Sewickley Academy

As Pittsburgh's oldest co-educational, college preparatory, independent Pre-K through Grade 12 day school, Sewickley Academy prepares students for a lifetime of success by respecting them for who they are and helping them discover who they will become.

Our 16-acre campus is located 12 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, with all grades, Pre-K through Grade 12, on one campus. We are a community that listens to one another, helps each other exceed academic and personal expectations, sets a high standard of character, and contributes confidently and positively to the world around us.

Sewickley Academy inspires and educates students to engage their hearts, minds, and hands to cultivate their full individual and collective potential in the service of a greater good. Sewickley Academy is dedicated to maintaining an environment that's respectful of others' rights and opinions. We are a community that listens to one another, helps each other exceed academic and personal expectations, and contributes confidently and positively to society. The school's Community of Respect pledge and Honor Code set a high standard of character. Some students are amazed to realize that in one place, the strength of the collective whole lies in their differences and respective opinions; that a place where people aren't afraid to share their experiences and to lead through example is possible. A curriculum that focuses on respect for the collective conscience inspires students to humbly lead and to be exemplary in their service to others.

Core Values

• Character - Sewickley Academy upholds the highest ideals of honor, integrity, responsibility, respect, empathy, and kindness and the actions that flow from them.
• Educational Vigor - Sewickley Academy is committed to the highest standards and expectations in academics, while recognizing the essential contribution of athletics and the arts, and the maintenance of an appropriate balance among the three.
• Diversity - Sewickley Academy is dedicated to being a community that represents and celebrates different backgrounds, talents, interests, and divergent yet informed opinions.
• Community - Sewickley Academy seeks to foster a deep understanding and appreciation of our connections with one another and those beyond our borders, as well as our obligation and responsibility to serve and lead inherent in these bonds.

Sewickley Academy's Honor Code serves to define a high standard of integrity, respect, and honesty in an effort to promote the greater good. In signing the honor pledge, students pledge not to lie, cheat, or steal and to adhere to the principles set forth in A Community of Respect. Violations of the Honor Code are referred to the Honor Council for review. The Honor Code applies to all academic, social, and extracurricular areas of the Sewickley Academy community.

Sewickley Academy is dedicated to being a community that represents and celebrates different backgrounds, talents, interests, and divergent yet informed opinions. Our goal is to elevate an inclusive community that allows all to feel welcomed. We firmly insist that every person is an important member of our community and that their voices should be shared.

We are intentional about creating systems and safe spaces that make this happen for our students, faculty, and parents. Inclusive curriculum, diverse clubs, student led opt-in series, and S.E.E.D. cohort groups for students, faculty, and staff create positive protocols for difficult conversations.

Sewickley Academy truly celebrates each student for the talents and skills he or she brings to the community. We see education as a personal journey of growth and discovery, and we know that journey starts with an individual who comes to us with ideas, questions, interests, dispositions, and passions that are unique. We value these as a starting place for the adventure that will lead to students’ discovering things about themselves and the world in which they live. We look forward with anticipation and excitement to seeing how our students develop and how they will “turn out” as they progress through our rich and engaging programs of study.

Because of our small size, every student counts! Our students are involved and committed to their academic studies, their artistic pursuits, and their athletic endeavors, and we pay careful attention to their social and emotional growth. Students are encouraged and supported to become involved in a wide range of activities, and historically, our students do just that, which allows them to explore the full range of their human potential. What this means in practice is that a star on the soccer team might also be a member of the Cum Laude Society as well as have a lead in the Senior School musical; it might mean that the Middle School student who excels at the robotics competition is also able to make a beautiful ceramic pot on the wheel; and the Lower School student who finds reading an insatiable activity might also love to dance. The truth is, our students’ active involvement in the arts, academics, and athletics makes Sewickley Academy a vibrant and exciting place to learn.