our child has specific academic needs (NOT special needs or disabilities, just general academic support) and the school assured us repeatedly that they would be able to meet those needs. However, after we were already enrolled and had attended for one trimester, the principal told me that he wouldn't be able to meet our needs after all. The other thing to be aware of are the aggressive fundraising tactics. Players on sports teams have been charged to attend their own sports game. In other words, even though they are on the team and have paid to be on the team, they also need to pay for an admission ticket to play. Also, I wish I had known in advance that the co-curricular classes (language, art, and computer class) are awful. The students do not receive a letter grade and are simply graded as "participated" or "did not participate." There is no real assessment of their learning in those classes. I had hoped that my child would start learning a second language, but up until now it's been a complete waste of time.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2023

Holy Name has very supportive staff throughout the year of my children's education. The teachers are all hands on and ensure students learning environment to be engaging. The school also prioritize students safety emotionally and physically. Moreover they have a lot of extra curricular activities and sports that my children have participated and enjoyed. Holy Name has a great community where parents are very much involve, close and are tight knit. I highly recommend and support Holy Name for 4 years now.
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2022

Amazing community, from preschool to 8th grade. Excellent academics are a must for any school and you get that here. But what separates this place is the people. Parents, teachers, and staff all come together and build strong and lifelong relationships.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2022

I transferred here in the middle of 7th grade after my beloved school unfortunately closed. Holy Name was anything but welcoming. There is a very clear hierarchy between the students and parents which leads to blatant favoritism and passive aggression. I was very glad to be able to graduate and leave.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2021

Our kid joined Holy Name in 2019 for 3rd grade. We decided to join this school because of its solid academic program, its diversity and its community. The three years we have been at HN have been a great experience!
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2021

Most days, our middle-school student comes home from Holy Name happy and excited about her school day. She tells stories about funny interactions with teachers and classmates. The teaching styles run the gamut--from relaxed to rigid--but most teachers appear to lean toward relaxed and fun. While religion is a part of the school experience, it does not appear or feel too dogmatic for this atheist parent. The school's annual tuition is a good value. The school requests "service" or volunteer hours from parents and students. The school handled remote learning and the transition back to in-person learning well. The indoor facilities are mostly modern and clean. The campus has a gym but not much outdoor space for play and exercise and sun.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2021

Our daughter came to Holy Name as a 6th grader, after completing K-5 in a public elementary school. Everything was new: teachers, students, curriculum, and online learning platforms, to name a few. The teachers, staff, and students gave us a warm welcome, and we all felt very supported as a new family.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2021

We are on our third elementary school (SFUSD did not work out for us, and our independent school lost its lease last year and closed). We were concerned about another transition for our two kids, especially during the pandemic. But Holy Name is an incredible place: strong leadership from principal Mr. Miller, dedicated and friendly teachers who clearly love kids, and a parent community that is welcoming and diverse.Last fall, Holy Name was one of the first schools to reopen (5 days/week!) because they were so organized. The teachers and administration are very responsive to questions, and the academics are independent-school-level top notch (but for a quarter of the price). Strong community, strong leadership and strong academics- there is a wait list for a reason!
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2020

Excellent in every aspect, down to the extended care
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2019

Amazing school. Beautiful and clean, and kids are really well behaved. Principle and Teachers are fantastic
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2018

Amazing principal and teachers who genuinely care about the children and the community
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2018

It’s been wonderful. Love the community and faculty and all they do for the children.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2017

As a parent and alumni this school teaches such great morals and values. Holy Name is not only a great school but a wonderful community to be part of.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2016

Holy Name school and church are very family oriented. The new principal has really taken charge and is updating and modernizing the school's policies and direction. The teachers and staff are also amazing. They are very dedicated to the students educational, spiritual, and emotional needs. The school offers numerous extra curricular activities including aftercare programs. They teach and promote high morals to members of the community regardless of their religious beliefs.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2016

Holy Name has been a very open and accepting community where our three boys are cared for every day as well as challenged to be their best both as students and members of society. The principal is a great leader and very proactive in solving issues, the teachers teach the students to think and utilize technology in the classroom to stay ahead of the trends in education. I would not hesitate to recommend Holy Name to any family looking for a complete educational and community experience.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2016

Our son transferred from public school to Holy Name mid-school year, 7th grade. We couldn't be happier. We were lucky enough to get into HN on such short notice and have been so happy with the teachers and the course work they are providing. The classwork has been more challenging and has given us confidence that what he is learning will prep him well for high school. I would highly recommend any parent looking for a more focused learning experience, especially in Math (they offer 3 levels of math) to come and meet the teachers and kids. Our son has surprisingly learned to also love English, a subject he has struggled with in the past. Most of the credit belongs to the Literature teacher who he says keeps things fun and interesting.
Submitted by other on January 05, 2016

This is our daughter's second year at Holy Name and it's been a very positive experience. This school is everything we were looking: strong academics, smaller class sizes, safe and nurturing environment, great principal, teachers and staff. On top of that,Holy Name has a very strong sense of a community with very much involved parents. Our daughter likes every moment spent in school and that tells us that we made a right choice.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2015

We moved our daughter to Holy Name from FAIS and it has been wonderful. She never wanted to go to school before and now she is up and ready every morning. We are so thrilled we found this school as it embodies the same values that we do even though we are not Catholic. Not only are we getting a great education for our child they teach the students to be good people and good citizens of their community and their world. The teachers thus far have been great and while we miss the previous principal, our new principal is really great and is going to be wonderful for our school.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2015

Holy Name offers our three children an academic and nuturing environment. They are not just watched they are cared for. The extended care is AMAZING. The team at extended care is loving and constantly working with our children one on one: making seasonal projects, playing sports and helping with homework. Academically our children are exposed to many new approaches to learning. The teachers are top notch and reach our children daily. The community had been a wonderful place: festivals, potlucks and season events. Holy Name is a hidden gem in the Sunset. We love our school!