Academics
A curriculum built to be customized, not just covered.
Every Hillwood classroom combines two grade levels, with about 4 students for every teacher — letting teachers tailor the established curriculum to the needs and interests of each child, without losing sight of the fundamentals.
Core Subjects
The fundamentals, taught as one connected curriculum
Beyond the core subjects, students step outside the classroom regularly — attending plays, musical performances, and science-focused excursions throughout San Francisco, so learning never stays confined to four walls.
About 4 students for every teacher.
Not a marketing phrase — a direct result of staying small. It's the reason a teacher can catch a gap in fractions or a spark in reading before either one gets lost in a classroom of twenty-five.
By Grade Band
From first phonics lesson to high school–ready
Kindergarten & First Grade
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Foundational literacy and number sense, built through independent reading, hands-on math, and daily phonics.
- Independent reading and reading/learning centers every morning
- Daily phonics instruction, plus calendar math and journaling
- French, music, and art woven into the week starting in kindergarten
Lower School
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
A solid foundation in the core subjects, taught by teachers who tailor the pace to each child rather than the calendar.
- Daily math, phonics, reading, and writing blocks
- History, social studies, and science integrated together each afternoon
- Weekly music and French instruction, with daily read-aloud time
Upper School
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
A structured, subject-by-subject schedule that prepares students for the rigor — and the independence — of high school.
- Dedicated math, literature, history, science, and grammar periods, plus study hall
- Weekly music, French, and art, with students publishing their own Hillwood Herald blog
- Recent graduates return to mentor upper-graders through the high school transition
The Transition Up
Middle school built around one goal: high school readiness
Upper School sharpens organization, confidence, and independent study habits well before students need them. Recent graduates return throughout the year to share what to expect next — and our eighth graders have gone on to Lowell, Saint Ignatius, Gateway, and Sacred Heart in recent years.
The Result
Students who consistently test one to two years above grade level.
Not because the material is accelerated for its own sake — but because about 4 students for every teacher means gaps get caught early, and strengths get pushed further.