When you search for the “best elementary schools in Toronto,” you will get a ton of results online, each with its own opinion on which schools they think are elite.
Not all elementary schools are created equal, and it’s important for parents to know what to look for when choosing a school. Here’s our guide to some of the best elementary schools in Toronto.
Standard of Elementary Schools in Toronto
The standard of elementary schools in Toronto is a topic that many people consider when choosing where they want to live. Schools are ranked on their quality, and it is important to find out what the standards are before you move into an area.
This can help simplify the process of finding a good school for your children, as well as give you peace of mind regarding the education they will receive in Toronto.
The first step toward determining if an elementary school is good or bad is by looking at its ranking on one or more lists. There are several sources that rank schools based on their academic performance, including Fraser Institute and EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office).
These rankings are fairly consistent with each other but may differ slightly depending on how they weigh certain factors like class sizes or student-teacher ratios.
It’s important to note that these rankings only reflect academic performance—they don’t take into account extracurricular activities like sports teams or afterschool programs which may be attractive to families who have kids involved in those activities outside school hours.
What Every Parent Must Know Before Enrolling Their Kids in Toronto Elementary School
In the first year of their child’s life, parents should have a clear plan for how they will navigate their child’s school experience. It is important for every parent to understand what each school offers and why it would be a good fit for their family. The following tips can help you make an informed decision:
- Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. As a parent, you are intimately familiar with your child’s personality, interests, and abilities. This knowledge can be used to help determine which schools would be well-suited to them academically and socially.
- Know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Each Toronto elementary school has its own distinct culture, values, and traditions that shape its curriculum offerings as well as opportunities for student involvement outside class time (e.g., clubs). Knowing these characteristics can help you choose between several options if there are multiple suitable choices available in your area.
- Know the neighborhood where the school is located. If possible get out into different neighborhoods before making a final decision about where your children will attend elementary school in Toronto.
Comparing Public and Private Elementary Schools in Toronto
Public and private schools can be a tough choice, especially when you factor in the financial costs. That’s why you should take a closer look at all of the factors that go into deciding what’s best for your child.
- Financial Costs: There are public elementary schools that cost a minimal fee to attend, but there is usually an application fee for private schools—and many do not provide financial aid or scholarships. However, as with any other investment, it pays to compare rates of return on investment (ROI).
- Academic Results: Private school teachers tend to have more experience and training than their public counterparts because they must undergo rigorous examinations before taking up posts within their respective systems.
- Teacher Quality: Public teachers conform to strict hiring policies which ensure equal access across socio-economic backgrounds; therefore academic results may not necessarily reflect differences related solely to teacher quality.
- Class Size: The smaller class sizes associated with most private institutions make them generally more conducive environments for learning than those found within public facilities where larger classes tend toward less individualized instruction.
- Parental Involvement: Parents who opt out of sending their children through publicly funded education programs often cite a lack of parental involvement as one reason why they choose alternative routes.
In fact, some studies have suggested that these programs tend toward greater levels of parent involvement because parents feel empowered by having control over decision-making processes such as curriculum selection (which may include religious themes).
During the compilation of our list of best elementary schools in Toronto, we have done the assignment for you and based our list on some of these important factors that are important to parents.
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Our List of 20 Best Elementary School
The first thing you should consider when choosing an elementary school is its reputation. You want to know that the teachers are good and that they have a positive attitude towards their students. You also want to make sure that they’re well qualified and certified in teaching at least one specific subject area (such as math) before applying there yourself.
With so many elementary schools to choose from, it can be difficult to find the perfect one for your child. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best elementary schools in Toronto.
Ossington/Old Orchard Public School
Ossington/Old Orchard Public School is a public elementary school in Toronto, Ontario. The school serves students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6, with a total of about 300 students. The student population is made up of mostly minorities and children who speak multiple languages at home.
The student body is also very diverse economically, with many students coming from families who struggle financially. Teachers at the school are passionate about teaching and love having the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of learners.
They have created an environment where all students feel welcome and supported by their peers, teachers, and community members alike. Students who attend Ossington/Old Orchard Public School can look forward to learning about topics like science or history through hands-on activities that help them understand concepts better than they might otherwise have been able to do on their own.
Swansea Public School
Swansea Public School is a public elementary school that provides quality education for students in lower grades. Swansea Public School offers a wide range of activities, including athletics, art, music, and more. The school aims to instill the importance of community service and encourages students to volunteer within their community.
They offer a wide range of programs, including:
- The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP)
- The Academic Preparation Program (APP)
- The Enriched Academic Program (EAP)
- The General Arts Program (GAP)
Toronto Prep School
Toronto Prep School is a private school that offers grades 5 to 8. It’s located in Toronto, Ontario and it has a very good reputation. The school is co-ed and it’s located at the heart of the city so your kids will be able to go anywhere by themselves if they want.
The tuition fee costs $29,450 CAD at Toronto Prep School.
Branksome Hall
If you’re looking for a school that focuses on academic excellence, Branksome Hall is the place for you. The all-girls private school offers programs in everything from science to drama and music to athletics.
With over 100 years of teaching excellence under its belt, Branksome Hall has a long history of sports and academic excellence that continues to this day. They also have an active arts program where students can take courses such as dance or acting—and if you’re interested in painting landscapes or landscapes with people in them (or both), there’s an art elective course on offer too.
Branksome Hall has strong traditions when it comes to community service as well; every year since 1982 they’ve hosted Thanksgiving dinner at St George’s Anglican Church Hall where members pick up food donations from local grocery stores after they close so they can make sure everyone has access to nutritious meals during this festive time of year.
The cost of tuition at this school varies, but you can expect to pay $37,130 in tuition costs for Canadian students.
The Clover School
The Clover School is a small, private day school in the center of town. It offers classes for grades NS to 8 and has about 140 students enrolled at any given time. The school has a great reputation for nurturing self-confidence and critical thinking skills in its students. The teachers are friendly and welcoming, and the curriculum is focused on getting kids to think about the world around them.
Students can earn up to 60 college credits from The Clover School. Its graduates go on to attend top universities across the country—including Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Stanford University, and more. The tuition fee at Clover ranges from $15,100 to $24,000 CAD.
Crescent School
Crescent School is a K-8 elementary school in Toronto’s Thornhill neighborhood. It offers English language programs for students from Grade 1 to Grade 8.
Crescent is an independent school and does not belong to any particular church or denomination, although it values its Christian heritage and spirituality. Its philosophy is strongly connected with classical liberal arts education, which aims at developing the whole person through the integration of faith, reason, and learning.
The school has a strong community feel where parents are encouraged to get involved in their children’s learning process by helping out with class projects or participating in after-school activities like sports teams or science clubs.
As such, teachers are able to focus on providing personalized instruction rather than spending time managing groups of students throughout the day.
For example, if your child needs extra help with math concepts such as fractions then Crescent will provide that assistance rather than simply handing out worksheets so all kids can do them together regardless of their individual needs or abilities.
The downside to this school is that it is quite expensive.
St. Clement’s School
Set in the east end of Toronto, St. Clement’s School is a private co-ed school with a student population of about 600 students. The school does not affiliate itself with any religion and has a small student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1.
The tuition fee costs $34,500 CAD.
The York School
The York School, located in the Annex, is a co-educational elementary school that has been around for a long while. The school has a strong focus on music and art; it’s known for its excellent reputation for academic excellence; it has an active parent community, and it also has a diverse student body.
The cost of tuition at the York School is $35,000 CAD.
Orde Street Public School
Orde Street Public School is a public elementary school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the heart of downtown Toronto.
The school maintains that it is dedicated to providing an excellent education; it offers a French Immersion program and English, Music, Art, and Physical Education/Health programs. In addition to the above-mentioned programs, Orde Street Public School offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities including chess club, basketball team, softball team, and track team.
Rosedale Public School
Rosedale Public School was built in 1895 by Charles H. Bishop. The school has a rich history and its students continue to do well academically.
It is a small school located in a rural area. It has a student body of about 150 students and a staff of 15 teachers and 4 support staff. The school offers a variety of programs including French immersion, music, drama, art, instrumental music, and band. They also offer an outdoor education program that takes place every second year.
The school is located on the outskirts of town, across the street from a forested area with hiking trails. They have an outdoor classroom that is used for many activities throughout the year including science experiments and nature walks. They also have a soccer field that is used for physical education classes as well as after-school sports teams such as basketball or soccer.
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College is a private boys’ school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded with the aim of providing education to the sons of Loyalist families who had emigrated from the United States after the American Revolution. UCC has been co-educational since 1971 and is one of the oldest private schools in Canada.
UCC is widely regarded as the most decorated preparatory school in Toronto and boasts of a huge alumni network.
Upper Canada College offers an academic program based on a core curriculum that includes math, science, English, history, geography, and religion classes as well as art and music programs, physical education, and French immersion. Students are required to take part in community service activities and sports teams including rugby, football, hockey, and lacrosse.
The tuition fee ranges from $36,750 CAD to $69,145 CAD.
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy is a private school that offers education to students from kindergarten to Grade 8. The school has been around for over 40 years, and it’s located in the heart of downtown Toronto.
This school’s curriculum focuses on math, science, history, and languages. Students are also taught about art and music as well as leadership strategies.
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy partners with the University of Toronto so that students have the chance to take courses there when they’re ready. The tuition cost at this school is between $23,960 CAD to $31,500 CAD.
Sunnybrook School
Sunnybrook School is a co-educational school with an enrollment of around 100 students. The school has a strong academic focus and its strong track record of academic performance makes it one of the best schools in Toronto to send your child to.
The school has an excellent arts program and the sports program is also very good. The tuition fee is $29,750 CAD.
Prestige School-Toronto Campus
The Prestige School-Toronto Campus is a private school located in Toronto, Ontario. The school was founded in 1993 and it is a co-educational day school.
Prestige School aims to develop highly motivated and creative young men and women who are culturally sensitive and respectful of diversity. To achieve this goal, the curriculum at Prestige includes English, French, or Spanish language instruction with ESL classes for students who speak other languages.
They also offer quality education in math, science, geography/history/civics/economics; visual art (drawing/painting), music (piano/guitar), drama/dance including ballet technique; physical education with swimming lessons twice weekly; chess club; special needs support groups including Home Economics Club & Student Council where students learn leadership skills as well as interact socially with peers outside their grade level.
East York Collegiate Institute
East York Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school offers both a French Immersion program and an English program.
It has a student body of just over 1,000 students and serves grades 9 through 12. The school offers classes in English, French, mathematics and science, social studies, business studies, computer applications, art and design technology, music, and drama.
The school has been recognized by the Fraser Institute as one of Canada’s top schools for academic performance.
Rose Avenue Junior Public School
Rose Avenue Junior Public School is an elementary school in Toronto, located at the intersection of Rose Avenue and Yonge Street. The school serves students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 and has two playgrounds.
Havergal College
Havergal College is a private school located in the York Mills area. It’s a Catholic school, and it only has girls enrolled. The academic quality here is strong, with many great extracurricular programs to choose from. The sports program is particularly impressive—the Havergal Cougars have won multiple championship titles over the years.
The Bishop Strachan School
The Bishop Strachan School is an independent girls’ only private school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a co-educational day and boarding school for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Students are divided into the Middle School and Upper School divisions at the start of Grade 6 (ages 11–14).
The school was founded in 1867 by the Anglican Church as a girls’ school but has been non-denominational since 1973.
Pape Avenue Public School
Pape Avenue Public School is a public elementary school in Toronto. With a student population of 390 students, Pape Avenue Public School offers French immersion programming to students.
The school is located at Pape Avenue and Cosburn Avenue.
Westside Montessori School
Westside Montessori School is a private, non-profit school located in the heart of Westwood. It offers a rigorous academic curriculum and a high-quality Montessori education to students from 3 months to 6 years old.
The school is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential through an engaging and personalized learning experience.
Final Thoughts
The importance of having a good school and knowing how to choose one is something that is often overlooked, but it’s important to know what to look for when choosing a school.
It’s also very important that you know how to compare schools so you can choose the best one. This way, your child will have all of their educational needs met.
Finally, knowing how to enroll in a school is essential so they can begin their education as soon as possible. And this means recognizing your kid’s talent and developing it further.
Toronto has so many schools that you can look at. From Islamic schools to Catholic schools, and IB schools, the list is endless.
Wrapping It Up
Conclusively, we hope this article has given you some insight into what’s available in Toronto and how they might fit into your family.
We know that choosing a school is not easy, but we hope that by reading this article you have found some helpful information about the options available and can now make an informed decision on where your child will go next year.