118 Main Street East, Merrickville, Ontario, K0G 1N0
School Busing:
Fulford Academy offers bus transferring.
Service options offered are airport pick-up, regular rider, door-to-door pickup.
The regions Fulford Academy offers busing from are:
Carleton Place
Goulbourn
Kemptville
Nepean
Ottawa
Prescott
Smiths Falls
Additional notes: For our boarding students we provide transportation to and from the airport. For our Day students transportation can be arranged at a cost recovery basis.
The 50-page review of Merrick Preparatory School is part of our series of in-depth accounts of Canada's leading private schools. It provides a unique and objective perspective on the school's academics, programs, culture, and community.
"We foster courage, community & compassion at our international boarding and day high school, with a maximum capacity of 80 students. Offering the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, grades 9 – 12, our students learn to reach beyond their grasp in a safe & inclusive environment. Since 2012 we have maintained a 100% placement rate of our graduates to their 1st-choice university program at their 1st-choice world ranked university. Our robust academics ensures their success in university; our care ensures their success in life."
Distinctly Canadian - Uniquely Global
Over 25 countries represented in the student population
Rigourous Academics
Diverse co-curriculars
Weekend Activities
Your success starts at Merrick Prep
Boutique style dormitory rooms
International Recognition/ Awards (2023, 2021)
Diverse, inclusive, multicultural community
Personalized attention & preparation for university
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"We focus on creating courageous, community minded, compassionate global citizens - inquisitive, broad-minded, inclusive, tolerant. We teach courage to overcome adversity and build...(more)
"We focus on creating courageous, community minded, compassionate global citizens - inquisitive, broad-minded, inclusive, tolerant. We teach courage to overcome adversity and build resilience. We teach how to build community so when one’s courage fails, one’s community will carry them. We teach compassion to allow for courage, community, tolerance and growth. We challenge our students to think critically and analytically; to reach beyond their grasp. With these skills our students rise to the challenge of our demanding academic program, learn the value of hard work and the joy of knowledge well earned. Our robust co-curricular, residential life and weekend programs develop in our students the skills, knowledge and confidence to be successful in university and life. With an average class size of 10 students, our teachers provide exceptional personalized attention to each student, ensuring our continued 100% university placement and exceptional university scholarship opportunities."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
"With a maximum student population of 80 and a rich diversity of 25-30 countries in the student population, Merrick Preparatory School is known as a world class educational...(more)
"With a maximum student population of 80 and a rich diversity of 25-30 countries in the student population, Merrick Preparatory School is known as a world class educational institution and rich in its personalized character development. As educators, we ask ourselves, who do we hope our students become – as people? A very small percent will make a living as an athlete, but all will enjoy being active for life – our sports facilities are functional to this purpose. As teens develop, they have potential in many fields of study, we provide our students the academic framework to gain entry into any program at any university in the world, but do not focus on finite specialities. As a small school our campus is compact versus sprawling, and purposely located in a small, safe and inclusive village. Our resources are allocated to making a difference in each student’s life, allowing for individualized attention with no student being “lost in the middle” or “falling through the cracks”."
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
"When founded in 2012 we had little diversity in our student population and only offered grades 11 and 12 to international boarding students. Over the first five years as we began...(more)
"When founded in 2012 we had little diversity in our student population and only offered grades 11 and 12 to international boarding students. Over the first five years as we began to grow, we saw the impact of one culture dominance and class size on the educational opportunities of our students. We made four conscious strategic decisions. First, limit our boarding program to 60 students, overall school size to 80 and average class size to 10. Second, increase our diversity to a minimum of 25 countries with a goal of no more than 4 students per country. Third, include local “day” students in the student population. Fourth, increase the course offerings to include grades 9 and 10. In 2020, as a result of COVID, we developed a robust live-real-time synchronous learning platform, which now serves our students awaiting their Study Permit; they do not miss any academic time regardless of where they are in the world and join seamlessly when they arrive on campus."
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
"Students that have success at Merrick Preparatory School have the following traits: they are interested in sharing in a community – developing a shared sense of belonging; they...(more)
"Students that have success at Merrick Preparatory School have the following traits: they are interested in sharing in a community – developing a shared sense of belonging; they are curious about other cultures, value diversity and inclusive; they have strong intellectual abilities that may have not yet been realized or developed and would benefit from a smaller school, small class sizes and more individualized attention. They have an enterprising curiosity and a positive outlook. They are willing to take on responsibilities for their own benefit and the benefit of the group. Families that find success at MPS value education as forum to discover who one might become as a human being and not just an academic or as a career path – the academics are the medium for self-learning and growth; they understand that the first step in learning is feeling safe and secure, self-assured and confident in oneself. Our results prove this is the recipe for success in university and beyond."
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
"Merrick Preparatory School offers a highly rigorous and demanding academic program. However, that is not our starting point. We focus on the person, not the intellect. We focus...(more)
"Merrick Preparatory School offers a highly rigorous and demanding academic program. However, that is not our starting point. We focus on the person, not the intellect. We focus on community and responsibility, not the individual right. We have high expectations and hold students to account, but do not mete out dire consequences. Families looking for rigid structure for strong academic outcomes or firm discipline to promote responsibility would find the MPS approach frustrating. As a small school our focus is on creating not just successful but fulfilled students. We value physical activity and sport but appreciate a minuscule percentage will pursue this as a career, so families looking for high level sports or sports scholarships will find MPS is not the fit for them. Families looking for highly specialized programs would not see MPS as a good fit, yet our approach ensures 100% of our graduates earn acceptance to their first-choice program, even highly specialized programs."
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"Families choose MPS for many reasons, but the most common are: i) Our academic outcomes: a 100% university placement rate for all our graduates since our founding in 2012 to their...(more)
"Families choose MPS for many reasons, but the most common are: i) Our academic outcomes: a 100% university placement rate for all our graduates since our founding in 2012 to their first choice program at their first choice world ranked university, the return on investment is guaranteed; ii) Our size, diversity & inclusion: maximum school size of 80, average class size of 10, 25+ countries represented in the student body. We are a tight knit inclusive community, a family, each student is seen and heard; iii) Ability to motivate students to reach beyond their grasp: many students are intellectually able yet have mediocre outcomes. At MPS we focus on the person first, ensure a safe, positive environment and then turn to academic outcomes – the result: mediocre students metamorphize into top performing academics, reaching beyond their self-perceived grasp. iv) Safety: MPS is a small safe inclusive school located in a small safe inclusive village, only 45 minutes from the nation’s capital."
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
"Merrick Preparatory School’s imagine in the public is, first: academically rigorous with a perfect record of placing it’s graduates in world ranked universities on significant...(more)
"Merrick Preparatory School’s imagine in the public is, first: academically rigorous with a perfect record of placing it’s graduates in world ranked universities on significant scholarships; second: internationally diverse and exceptionally inclusive of difference; third: safe and caring – a place that students call home, a tight knit family where pupils are more like brothers and sisters and staff are more like parents and trusted mentors; fourth: a place of deep learning, beyond academics, beyond curriculum … a place where students feel safe and included and as a result they blossom not only academically, but as people, analytical and critical thinkers and conscious contributors to the global good, and; fifth: a small school located in a small, safe and quiet village where villagers know our students by name and where there are few distractions from focused academic study."
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
"Families interested in Merrick Preparatory School know and understand it is a small school, however, what they fail to see is the power and impact this has on our students. Each...(more)
"Families interested in Merrick Preparatory School know and understand it is a small school, however, what they fail to see is the power and impact this has on our students. Each student is known by all staff, not just their teachers; from kitchen to maintenance, admissions to administration, residential life to teachers, every staff person at MPS knows and has a relationship with every single student. That emotional connection means each student is “known”, “seen”, “heard”. No student “falls through the cracks” because there are no cracks. Small student population, small class sizes, small village means each student receives the care required to grow as an individual, challenge themselves to reach beyond their grasp and succeed where they did not think possible. We aim to have a big impact on a small number of students, not a small impact on a large number – and this has made all the difference in our students’ success and fulfillment, not only as academics, but as people."
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"What families find surprising about MPS is the sincere dedication and deep care every staff person has for each individual student’s success. Unlike larger schools where many...(more)
"What families find surprising about MPS is the sincere dedication and deep care every staff person has for each individual student’s success. Unlike larger schools where many positions are “outsourced” and change frequently (cleaning, maintenance, kitchen, even residential life staff), all MPS staff are employees, dedicated individuals who see this as a vocation, not a job. Each staff person has an emotional connection to each student and is dedicated to each students’ success - our whole focus is oriented towards this: fifty-five-minute daily Advisor meetings in which each teacher mentors and guides their eight student advisees; weekly all staff student success meetings in which each student is discussed, and success strategies implemented; every Friday emails sent to every parent from every teacher outlining student success from the previous week; monthly progress reports; 24/7 availability of the Head of School to all students – a true “door’s open” policy, and much more."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
"MPS is always looking to increase its impact on student outcomes. For this coming year we have adjusted our daily Advisor groups from single grade to mixed grades to provide...(more)
"MPS is always looking to increase its impact on student outcomes. For this coming year we have adjusted our daily Advisor groups from single grade to mixed grades to provide mentorship and leadership opportunities for our returning and senior students. We have broadened the responsibilities to our Student Council for greater input and direction from our student body. Our Synchronous Learning Platform, that evolved because of COVID, has been limited to those students awaiting their Study Permit to increase the impact and quality of our on-campus student experience. We have “merged” our English as a Second Language program into the academic day to better integrate our English language learners, increase the pace of the English language acquisition, increase the number of credits they will earn and improve their inclusion in the student body. We have set outcomes for each co-curricular and continue to innovate our Advisor curriculum and tumbling timetable for better academic outcomes."
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
"Our core values of Courage, Community, Compassion, and our mission to reach beyond your grasp, is our north star, it remains our constant focus - unchanged. How we deliver on our...(more)
"Our core values of Courage, Community, Compassion, and our mission to reach beyond your grasp, is our north star, it remains our constant focus - unchanged. How we deliver on our core values and mission is a constant evolution of improvement. Small “tweaks” and even larger adjustments are made annually based on student, staff and parent feedback, as evidenced in the answer above. Regular improvements to the program and its delivery are ongoing, including enhancing the robotics opportunities for our students. We continue to evolve our varsity sport offerings with a new additional evening of sports planned this year. The physical plant will be enhanced including a make over and change of paint colours in the dorm hallways to stimulate focus while create a soothing and relaxing home environment. Reaching full capacity over the next five year will create the opportunity for the building of a new gymnasium and science lab on our adjacent vacant property ready for development."
Gr. 11 to Gr. 12 — Watch our parent interview with Daniela Swientek to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Merrick Preparatory School.
Gr. 10 (current) — Merrick Preparatory School is a school that welcomes students from different backgrounds and makes an effort to make students and their families feel like part of a close-knit community. Diversity is considered a plus. The teachers, administrative and support personnel are always available and supportive to both students and families, as was made very clear to me when my mother-in-law died and we had to share the news with our child.
One thing that I believe would improve the experience, but I understand that would be difficult to accomplish, is to expand its infrastructure in the present site, allowing more room for the students to enjoy. I believe the size of the school is adequate, but improvements can always be made to upgrade the facilities.
Gr. 10 (current) — As a student at Merrick Prep for a year and almost a half, I do like it, and it kind of feels like home by now. Since it is an international school I got to know a lot about different cultures around the world, we respect each other's cultures beliefs, and ways of thinking which is what makes our school unique and diverse. I wish I took an ESL class at the very beginning. I don't think I want to make lots of changes in the school in general, just a little bit in the weekend activities which I joined the student council for and I think my friend Jenny will do a good job working together to come up with fun and enjoyable activities!
Gr. 9 (current) — My daughter's experience is meeting other learners from other countries, making new friends, and learning about Canada as a country. She appreciates the support she is receiving from the teachers and the principal. She just misses home food which is understandable. The weekend activities are something she is looking forward to. The Canadian schooling system is different, she is enjoying the long summer break, and the fact that the school starts at 9 am instead of 7:30 am back at home, so she can sleep till late. It is her first time being at boarding school and Merrick Prep gave her that experience without her being overwhelmed. She has the comfort of her own double bed and ensuite toilet, which makes a huge difference because it does not feel like she is squashed in a hostel.
Gr. 11 to Gr. 12 — Merrick really taught me that school is not the chore that a lot of people make it out to be. The school's unique approach to learning is unrivaled compared to any other educational institution I have ever been to. The support and interpersonal communication between students, teachers, staff, and parents are really incredible which makes a huge difference when it comes to effectively shaping, learning, and meeting each student's individual needs. Furthermore, the teachers are extremely outgoing and will not hesitate to do anything to ensure the well-being of the students which I'm very thankful and grateful for. Merrick prepared me incredibly well for my start in university as we were often briefed on what we should expect in further education, etc... Compared to other first years at my university I can tell a very distinct difference as right from the get-go I knew what I needed to prepare and expect in university, whereas others seem to get lost and off track easily. Overall, Merrick, not only in terms of opportunities and education but also in terms of well-being and support is the best school I have ever attended. Thank you, Merrick!
It's nice. I love the place because of the love, spirit, and pride I feel when I'm in the building; it feels very "homey." The school treats the students as if they're family and they always strive better for their students as they focus on developing critical thinking, enhancing our creativity and making sure no one is left out. When I'm in the classroom, the classroom environment feels very supportive, the teachers make sure to engage us and that no one is left out on classroom activities; I feel very comfortable in the class and that has made my confidence grow, which has helped me in multiple aspects of life. The school environment is no different, it's positive. With students belonging to various cultures and coming from all around the world, the school has done a good job of promoting harmony and encouraging the students to understand and respect the values of other cultures. The school also has good facilities that help students to identify their skills and work on achieving their full potential, those ranging from the sports equipment to laboratories and the overall town MPS is located in as it has a library for one example within walking distance. If I could change one thing about the school though, I would like more students and a way for day students to have wifi after hours... because I don't know how I could ever last going to the school on the weekends or afternoons of Fridays with none.
I was awarded a scholarship to Merrick Preparatory School for Grade 9 as a day student for 2021-2022. So far, my experience has been exceptional: the teachers are involved and always available, the facilities are lovely, and there is no shortage of school and community spirit. There are plenty of opportunities within the school and local town of Merrickville to get things like volunteer hours and feel involved in the community. I like how the days are structured, especially the tumbling schedule that was implemented in semester two. There are also schedules posted all around the school, just in case you forget what day it is and what class you have next! The hot meals we get every day are also something to look forward to! The kitchen staff are lovely, and their food is just as good.
As our daughter hoped, she has found that the most rewarding aspect of being at Merrick Prep is the chance to meet and to learn with students from a variety of different backgrounds. She enjoys the sharing of different viewpoints and this is easily achieved in a school with such a student makeup. Furthermore she appreciates that learning occurs in more forms and ways than direct instruction and she knows that a school such as this allows for an enriching overall experience.
Our daughter likes the quality feedback that she is given following the submission and return of assignments and she is able to use this feedback to help her to go to the next level.
The difficulties brought about by COVID have meant that the classes are not quite as large as she would have hoped for and some of the students are having to join the class through the online learning medium that the school offers.
Joining Merrick Preparatory School changed my son into a responsible young man.
Academically he improved so much with the small number of students it felt like one-to-one teaching.
My son is so happy at MPS it’s like a second family to him.
He made friends with different age groups and multinational students had fun and played different sports from ice hockey to rafting...etc
He worked on developing himself by listening to teachers and headmaster on ways to improve himself academically and personally.
He became a more confident caring, responsible, discipline, honest, independent and mature person.
MPS is a safe caring environment with strong core values supporting students all the way to university.
A balanced life between fun, sports and achieving good grades and challenges.
MPS was the best opportunity my son could ever get.
As an international student first arriving to Ontario, the school helped me a lot in overcoming the culture shock that comes with being a foreigner. Due to the fact that the students in the school are mainly international, you truly live the experience of meeting people all around the world. Getting to know the staff and the students and to feel comfortable with them is a must for the school, and they achieve this by having school activities throughout the school year. Out-of-school life is pretty good as well, the facility is perfectly suited for all students, the dining area is big enough for everyone, the Wi-Fi works well, the school counts with recreation areas such as a basketball court, a gym, ping pong table, etc. So you won't get bored that easily.
Overall, the school exceeds in ensuring a top academic level and great social life. It is worth mentioning that for the school, responsibility is important, so, the student has to be responsible for their times, the rules and overall for their life throughout the school year.
The staff and the teachers are simply amazing. The care given to my son is second to none. The quality of education and effort given to make sure he excels is truly equivalent to what we give our child as parents. They have truly uplifted my son from an average student to one who excels in everything he does. And what is most amazing about MPS, is that he now loves academia. He thrives on working hard, doing well and keeping his teachers happy, and he truly behaves as if MPS is his second family.
He also has a much more elevated degree of commitment to performing his tasks, doing his homework and assignments. He has also committed himself to his desire to impress his teachers !
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