One of the most frequently asked questions from people with children when looking for a new place to move live is, “Are the schools good around here?” This is an important question, as all schools are not created equal and most people want to be able to send their kids to a great school that is not too far from home.
So what are some of the factors that make a school good? Factors to consider include: the quality of teachers, the ratio of students per teacher, the extracurricular activities offered, the range of classes offered, and specifically for high schools the success rate of their graduates. Different schools meet different needs, but a good school will have a foundation in place to complement most children.
Luckily for you, we’ve done the research and have put together the top 10 neighbourhoods in Toronto for good schools!
- Rosedale – Moore Park : This affluent, midtown neighbourhood that runs along Yonge Street has some of the best schools in the city located within a small radius. This includes Rosedale Heights School of Arts which is a public high school with a focus on arts, as well as Branksome Hall which is an all girls boarding school that was founded in 1903 and offers very competitive academic programs including the International Baccalaurate program. For families with younger kids, Whitney Junior Public School is a great elementary school in the neighbourhood!
Rosedale Heights School of the Arts is just one of many great schools in the Rosedale-Moore Park neighbourhood. Image Source.
- Lawrence Park South: Not only is this neighbourhood ranked as one of the safest in Toronto, it also has some of the best schools in Toronto. Lawrence Park Collegiate is in the top 30 high schools in Ontario. The Toronto French School is the private school option near by, and a good choice for anyone that wants their kids in French immersion. City Academy is also a close by private school that offers full-time or part-time schooling, and a choice between day or night classes.
Lawrence Park Collegiate ranks 29th in Ontario. Image Source.
- Bathurst Manor – For parents looking to put their kids in one of the top public schools in the city, they could end up calling this neighbourhood home. William Lyon Mackenzie is ranked 8.8 out of 10 by the Fraser Institute and offers a number of AP classes with a focus on math and science. There are 80 after school clubs to keep students busy. It’s no wonder this public high school is ranked #17 in Ontario.
Bathurst Manor is home to William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute, which ranks 17th in Ontario.
- Hillcrest Village – Hillcrest Village is an underrated neighbourhood in north Toronto. Not only does it have some of the best schools in the city close by, the real estate prices are a lot more reasonable than the rest of Toronto. A lot of people don’t realize that the three highest rated public elementary schools are here. Hillmount, Arbor Glen, and Seneca Hill are all ranked over 9 out of 10 by the Fraser Institute. Hillmount coming in the highest with an almost perfect score of 9.9 /10.
Hillmount Public School is one of many great elementary schools in Hillcrest Village. Image Source.
- Yorkmills – Sunnybrook: Primarily a family neighbourhood located north of midtown and away from the hustle and bustle of the city’s core, this neighbourhood has an extremely high number of schools providing lots of good options to parents. The public school options are Yorkmills Collegiate for high school, St. Andrews Junior High school, and Owen Elementary School. The private school options are Crescent School which is all boys and teaches grades 3 to 12, and Bayview Glen School which is co-ed and teaches grades 2 to 12. There is even a Catholic girls school, one of the oldest in Toronto called Loretto Abbey.
Cresent School was founded in 1913 and has the motto “Veritate Stamus Et Crescimus”. Image Source.
Did we miss a great school that makes your neighborhood one of the best? Let us know in the comments below! You can also check out Fraser Institute’s full rankings here.
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