Meet Académie Westboro Academy's admission team at the Private School Expo: Ottawa (Sep 28). RSVP NOW
The big picture on Académie Westboro Academy
We wrote a book reviewing the school
The 50-page review of Académie Westboro Academy 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.
"Start your child(ren) on the path to bilingualism from the start. Our kindergarten program immerses students in French, with our all day French program, designed to help them learn and become confident in their French speaking abilities. As they advance, our Grade 1 to 8 program has an equal split between French and English language instruction. Our intentionally small class sizes foster a tight-knit community and a personalized learning approach, ensuring every student feels seen and supported."
Académie Westboro Academy, a truly bilingual school, une école parfaitement bilingue.
Give your child a lifetime of excellence with Ottawa's most personalized, truly bilingual education.
Westboro Academy has a strong academic focus in a nuturing environment.
Being community-focussed is a key aspect of our school mission.
Our founding core values are: Excellence, Integrity and Respect.
Our class sizes are small, and there is only one class per grade.
We cultivate independence, critical-thinking and character, in preparation for life-long learning.
JK/SK: our full day French program immerses students in French right from the beginning.
Grades 1-6 are exposed to a bilingual program that uses both Ontario and Quebec curriculums.
Grades 7-8 bilingual curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and study skills.
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"Our bilingual program is second to none! Teaching both official languages as first languages, having homeroom French teachers who are, without exception, themselves French...(more)
"Our bilingual program is second to none! Teaching both official languages as first languages, having homeroom French teachers who are, without exception, themselves French speakers combined with the careful attention paid to ensuring a balance of French and English activities within the school (guest speakers, book fairs, morning announcements, student assemblies etc...) ensures that our students leave Académie Westboro Academy as confident communicators in English and in French.
In addition to this, our smaller student body (maximum total enrolment is 176 students), small, caring and dedication staff and faculty team fosters a unique sense of community. One where everybody knows each other and everyone has a voice and feels seen and valued."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
"Because our days are split 50/50 between French language instruction and English language instruction, this means that potential students coming to us in Grades 2-3 must already...(more)
"Because our days are split 50/50 between French language instruction and English language instruction, this means that potential students coming to us in Grades 2-3 must already have a foundation of understanding of French. Students arriving in Grades 4-8 must have an even greater foundation of understanding and communicating in French in order to be successful here. This means, that unfortunately, we are unable to admit older students who have had little to no exposure to French."
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
Information not yet available.
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
"Families who prioritize bilingualism, strong academics as well as a caring and nurturing environment for their child(ren) are an ideal fit for our school. Because we welcome...(more)
"Families who prioritize bilingualism, strong academics as well as a caring and nurturing environment for their child(ren) are an ideal fit for our school. Because we welcome parent involvement (guest speakers, science fair judges, board members, various committee and events), parents who like to take an active role in their child(ren)'s school also enjoy this aspect (though, involvement can be as limited or as in depth as individuals time permits)."
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
Information not yet available.
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
Information not yet available.
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
Information not yet available.
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
Information not yet available.
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
Information not yet available.
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
Information not yet available.
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
SK to Gr. 8 — Watch our parent interview with Fatemeh Bahari to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Académie Westboro Academy.
SK (current),JK (current) — I have 2 children at Westboro Academy currently in SK and Grade 1. Both of my children have had nothing but positive experiences at Westboro Academy. I would say that the number one thing that my kids appreciate is how well their teachers know them. With the classes being small it is easy for the teachers to build a relationship with every single one of their students and tailor to each of the children’s needs. They have also developed very close relationships with their classmates. This is because there is only one class per grade, so the kids stay with the same kids right up until grade 8. They get to know each other very well. And with this, I have noticed that there is a lot of encouragement within the class. Students are quick to help other students. They genuinely want each other to do their best and be their best.
Our son had a great experience at Westboro Academy attending from junior kindergarten through grade 4. The teachers were all wonderful and his French proficiency was fantastic by the time he left.
Being a small school with one class per grade level led to a strong community feel and all kids and teachers across the school had the opportunity to get to know each other.
With a recent change of facilities the school now has plenty of space including large classrooms, a gym and access to park and field space.
Junior and Senior Kindergarten years were conducted wholly in French and subsequent years were half French and half English using a mix of Quebec and Ontario curricula. The academic program is extremely strong and students who move on at any level can expect to be well-positioned for success at any subsequent school.
I have two children at Westboro Academy that have been there since JK. The school offers a very welcoming and supportive environment that is inclusive and tailored to children's needs. My children appreciate the culture of compassion and acceptance that the school offers, the small class sizes allow for meaningful child/teacher interactions, the overall structure of the program in a bilingual approach allows the children to be fluent and confident in both official languages. in addition to the culture, environment and academic approach, the new school location offers spacious classrooms with many in-class tools, the access to the adjacent park also allows for good outdoor experiences for all the children. In summary, my children appreciate the culture of compassion and inclusiveness, the academic approach and the state-of-the-art learning environment.
I love Westboro Academy. As the year passes by, you get to know most students as the community is very small. Although some may see the low number of students and classes as a bad thing, you really get to make some life lasting friendships with your classmates, and other students in the school. Another pro of the small community and low number of students per class, is that the education one gets is tapered to what is best for you. For example, if you are struggling in a certain subject or having a hard time understanding a lesson, you can always feel free to email the teachers or reach out to them in person to help you understand the work covered. Honestly, if there is one thing that I wish I had known when I started at Westboro, it would be that I should enjoy every minute I spend with the amazing group of people you are with as the time flies by, and you wish you could restart your time at the school.
My child has attended Westboro Academy since junior kindergarten. He has developed close friendships with his classmates and with children in other classes as well, thanks to the small class sizes and the sense of community that is experienced at the school. He likes the variety of classes and activities that they are exposed to there. There is a lot of hands on, experiential learning which he finds really fun. He particularly likes science class, with age-appropriate science experiments and guidance that he then comes home and shows us! He also really enjoys that the older students engage with the younger kids, so they learn from each other. And the school has a fun “house teams” approach where students from all classes participate in fun monthly challenges together.
This has been our daughter's first year at Académie Westboro Academy, which means that her experience, so far, has been framed by the global pandemic and all of the disruption that this has caused in systems of schooling. That said, in the face of extreme challenge, our daughter's experiences at AWA have been very positive. She is receiving a great deal of academic support from her teachers and through additional resource supports that the school put in place to meet her needs in math and French; she has made new friends, and has delighted in all of the ways that the school has tried to maintain some semblance of "normalcy" despite the pandemic context. She is part of a house, she ran for student government, she participated in the science fair; guest speakers have joined her classes via Zoom, and the academic program has continued to include visual arts, music and physical education even during phases of remote learning. Although our daughter has found the academic transition from her neighbourhood school to AWA challenging, she has also discovered new strengths that she didn't know she had, and is coming to know herself as a learner in important ways that will help her overcome challenges in the future. On balance, we think this has been a really successful year for our daughter.
We have nothing but incredible things to say about Westboro Academy. The richness of the curriculum, the small and nurturing environment, and exceptional educators who clearly love their jobs have been a life–changer for our son. Having been looked over for years in the public school system, he is finally in a school where he is seen as an individual.
He has been challenged, learned so many life lessons, and overcome preconceived notions of who he is not just as a learner, but as a person. The time he has spent at Westboro has actually made him excited about learning! The compassionate, respectful, and inspiring atmosphere at AWA encourages children to push their boundaries while simultaneously respecting their needs. Nowhere else have I seen teachers so personally attached to their students' success.
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