5 of The Best Private Schools in Canada
In addition to the healthy environment, diverse culture, humor, maple syrup, a variety of interesting cities, and a propensity for the word sorry, Canada is world renown for its excellent educational system.
Facts about Canada’s educational system
- Ranks among the top five countries for high school math, science and reading
- A growing number of foreign students who move to the country for education.
- Great location to develop your studies in English or French as a second language.
- Good educational performance regardless of socioeconomic background.
- Several regions set ambitious standards for students and failure isn’t accepted.
- Certain provinces enforce classroom cap sizes.
sources: studycanada.com, cbc.ca
A country that has an excellent public educational system, will most likely have great private schools — Right? In a 2012 poll over 65% of parents with children in the public system said they would send their kids to a private school if they could afford it. So if you could afford it, what private school would you send your children too? How would you choose?
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best private schools in Canada.
Benefits of Private School Education
- Parents are intimately involved with the education and have input on the daily activities.
- Smaller class size provides teachers with the opportunity to properly maintain a classroom
- Smaller class size facilitates learning and individualized instruction
- Track record of excellent preparation for higher education
- Universities often give preference to students who’ve graduated from private schools.
source: ourkids.net
In an interview with OMNI TV, one mother spoke on how private school education helped her child become well rounded and contributed to her eligibility for Harvard.
What are the criteria for “Best Private School?”
Parents who ask which school “is best” may be asking the wrong question. The best school for one family may not be the best for others. It’s recommended that families research — like you’re doing now. Read articles, attend private schools expos and gather your own information. A great quote was provided by an administrator at a Vancouver school who said…
“There is no such thing as the number one school. But there is such a thing as the number one school for your child.”
Keeping this in mind, here are some good schools, a list that you can use to formulate or assist you in making the best choice for your child’s education.
Appleby College
- Location: Oakville, Ontario
- Grades: 7-12
- Gender: Co-ed
- Website: www.appleby.on.ca
The school focuses on the liberal arts and uses a foundation known as “Six Pillars of Strength,” which govern academic life. There are four boarding houses to choose from, each with a unique style. The school continually wins awards and gains national recognition due to great leadership, faculty, and curriculum. Aside from an outstanding education, the school was previously ranked as one of Canada’s top 100 employers.
Bishop Strachan School
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Grades: 9 - 12
- Gender: Girls
- Website: www.bss.on.ca
Canada’s oldest independent day and boarding school for girls. This is the school that you send your daughter to in order for her to become a future world leader. An ILoveToronto.com article about the best private schools in Toronto points out that this school opened with the intention of providing a great education and enabling women to break stereo-types. According to the article, the Toronto school prides itself on hiring the best staff and putting the girls first. Arts are also a prominent part of the curriculum. Another great benefit of attending is that Canada’s top universities provide a preference for their graduates.
Branksome Hall
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Grades: JK - 12
- Gender: Girls
- Website: www.branksome.on.ca
Do you want your daughter to have an impact on the world? Branksome’s goal is to challenge and inspire girls, not only to learn but shape a better world. Some of the benefits at this Toronto-based International Baccalaureate school include, 13-acre campus, athletic center, and an international student exchange. The school has a sister campus in Asia and graduates are regularly accepted at leading universities around the world.
Brentwood College
- Location: Mill Bay, BC (Vancouver Island)
- Grades: 9 - 12
- Gender: Co-ed
- Website: www.brentwood.bc.ca
Brentwood puts an emphasis on preparing students for post-secondary education. The school’s website mentions that they mold global-minded students “who embrace the values of grit and joy.” It’s consistently ranked as on of the top high schools in British Columbia. Brentwood focuses on three areas for education development: Academics, arts, and athletics. An impressive statistic, 78% of the students attend universities of their first choice.
Collingwood School
- Location: West Vancouver, BC
- Grades: K - 12
- Gender: Co-ed
- Website: www.collingwood.org
A co-educational university preparatory school that focuses on developing each student and knowing them intimately. According to the school’s website, the staff guides the students and make efforts to understand their particular nature. They also focus on teacher and ensuring that they recruit educators who embrace the teaching lifestyle. The school educates students from kindergarten to Grade 12, the curriculum includes an internal certificate program, challenging them in academics, athletics, and arts. The school utilizes “Four Strands” to guide educational development. The four areas are: Academics, Athletics, Service and the Arts. Participation in each area is required by students, assisting in making them well rounded.
Conclusion
Although different institutions rate and rank schools each year, parents have to find the best school for their particular child. A lower ranked school, with an academic discipline that focuses on your child’s specific needs, should be considered.
OurKids.com also provides a great resource for finding the right private school for you, based on location and curriculum.
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