Testimonials from parents and students reveal that Lakefield is celebrated for its extremely supportive culture free from bullying, marked by kindness and a close-knit atmosphere where everyone feels like they belong.
The kids that go to school at Lakefield are kind. They're kind to each other. They're kind to the people who support them in their building. The people that take care of them in the dorms are kind. Their teachers are kind. Time and time again, through every interaction with every teacher or every student that I've met, you do get a sense of that kindness when you walk into Lakefield.
Three words that describe Lakefield if it were a person: I would say ‘outgoing’, ‘adventurous’—and I think the most important is ‘kind’. It’s such an important part of the community and it’s so present in every interaction. We’re a fun, outgoing place and we like to challenge people, but we do it in such a spirit of kindness that the intentions are always good. Outgoing, adventurous, and kind.
I was talking to a parent not long ago about what they thought of Lakefield versus what they actually got out of Lakefield. And what they said to me was, ‘I was surprised at how supportive all the students were of each other’. She said she didn’t hear too much of, like, bullying and stuff happening at the school. And she’s like, ‘I’m not sure if I’m out of touch or if I’m naive’, but I would probably say that no, she wasn’t being naive, because bullies don’t really last long here at Lakefield. It’s a very supportive community. Lakefield students really want to have that supportive feeling in that community. We’re all part of these residential houses and we are pretty lucky that the students that are here want to be here.
Lakefield College School provides this amazing inclusive environment for them to thrive. High school is a complex experience for students. It's, I think, just emotionally complex. Trying to find that inner confidence and belief in yourself. And so, what I've noticed specifically with our daughter and our son, is this growth. I see it year over year.
The thing that I appreciate the most is the connections that I've created at Lakefield. I've noticed because now at university, I'm like a student. And at Lakefield I felt that I was part of a family. I'm going to have a great experience at university. I'm going to meet people. I'm going to have friends. I'm going to have teachers and professors. But after going to Lakefield, it's not just the teachers, not just your roommates, not just your housemate. It's the people that you see every day. And because it's such a small school, you know everyone, everyone knows you.
It’s really heartening to know that our son was comfortable and at home, being that busy, just finding new things to love. When he started there, we didn't hear from him for a long time, like two, three weeks. He wasn't texting. He was too busy to call. And we finally had to talk with him and ask, ‘Are you okay? Is everything going well?’ And he's like, ‘I'm just living the Lakefield life.’ And that's probably one of the messages he asked me to pass on: at Lakefield, you'll always find your people. You'll find someone to do what you love to do and find your people.
We went to tour Lakefield and when you step onto the campus you are just blown away by the expansiveness of the beauty. And then to be honest, it's the students. They sold it. Their enthusiasm, their love. It's like getting a big, huge hug when you come on. And the sense of all the opportunities that your children can have is pretty amazing.
LCS does a very good job of making everybody feel like family and just helping us raise good, kind, nice people is important to us. For me it's always been about ‘it takes a village.’ So it was an easy decision. It's a real easy one with Lakefield.
Students at Lakefield are all very loyal to each other and loyal to the community. Everybody has the opportunity to be who they are. You see a lot of private schools that are pretty narrow and guide those kids down the same path. LCS does not do that. You have the opportunity to be who you are 150%.
Every single time that we didn't have class, every student was together having fun, doing activities, playing sports, or doing one of our arts, and just having the opportunity to form connections. So Lakefield gave me the opportunity to form those connections in the community.
For me, the biggest thing that changed from being a student at Lakefield was my confidence. I was a pretty shy student going in and obviously being one of three new students in my grade, it was definitely nerve-wracking. Everyone was so nice and it built up my confidence.
People might be surprised by how much the staff members care for their students. I had a personal experience with my English teacher. I wasn't talking much, and she would say, ‘Oh, what can I do to make it more comfortable for you to get you talking more?’ And I found that very impactful for my time at Lakefield. It's like a big family, and I don't think parents would realise how close every student and every staff member would get. I loved it.
The experience at Lakefield is designed for the students to grow their independence, become independent, and you can just trust the school to do it. It's a safe environment for them to have small failures to learn through. If they have any concerns or any fears that they're not going to succeed or that they've had a small failure, the only thing they need to do is just lean into the school and just share that fear, share that concern. Every time we watch the school just come around them and lift them up. Just trust the school.
The student body is small and supportive. Students know others through the different grades as sports and arts are open to all. They are also in residences with students across the board. There are many international students, allowing for students to meet and learn about other places in the world. The school does not tolerate bullying, or other distructive behaviours. As with any school there are groups of "sports" kids, "drama" kids etc. However, the groups support each other and go to events to cheer on their schoolmates.
My son loved going to school at LCS. He enjoyed the wide range of classes and extracurricular activities. He enjoyed the boarding experience and he gained independence and so many friends. The living away from home was a great way for my son to build independence, however, there is great support through the housing staff to help with settling in, academic support and meeting new people. They have a student body from the graduating class that all have leadership roles which also help with the younger students to become more comfortable and find their niche in the school body. My son had some issues with the specific study schedule as they had "study time" each night from 7 to 9pm. This is great to help instill the need to do homework daily, however, my son is a morning person and by 7 pm is fading in the ability to focus, work hard. So he woke early and did all his work then. Otherwise the school is very supportive of learning styles and needs.
Our son attended Lakefield College School for Grade 12, instead of doing CEGEP in our home province of Quebec. LCS provided our son with independence, confidence and security all while allowing him to develop each of those skills on his own. Changing him into a confident, independent young man overnight. Instilling a good work ethic all while having fun in his school community. The staff would be our son's number one takeaway from LCS. The guidance, encouragement, community and family feel prepared him for university life. LCS campus provides the students with a home atmosphere the activities and house events give all students the opportunity to get involved. Our son appreciated the art sports facilities! His ONLY regret or disappointment would be that he didn't attend LCS sooner, one year was not enough in his opinion.
—Suzanne Scarrow, parent (beginning 2019) (see
full review)
The overall atmosphere of Lakefield is created largely in part due to the extensive hours the admissions team puts in to find great students that will not only succeed at Lakefield, but blend well, and give back to the community. LCS has been known for its small size of fewer than 400 students, which has started to grow due to the intense demand. What separates Lakefield from other private boarding schools other than its size is also the atmosphere. Because of the small population, everyone is destined to cross paths with each other at some point whether it be on the sports field, in class, in your residence, or in a club. These people see you at your very best and are there for you during the tough times. That is just what Lakefield is, a community where your basketball coach is your head of house, your academic advisor is also your nurse, and where your grade 12 mentor could be leading your dance showcase. It truly is a family that works together to ensure the community succeeds and helps you grow as a person.
LCS has a talented student group. We are very impressed by the level of high quality of students’ artworks, theatre performance music and dancing, and beautiful poems. LCS has a diversified student group with students representing more than 40 countries. LCS brings all these culture and history diversities together and creates a caring, supportive and respectful student community, where everyone, no matter where she or he comes from, feels in one family. We were greeted by students with genuine smiles and joy when we did a campus tour back in 2018, and at that moment, we thought this is the school we would like our son to enter, and these are the students we would like them to be our son’s school mates and lifelong friends, and this is the community we definitely want to be part of it.
LCS has a great size and a nice mix of boarders and day students that creates a very close connection with the local community. The student body is diverse and balanced across geographies, providing a good opportunity of crossing cultures. Our kids have made great friends, some from their own houses some they have met in class or in extracurriculars. We have not heard a single bad experience in these two years, which we credit to LCS values, staff and culture that really appears to be able to develop well-rounded easy-going individuals. The best testimony was a few weeks ago during spring break when after 10 days at home it was evident they were ready to go back to their friends at their other home.
—Elena Millon, parent (beginning 2020) (see
full review)
After investigating private boarding schools worldwide, LCS was our first choice, and the school did not disappoint. Our daughter started at the school in grade 10 after seven years of homeschooling, and the entire process was very supportive. She found all of the programs and staff, both academic and non-academic world-class, very supportive and caring. Having grown up in Singapore and an Asian food foodie, she and some of her friends did find they needed to go off campus to get their fill of authentic Asian cuisine and would have liked to see some of that in the dining halls. Overall our daughter would have to say that she has met some lifelong friends during her time at Lakefield and will always cherish that from her time at the school. They had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed the environment and the experience.
—Randall Fitton, parent (beginning 2019) (see
full review)
