Sacred Heart Boys’ High School traces its origins to 1937, when it was founded by a group of parishioners from Santa Cruz as Willingdon Boys’ School to provide low-cost education to boys from underprivileged backgrounds and diverse religious communities. The initiative was initially encouraged by local priests under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay (now Mumbai), aiming to instill Catholic values such as discipline and moral integrity while fostering an inclusive environment for students of all faiths.

The school began in a cottage in Willingdon Colony and later moved to Holy Cross Chapel. By 1939, enrollment reached 16 boys. On January 26, 1940, an advisory board handed over the institution to the Parish Priest, Fr. Jose Alvares, who obtained sanction from the Archbishop’s House. It operated initially as a Christian minority institution affiliated with the Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), prioritizing affordability amid post-colonial urban growth in Mumbai. The school later affiliated with the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education following the board’s establishment in 1966.

The school shared its premises with the adjacent Sacred Heart Church, inaugurated in 1936 to serve the growing Catholic migrant population from regions like Goa and Mangalore. This church, a Victorian-era Grade III heritage structure, features a cruciform layout and intricate stained glass windows.

The school began operations in 1937 as Willingdon Boys’ School and was formally handed over to the parish in 1940 under Fr. Jose Alvares, with Rev. Fr. H. O. Mascarenhas appointed as the first principal that year. Lucy Riberio served as principal from 1941 for two years.

Subsequent verified principals include: