The Ontario School System
Public & Separate Schools
There are two publicly funded school systems in Ontario: public (non-denominational) and separate (Roman Catholic). They are available at both the elementary and secondary school levels. All permanent residents between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school as outlined in the Ontario Education Act which can be found on the Government of Ontario’s website.
Curriculum
The Ministry of Education in Ontario sets the curriculum throughout the Ontario public school system. Please refer to the Ministry of Education's guide for more information on required courses and credits for a high school diploma in Ontario.
Educational programming in Ontario divides age groups into two distinct tiers of programming; Elementary School and High School/Secondary School. Please refer to the drop down menu below for more information on programming in Ontario schools.
Programming In Ontario Schools
Elementary School Programming
Elementary school programs start at Junior Kindergarten (JK) and Senior Kindergarten (SK) for children who are 4 and 5 years of age, and Grades 1 through 8 for children 6 to 13 or 14 years of age. In some areas, Grades 7 and 8 are placed in a separate Junior High school.
Please note: Kindergarten can be a half-day program, either a morning or afternoon session or an alternate day program. Additional child care may therefore be required if the school is not one that provides consecutive or full-day sessions. |
High School/Secondary School Programming
High schools or secondary schools accept Grades 9 through 12, with students generally graduating when they are about 18 years of age. To receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, students need to complete at least thirty credits during their time in secondary school (one credit typically equates to one course).
Academic Year
For the vast majority of Ontario schools, the school year begins in September and ends in June. Generally, the grade a child enters is based on where the child’s birthday falls within the January to December calendar year, not a September to August school year. School holidays are typically the same for all public school systems.
Schools run from Monday through Friday. Depending upon the school, the school day typically starts at 8:30 am or 9 am and ends at 3 pm or 3:30 pm, but could start as early as 8:15 am. There is a vacation period of approximately two weeks around the end of December, and a break in March that is approximately one week long. Schools are closed for the summer months of July and August (unless the child is registered for an optional summer school program). Please check with the school for details.
All school boards offer teachers professional development days (PD Days) during the school year. Students do not attend school on these days.
Languages of Instruction
English is the language of instruction in most Ontario schools; however, there is also a French-language school offered to students.
French immersion programs are offered at some schools in the public and separate school systems, which can provide all or most subjects instruction in French.
For information on Francophone public education in Ontario, please visit the Conseil Scolaire Viamonde website as well as Canadian Parents for French.
For information on public French-Catholic schools, please visit Conseil Scolaire Mon Avenir. |
School Locations
Children are generally required to attend the school in the area/neighbourhood in which they reside.
For more information on the school system in Ontario, please refer to the Ministry of Education’s Website. |
School Boards In Toronto & Surrounding Areas
Public Schools
Toronto District School Board:
This school board covers the areas of East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Toronto, and York Region. |
Peel District School Board:
The Region of Peel is located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) west of Toronto. It consists of the municipalities of Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga. |
York Region District School Board:
York Region is north of Toronto and includes Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. |
Durham District School Board:
Durham Region is east of Toronto and includes Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Whitby, and Clarington, as well as Uxbridge, Brock, and the Scugog Townships. |
Halton District School Board:
Halton Region stretches west of Peel and includes Burlington, Milton, Oakville and Halton Hills. |
Conseil Scholaire Viamonde (centre et sud-ouest) (Francophone school board for central & south-western Ontario): This board covers central/southwestern Ontario (including Toronto and the GTA) and is part of the Association des Conseils scolaires et des écoles publiques de l'Ontario) or the Public School Boards Association of Ontario. |
Catholic Schools
Toronto Catholic District School Board:
The Toronto area encompasses East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Toronto, and York Region. |
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board:
The Dufferin-Peel area includes Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga, and Orangeville. |
York Region Catholic District School Board:
York Region is north of Toronto and includes Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. |
Halton Catholic District School Board:
Halton Region stretches west of Peel includes Burlington, Milton, Oakville and Halton Hills. |
Private Schools
For information on private school options throughout Canada, including Toronto and the surrounding area, please refer to the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools Web site at www.cais.ca.
Our Kids Publications is a Canadian publisher of annual magazines providing information to assist families to make informed decisions regarding education, leisure time, retirement-living and health care options. For more information, please refer to their website.
The following is a list of private and independent schools that are available in Toronto & parts of the GTA:
Arrowsmith School:
245 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto (Avenue Rd./St. Clair Ave. W.) |
Bayview Glen:
275 Duncan Mill Rd., Toronto (Don Mills Rd./York Mills Rd.) |
The Bishop Strachan School:
298 Lonsdale Rd., Toronto (Bathurst St./St. Clair Ave. W.) |
The Country Day School:
13415 Dufferin St., King (Dufferin St./King Rd.) |
Crescent School:
2365 Bayview Ave., Toronto (Lawrence Ave. E./Bayview Ave. – near York University’s Glendon campus) |
Fieldstone Day School:
2999 Dufferin Street, Toronto (Lawrence Ave. W./Dufferin St.) |
Giles School:
80 Scarsdale Rd, North York (York Mills & Leslie) |
Havergal College:
1451 Avenue Rd., Toronto (Avenue Rd./Lawrence Ave. W. ) |
Howlett Academy:
15 Madison Ave., Toronto (Bloor St. W./Avenue Rd.) |
Hudson College:
21 Ascot Ave., Toronto (Dufferin St./St. Clair Ave.) |
Imperial College of Toronto:
20 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, Toronto (Royal York Rd./The Queensway) |
J. Addison School:
2 Valleywood Drive, Markham (Woodbine Ave./Highway 7) |
Junior Academy:
2454 Bayview Avenue (south of York Mills Rd) |
Kingsley Primary School:
3962 Bloor St. West in Etobicoke (Bloor St. & Shaver) |
Kingsway College School:
4600 Dundas Street W., Toronto (Dundas St. W./Royal York Rd.) |
McDonald International Academy:
Main campus: 920 Yonge St., Toronto (near Yonge St./ Bloor St. W.) |
Montcrest School:
658 Broadview Ave, Toronto (East of the DVP, south of Bloor) |
Northmount School:
26 Mallard Rd., Toronto (Don Mills Rd./York Mills Rd.) |
Sidney Ledson Institute:
Main institute: 220 Duncan Mill Rd., Toronto (Hwy. 401/(Don Mills Rd.) |
St. Andrew’s College:
15800 Yonge St., Aurora (Yonge St./Wellington St.) |
Sterling Hall School for Boys:
99 Cartwright Ave., Toronto (Hwy. 401/Dufferin St.) |
Sunnybrook School:
469 Merton St., Toronto (Mount Pleasant Rd./Moore Ave.) |
TAIE International Institute:
399 Church Street, Toronto (Church Street & Carlton Street) |
The Dragon Academy:
35 Prince Arthur Ave., Toronto (Bloor St. W./Avenue Rd.) |
The Linden School:
10 Rosehill Ave., Toronto (Yonge St./St. Clair Ave. E.) |
The Mabin School:
50 Poplar Plains Rd., Toronto (Dupont St./Avenue Rd.) |
The University of Toronto Schools:
371 Bloor St. W., Toronto (Bloor St. W./Spadina Ave.) OR 30 Humbert Street |
Toronto French School:
306 Lawrence Ave. E., Toronto (Lawrence Ave. E./Bayview Ave.) and |
Toronto International College:
3550 Victoria Park Avenue, North York(Victoria Park near Steeles) |
Upper Canada College:
200 Lonsdale Rd., Toronto (Ave Rd./St. Clair Ave. W.) |
YMCA Academy:
15 Breadalbane St., Toronto (Yonge St./Wellesley.) |
Montessori Schools
Montessori schools utilize a methodology for nursery and elementary school education, first developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. For further information and a comprehensive list of all Montessori schools in Toronto and the surrounding area, please visit Montessori Schools Ontario.
Avalon Children’s Montessori School:
Two locations - 31 Wood Glen Rd., Toronto (Kingston Rd./Wood Glen) and 2181 Queen Street East, Toronto (Wineva Ave./Queen St.). Offers Casa and Elementary Montessori programs for children 2 ½ to 12 years of age in the Beaches area of Toronto. |
Bannockburn School:
12 Bannockburn Ave., Toronto (Avenue Rd./Wilson Ave.) |
Bond Academy:
720 Midland Ave., Toronto (Kennedy Rd./Eglinton Rd.) |
Manor Montessori School:
909 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto (Mt. Pleasant Rd./Eglinton Ave. E.) and 14 Desavery Crescent. (Mt. Pleasant Rd./Eglinton Ave. E.) |
Taddlecreek Learning Centre:
39 Spadina Ave (Annex neighbourhood) |
Cultural & Religious Independent Schools
Bialik Hebrew Day School:
2760 Bathurst St., Toronto (Bathurst St./Eglinton Ave. W.) |
Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto:
Tanenbaum campus: 200 Wilmington Ave., Toronto (Dufferin St between Sheppard Ave & Finch Ave) A co-educational Jewish high school providing education in Judaic and general studies. |
De La Salle College:
131 Farnham Ave., Toronto (Avenue Rd./St. Clair Ave. W.) |
Holy Trinity School:
11300 Bayview Ave., Richmond Hill (Bayview Ave./19th Ave.) |
North Toronto Christian School and the Yorkland School:
255 Yorkland Blvd. (Highway 404/Sheppard Ave. E.) |
Olivet Church of the New Jerusalem:
279 Burnhamthorpe Rd., Etobicoke (Burnhamthorpe Rd./Kipling Ave.) |
Peoples Christian Academy:
245 Renfrew Drive, Markham |
Royal St. George’s College:
120 Howland Ave., Toronto (Bathurst St./Bloor St. W.) |
St. Michael’s College School: 1515 Bathurst St., Toronto (Bathurst St./St. Clair Ave. W.) |
International Baccalaureate Schools
Please find below selections of IB schools located within a reasonable commute of York University:
Branksome Hall School:
10 Elm Ave., Toronto (Yonge St./Bloor St.) |
Harrison Public Elementary School
81 Harrison Road, Toronto (Hwy. 401/Bayview Ave.) |
The Academy For Gifted Children
12 Bond Crescent, Richmond Hill (Yonge St./King Rd.) |
The York School:
Main campus: 1320 Yonge St., Toronto (St. Clair Ave. W./Yonge St.) |
For a wider selection, please visit the International Baccalaureate Organization website for a list of schools in Ontario.
Homeschooling
-
- ontariohomeschool.org
- https://homebasedlearning.ca/
- learninfreedom.org/homeschool_hotlist.html (other useful links, last updated 2013)
For a map showing the various regions within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), please refer to the section About Canada.
Higher Education
After Grade 12, students wishing to pursue higher education can apply to attend college or university. Please refer to the following websites for more information regarding Canadian universities and the application process:
-
- Ontario's Education System provides information on career colleges, language schools, colleges and technical institutions, university colleges, as well as public and private schools in Canada.
- Registered Private Career Colleges
- School Finder provides information on Canadian universities, colleges and career colleges.
- Maclean's University Ranking: each year the magazine publishes updated information on the country's top universities.
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is responsible for the legislation and regulations under the Day Nurseries Act. The Ministry issues licences to operators of day nurseries and private-home daycare agencies. It is illegal to leave children under twelve years of age alone in a home or daycare.
The regulations of the Day Nurseries Act requires that premises be licensed if they have more than five children who are under the age of ten years, of different parents, receiving temporary care and supervision. The Act is designed to ensure standards for the children’s health, safety, development and learning.
In an effort to make childcare accessible for staff York University provides on-campus options for childcare day programs. Please refer to the drop-down menu below for more information on childcare available on York University's Keele campus.
On-Campus Childcare
York University Co-operative Daycare Centre
Further information on this daycare can be found at York University Co-operative Daycare Centre. You may email the daycare centre at daycare@yorku.ca, or call (416) 736-5190. |
Lee Wiggins Child Care Centre
The Centre also provides an Early Years Program called `Play and Learn.’ This is a free, drop-in program held on Saturdays, from 9am to 12pm, for parents and children from 0 to 6 years of age.
Parents may use the Centre’s services on an occasional basis, for emergency care, Professional Activity (P.A.) Day for teachers and March Break care when space allows. Child care is normally booked on a per-term basis, but parents/parental guardians may register at any time by appointment. CUPE members are eligible for a CUPE subsidy towards their fees. Priority is given to students and CUPE 3903 members, followed by staff, faculty and members of the wider community.
For further information, please refer to Lee Wiggins Child Care Centre. |
Child Care In The Community
You may visit this online resource that helps nannies and parents connect, by going to canadiannanny.ca.
Family Daycare Services is available at familydaycare.com and (416) 922-9556. They provide licensed child care for children from birth to 12 years. There are 43 centres within the Toronto, York and Peel Regions.
The City of Toronto website provides information on child care centres, home child care agencies and providers, and francophone child care programs.
Child Care In Schools
Many schools have licensed daycare for children who are preschoolers and school age. There may be full day programs for preschoolers and `before and after’ school programs for the school-aged child, e.g. Peel Lunch and After School Program, `PLASP.’ You can refer directly to the school board website for information on their available child care programs, or visit the PLASP website.
Emergency Childcare
Depending on the illness, if your child is mildly sick and your main child care provider cannot provide care below are child care providers that will accommodate caring for mildly ill children in your own home.
-
- In a Pinch
- In a Pinch FAQ
- Rates begin at $26-30 per hour.
- Crunch Care
- Crunch Care FAQ
- Rates begin at $31 per hour (generic care).
- In a Pinch