THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Sunnybrook School

REPORT CONTENTS

School Overview

Reviews

Analysis

ADMISSIONS

What is involved in the admissions process at Sunnybrook School? When is the deadline, and what are the requirements? How does it compare to other schools? How should you factor these into your decision?

Facts and analysis

VISITING THE SCHOOL

Upcoming open houses will be announced here.

An open house includes a campus tour and meetings with teachers, staff, and students. Hosting open houses is a typical practice among schools.

Why it matters

A school visit offers a firsthand look at the environment, culture, and daily life of the school. It provides an opportunity to ask questions, observe interactions, and verify your expectations directly. It's a vital part of an informed choice.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

The final deadline is December 5, 2025 for Day entry at Sunnybrook School. Mid-year entry option is also available.

Entry is typically for the beginning of the next school year in September.

Application deadline by enrollment type(s)

Month	Sunnybrook School	Other schools
Month	Fixed deadline	Fixed deadline	Rolling admissions
September		0%	88% of all other schools have rolling admissions
October		Less than 1%
November		2%
December	Day deadline: December 5, 2025	7%
January		1%
February		2%
March		2%
April		1%
May		1%
June		Less than 1%
July		0%
August		1%

Why it matters

The admissions timeline helps you plan and prepare for key milestones, including school visits, application submission, and acceptance notifications.

ENTRY GRADES

The highest number of new enrollment openings include Grade(s) JK, SK and 1.

The highest number of openings across all other schools we cover include Grade(s) JK, SK and 1 (for the same grades offered at Sunnybrook School).

Breakdown by grade

Entry grade	Number of openings available: Day
Entry grade	Sunnybrook School	Average of all other schools
JK	16	16
SK	2 - 5	10
Gr. 1	1 - 5	10
Gr. 2	1 - 4	8
Gr. 3	1 - 4	8
Gr. 4	1 - 2	9
Gr. 5	1 - 2	9
Gr. 6	1 - 2	9

Why it matters

Popular entry grades may offer more opportunities for peer integration and more extensive orientation programs at the school. Applying to these grades may increase the chances of admission and support a smoother social and academic transition for the student.

ACCEPTANCE RATE

90% of all applications are accepted.

Acceptance rate at Sunnybrook School is typical of the schools we cover.

Breakdown by grade

Grade	Acceptance rate: Day
Grade	Sunnybrook School	Average of all other schools
JK	0%	42%
SK	0%	36%
Gr. 1	0%	40%
Gr. 2	0%	37%
Gr. 3	0%	36%
Gr. 4	0%	36%
Gr. 5	0%	36%
Gr. 6	0%	36%

What Sunnybrook School says it looks for in students

We encourage parents to visit our Open House and meet our senior students; this will give you an idea of the kind of student we are looking for. Children who are curious and knowledgeable for their age and who enjoy learning will thrive at SBS.
Why it matters

A school's acceptance rate gives you an indication of how competitive the admissions process is. Understanding this can help you set expectations and make strategic decisions about where to apply. Please note that the acceptance rates provided here are approximate.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The admissions process may require an interview.

See grade-by-grade admissions requirements at Sunnybrook School and how they compare with other schools.

Breakdown by grade

Grade	Required by Sunnybrook School					% of schools requiring
Grade	Interview	SSAT	SSAT (out of province)	Entrance exam	Entrance essay	% of schools requiring
JK		-	-	-	-	Interview: 35%, Exam: 4%
SK		-	-	-	-	Interview: 35%, Exam: 5%
Gr. 1		-	-	-	-	Interview: 51%, Exam: 16%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 2		-	-	-	-	Interview: 52%, Exam: 19%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 3		-	-	-	-	Interview: 53%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 21%, Essay: 2%
Gr. 4		-	-	-	-	Interview: 55%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 23%, Essay: 3%
Gr. 5		-	-	-	-	Interview: 57%, SSAT: 1%, Exam: 25%, Essay: 5%
Gr. 6		-	-	-	-	Interview: 60%, SSAT: 2%, Exam: 26%, Essay: 7%

What Sunnybrook School says about the application process

Application fee: $200

Registration fee: $6,000

Deposit: $4,800

Description:
Choosing a school is a big decision for families, and our goal is to make this comfortable and transparent. A visit to the school begins the process. For application we require the application form, birth certificate, previous year's school reports (if applicable), any other relevant reports and the application fee. Overseas applications are welcome.

The application procedure includes an assessment of each student (we usually meet our applicants in small groups), and an interview with the parents.

The registration fee for JK students is $4000.
Why it matters

Understanding admission requirements is crucial as you assess your fit with a school and the likelihood of acceptance. These requirements often reflect the school's educational priorities.

Qualitative insights

These insights are based on conversations with parents, alumni, and school leadership. Handpicked and curated by our editor, they offer a close look at how the school is experienced and perceived by those who know it best.

First impressions and personal connections are prioritized.

Insights from families reveal that the strong first impressions and personal connections made during tours and meetings with staff, especially with the principal, play a significant role in their decision to choose Sunnybrook School.

We were looking to enrol our son in a school that was small, a small community, because we felt he needed a little bit more of a hands-on approach. When we visited Sunnybrook, it had a small-community feeling. It was very welcoming, very warm. And looking at the type of person our son was, we realized this would be a great fit for him.

—Pam and Nigel Panesar, parent (see full interview)

During our first tour, what we noticed was the students were very happy, positive, very upbeat, very respectful, and sociable. The kids were great ambassadors for the school, and they weren't pretending. They were just being themselves at school. We had someone give us a tour, and they were very knowledgeable, very confident, and spoke very well. And that gave us a great first impression of the school, because if the students are happy, then we know that they're doing something right.

—Pam and Nigel Panesar, parent (see full interview)

One of the things that first drew us to Sunnybrook was what a small, warm, nurturing environment it was. Our oldest daughter was going into SK. On our tour, we saw Sunnybrook as a place where the teachers knew every kid, and where there was a genuine warmth between them. These kids would come out and talk about what was going on in the classroom and the look on the teacher’s face. The pride that she had in those students made me feel like there’s something good happening here.

—Oksana Deltova, parent (see full discussion)

As soon as we walked into Sunnybrook, there’s no other way to describe it other than it felt right. It felt like it was going to be the right school for our daughter. We were very impressed by a tour that we took, led by a Grade 6 girl, and we thought ‘If our daughter could end up as eloquent as that at Grade 6, we’re in.’

—Laurie Levitt, parent (see full interview)

I think they did a good job of communicating and then giving us a feel for the school. There weren’t really too many surprises. We had a good sense of what to expect, and they lived up to that.

—Pam and Nigel Panesar, parent (see full interview)

From the beginning, when we were looking for SK options for our first child, Sunnybrook really just stood out for a variety of reasons. It was just a really positive first impression.

—Clark Savolaine, parent (see full interview)

I think anyone who takes the time to go actually visit Sunnybrook, and walk around the school, and just see it in action on a given day, is going to be very impressed in a different way than if you're just looking at a drive by or a brochure.

—Clark Savolaine, parent (see full interview)

I’ve sent two kids to Sunnybrook. For our first child, we did a much broader search. For our second child, we had already seen ‘the product’ of Sunnybrook School — what it can deliver from an experience perspective, from an academic development perspective — and so it was almost a ‘no-brainer’ at that point. Our kids are very different, but it was the right school for both of them, and for different reasons.

—Katie Azuma, parent (see full interview)

We knew Sunnybrook was the right school. It wasn’t ‘on paper’—it was the feeling we got when we went into the school.

—Heather Morrison, parent (see full discussion)

These days, independent schools thrive for excellence. All have fantastic websites, glossy brochures, and staff willingly give you a tour showing how great things are. What differentiated Sunnybrook school from the rest for my wife and me was the happiness we felt in the hallways of school and the students running around, every time we visited the school. Right away, we could see our daughter amongst the students in Sunnybrook school. Our journey started with a typical open house, followed by a school tour. The process was fairly similar to those of the other independent schools we visited. And we visited many. Staff are very professional and friendly. You get a warm feeling that are prepared to hear your unique needs and worries. You don’t get a sense that they are reading from a marketing script with predefined “Q and A”s. When we shortlisted a few independent schools, we went back and had a one on one with the Principal. Meeting with Dr.Davy. was the ultimate tipping point for us to go with Sunnybrook School. She has a vision for the school that is easily understandable. She listened to our particular needs and worries. She responded to all our questions, openly and honestly.

—Reza Asadikia, parent (beginning 2016) (see full review)

The school offers diverse and versatile education experiences.

Alumni and parents suggest that Sunnybrook offers a range of educational and extracurricular opportunities, preparing students with versatile skills and experiences.

My son is very boisterous, very loud, and our one concern was that maybe Sunnybrook would be too small for him. But somehow it wasn’t a problem. For example, we were thinking of the small gym, and the fact that he was very sporty. The small gym wasn’t an issue at all because they do a lot of outside activities. They go to the parks a lot. They do outside activities like curling, skating, rock climbing, gyms, things like that. When you go tour Sunnybrook, one thing you notice is how tiny the gym is, but they do so much to get them outside of that small gym.

—Laurie Levitt, parent (see full interview)

Before choosing Sunnybrook, we looked at bigger schools, and at single-sex schools. Both my children went onto bigger schools as well. But at the time, the bigger schools just seemed too big for us. To us they seemed more like public schools in terms of size. And we didn’t really understand single-sex education, because my husband and I both went to coed public schools. We also were concerned about having them in just one school from kindergarten all the way to Grade 12. We wanted some change and transition, thinking that different schools could give them different abilities and different experiences. So that led us toward Sunnybrook.

—Laurie Levitt, parent (see full interview)

We were looking specifically for the IB Programme, and they had that. We were also looking for coed. In Toronto, it's usually one or the other. This school offers both. We think our son really appreciates those, too.

—Pam and Nigel Panesar, parent (see full interview)

An active and engaging learning environment is provided.

Accounts from parents emphasize that Sunnybrook School's active learning approach and hands-on learning environment continue to keep children engaged and motivated.

Most children would definitely excel at Sunnybrook, but if your child would really need a lot of structure, a very ‘quiet zone,’ very rigorous structure, they might not do as well at Sunnybrook. That’s because with us they get engaged in their learning, and sometimes that can get noisy.

—Teralee Brunn, Principal (see full interview)

Our kids had finished their Montessori program, and because I work in the education space, I really value the active learning environment that Montessori was providing and wanted to find something that continued the kids on that journey. When we went to go look at Sunnybrook and attend the orientation, immediately, I think within two minutes they were using the phrase active learning, and I said, ‘We found a good match here.’

—Nina and Mark Angelo, parent (beginning in Gr. 1) (see full interview)

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