55 best private schools in Toronto, Ontario 2025

Good funding
Much of the cost is covered by budget subsidies: the OECD estimates that an average of 6% of GDP is spent on education, and in Ontario it can be as high as 12%, a multiple of other OECD member countries.

Value for money
All private and international schools are accredited, which confirms that they meet high quality standards. At the same time, tuition fees are lower than in Australia, the UK and the USA.

Multiculturalism
All residents of Canada are either migrants or their heirs, so the attitude to foreigners is friendly. In 2020, more than half a million expats entered the country to study.

Flexible visa policy
Applying for a visa to Canada is easy: all you need to do is create an IRCC account and upload all the necessary documentation, then wait for a decision.

Hospitality
Expats in Canada never feel like outsiders: Canada has one of the most foreigner-friendly education systems in the world and welcomes people from all corners of the globe. As well as studying, expats have access to a wide range of cultural, recreational and leisure activities to help them broaden their horizons and make new acquaintances.

Small class sizes
Classes in public schools do not exceed 25 students, while the norm for private schools is between 5 and 15 students.

Bilingualism
Toronto students can choose to study programs in one of Canada's official languages, English or French. A number of schools offer blended learning, although most schools consider English to be the primary language. Regardless of the choice of primary language, a second language is taught in the lower grades.

- Bilingualism
  Bilingualism can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. In Ontario, there are schools with English or French as the primary language, so choosing an educational institution requires great attention and thoroughness. Some schools offer mixed English-French instruction, which can be an excellent option if the child is prepared for such a workload.

- Humid Climate 
  Average temperatures in Ontario are generally comfortable, though winter can bring quite low temperatures. Summers in Toronto can be humid and muggy, although the proximity of the Great Lakes and Antarctic waters prevents the temperature from reaching extreme levels.

- High Workload
  The highest standards of education make studying a challenging task: students face large and complex homework assignments, regular tests, and independent projects. During exam periods, they often work late at night.

Kindergarten programs in Ontario are funded by the provincial and Canadian governments, private foundations, and NGOs. The law allows children to attend kindergarten for two years, starting at the age of four. Attendance is optional, so the number and intensity of classes, as well as their frequency, can vary widely.

The main quality of preschool education programs in Ontario and Toronto is flexibility, aiming to meet the needs of each child as fully as possible. Children learn to read and count, engage in activities like sculpting and drawing to develop their aesthetic sense, dance, sing, and play musical instruments. A play-based approach is highly emphasized.

Some private commercial kindergartens accept children from 18 months of age. The education is fee-based, ranging from 400 to 1300 CAD per month.

According to statistics, attending kindergarten helps children achieve 27% better academic outcomes compared to those who did not have this experience.

Education in Ontario schools is universal, free and compulsory until age 18. Classes are 6 days a week.

There are two phases of schooling for a total of 12 years:

• Elementary, or elementary school (grades 1 to 8);
• High school (grades 9 to 12).

There are four public school systems in the province: public schools with French or English as the language of instruction respectively + Separate school systems with English and French as the language of instruction respectively - the latter are intended for the Catholic community, although students of any denomination may attend classes. There is a single Protestant school in Penetanguinshene.

Elementary School (grades 1-8)

Divided into 3 phases:

Elementary schools (grades 1 to 3)

Children are required to attend elementary schools in Ontario from the age of six. Students are taught in a single classroom with a classroom teacher.

The curriculum at this stage includes such disciplines:

• arithmetic and science;
• social studies;
• reading and literature;
• history;
• geography;
• English/French as a first language;
• music;
• art;
• sports.

Junior school (grades 4 through 6)

The program is becoming more complex. A second national language is added.

Senior school (Senior school, 7th-8th grade)

The middle school stage lasts for 2 years. In the 7th grade children begin to attend lessons with subject teachers. The main goal of this stage is to create a holistic picture of the world in the child's mind, to prepare him or her for high school. Pupils continue to study the subjects they already know from primary grades. A second state language is added to the program, and in some cases a foreign language is added.

High School (grades 9-12)

This is a four-year program for adolescents 14-17 years old, from 8th to 12th grade inclusive. The strategic goal of this stage is to equip children with the skills necessary for professional self-actualization and to prepare them for higher education. In addition, secondary schools may offer special programs with academic or professional orientation.

92% of public schools and at least 70% of private schools follow the Ontario Curriculum, which allows for some flexibility in delivery methods, but clearly outlines the requirements for student knowledge and behavior.

The grade 9-10 curriculum is divided into three streams: academic, basic and applied:

• The first stream is the prerogative of students intending to attend university,
• Applied courses will lead graduates to college,
• The basic course is designed for students with special educational needs.

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of voices calling for the abolition of streams in grades 9 and 10 to give students more time to choose their future development path.

The 11th and 12th grade curriculum is also divided into 3 streams - university, college and career preparation courses, respectively. Regardless of the major, they are designed to develop critical thinking and soft skills needed later in life. Academic courses focus more on abstract thinking and encourage students to be more independent in their judgments and conclusions. College preparatory courses focus on the practical application of knowledge in everyday life, while vocational courses are characterized by a more practice-oriented, “down-to-earth” approach.

Each stream is evaluated in its own way, taking into account the specifics and special requirements of the educational process: an 85% English score in a college preparatory stream is considered a good indicator, but will not be sufficient for university admission - the student will have to either get a higher score in exams or take internal entrance exams.

Three different models are equally used to assess students' academic performance:

- Letter grading;
- Percentage grading;
- GPA.

Grades are assigned for tests, independent work, projects, and exams across various subjects.

The letter scale ranges from A to F, with F being the lowest grade. To provide more accuracy, plus and minus modifiers are used, denoted by "+" or "-" signs. For instance, an A+ is equivalent to 95-100%, while an A- corresponds to 85-90%.

Students receive a Report Card every quarter, sealed in an envelope to ensure privacy. This report includes comprehensive information about academic progress and a personal evaluation of the student's qualities, such as organizational, communication, and social skills. A four-point scale is used for assessment:

- E — Excellent;
- G — Good;
- S — Satisfactory;
- N — Needs Improvement.

When preparing the Report Card, teachers draw on their experience working with each student individually and in group settings. These reports are designed to help parents optimize their child's academic workload.

Ontario's public education system includes more than 4,000 public schools with 1.4 million students and 850 private schools with nearly 700,000 students.

Toronto Public Schools

They are two separate systems - English-speaking (600 schools) and French-speaking (36 elementary and secondary schools governed by one school board). In both systems, education is available to all residents of the surrounding areas free of charge from kindergarten through grade 12.

The Francophone system is designed to protect and promote French culture. Instruction is conducted exclusively in French. Children whose at least one parent's first language was French or attended a French school, as well as those whose siblings attended French schools, are eligible for unconditional enrollment. Other applications will be reviewed by the school board.

So-called French immersion programs are available in English-speaking schools, in which case subjects are taught in both French and English.

Public school programs in English and French are not identical; there are some differences. In particular, from grades 1 to 8, the English-speaking school board program includes 8 subjects, while the French-speaking program includes 11 subjects; in the upper grades, 19 subjects are offered in English and 21 in French. At the same time, more than 300 individual special courses are also available in English and French.

Catholic schools in Toronto

In addition to the secular ones, the province also has two Catholic education systems, English and French, respectively. They are independently run but have public funding. Students from families where at least one parent or guardian is Catholic are eligible for unconditional enrollment (other denominations may be admitted at the discretion of the school board).

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) is the largest publicly funded Catholic school board in the world.

There are also two French-speaking Catholic boards in and around Toronto.

Toronto private schools

At least a quarter of Ontario students attend private schools, and in the city the proportion is even higher. Private schools are independent of the provincial Ministry of Education but must meet the requirements of the Ontario curriculum.

Education here is paid, the cost varies from 4,000 to 80,000 CAD$/year. Parents, as a rule, are guided in choosing a school by methods and programs, religious beliefs or other principles. 62% of private schools in Toronto are coeducational (the province as a whole is 48%).

Toronto is also home to a number of denominational elementary and secondary schools, including:

• 11 Protestant;
• 1 Hindu;
• 18 Muslim;
• 15 Jewish.

Home schooling

Less than 1% of parents in the province forgo the option of sending their children to public and private schools and homeschool them, either on their own or with the help of guest teachers. The government provides these children with free EQAO (Educational Quality and Achievement Authority) tests in grades 3, 6 and 9, and literacy tests in grade 10.

To start selecting a suitable school, you should use the school information search system, a government resource that allows you to find out which elementary and secondary schools are located in the area where you plan to live. Next, visit the website of the local school board (if you are interested in public or Catholic schools) or the school's website (if you prefer a private school). The application form is filled out and submitted through a special section; there is no unified application processing system.

The application includes information about the child, the residential address, medical and contact details. You also need to attach a copy of the child's identification, vaccination records, documents from the previous school (transcript, report cards, and any other documents required by the school).

The first schools in Upper Canada were established in the early 19th century: under the Province’s Grammar Schools Act of 1807, funds were allocated to open eight schools. By 1823, the General Board of Education was founded, and the following year, a budget was designated to create a network of Sunday schools in remote areas.

In 1834, the Mohawk Institute was opened—Canada’s oldest continuously operating residential school. In 1841, Upper and Lower Canada were united, sparking a significant debate over Catholic and Protestant approaches to education. In Upper (later Western) Canada, which would eventually become the province of Ontario, Protestants were the majority, while Catholics dominated Lower Canada. This slow-moving conflict between the two communities led to the formation of two independent educational systems within the same province. This dual system continued until 1867, when two key events occurred: the provinces confederated, and Ontario gained autonomous status within this framework. This was reflected in the British North America Act, which guaranteed rights for religious minorities, including in education (though French-speaking minorities and other linguistic communities were denied similar guarantees).

In 1850, with the passage of the Common Schools Act, the responsibility for funding secondary education was placed on municipalities, giving school boards the freedom to introduce or abolish tuition fees. This legislation also allowed the establishment of publicly funded Catholic schools.

That same year, racial segregation was legalized—Ontario, along with Nova Scotia, was one of the only provinces in Canada where this became lawful. The official rationale was that schools for different religious and ethnic groups could focus on teaching their own community members. In practice, African Americans became the most segregated group in Ontario. This division persisted until 1965, when the last school for segregated black and white students was closed.

Simultaneously, a network of residential schools for Indigenous children was created. These were governed by federal authorities, relieving provincial governments of their obligations under treaties with Indigenous tribes. These schools were notorious for abuse, violence, and mistreatment. Although Indigenous residential schools still exist today, they have been reformed and are now more civilized, with federal funding continuing.

In 1871, mandatory free education for children up to the age of 12 was introduced, and schools were divided into elementary schools, which provided primary education, and collegiate institutes (similar to classical grammar schools with instruction in ancient languages). In 1891, education became compulsory up to the age of 14, and in 1921, it was extended to 16 (with an exception for working students). Since 1970, mandatory education up to the age of 16 has applied to all children.

In 1984, reforms introduced the Ontario Academic Credit system. In 1990, all provincial schools became secular (schools were brought under provincial control, and religious colleges were transferred to universities). In 1997, education funding was shifted from municipal to provincial control.

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