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in-depth report
The OUR KIDS Report: The York School
Grades JK TO Gr. 12 — Toronto, ON (Map)
Report Contents
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THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
The York School
REPORT CONTENTS
Reviews
Analysis

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Student Body

The York School is larger than most Canadian private schools and currently enrolls a notable proportion of students from outside Canada. It's a co-educational institution with a slightly higher percentage of students on financial aid than other schools. Families and alumni describe the school’s community as strong, inclusive, and driven, with ample leadership and extracurricular opportunities.

Page Contents

Facts and analysis

Total enrollment

755 students attend The York School.

The York School has a larger student body than 89% of all schools we cover.

  • Breakdown by grade
    Grade Enrollment
    The York School Median of all other schools
    JK2816
    SK3217
    Gr. 14418
    Gr. 24418
    Gr. 34418
    Gr. 44418
    Gr. 54420
    Gr. 65520
    Gr. 77624
    Gr. 86225
    Gr. 97040
    Gr. 107540
    Gr. 117843
    Gr. 127743

  • Why it matters

    While some researchers have looked to uncover the "ideal" school size, these studies often generalize student preferences and behaviours. Your real goal is to find what best suits your child’s needs. Smaller schools can offer a school-wide sense of connection, while larger schools often provide broader programming and opportunities. Also, note that per-grade enrollment often tells a more meaningful story than total enrollment alone (read topic guide).

Gender

Both girls and boys attend.

This makes The York School like 91% of other schools we cover.

  • Why it matters

    A school’s gender composition influences its social, academic, and extracurricular experiences. Coed schools often encourage collaboration across genders, while single-gender schools (all-boys or all-girls) may focus on specialized learning approaches (read topic guide).

International Students

15% of students come from outside Canada.

See how this ranks The York School below.

  • Why it matters

    A diverse international student body offers opportunities for cultural exchange and a global perspective. These experiences can enhance your child’s understanding of different cultures and prepare them for a globalized world (read topic guide).

STUDENTS ON FINANCIAL AID

2% of students at The York School receive financial aid.

The percentage of students on financial aid at The York School is higher than 63% of all schools we cover.

  • Breakdown by grade

    Grade Percentage of students on financial aid
    Gr. 63%
    Gr. 73%
    Gr. 83%
    Gr. 93%
    Gr. 103%
    Gr. 113%
    Gr. 123%

  • Why it matters

    Financial aid reflects a school’s commitment to accessibility and socioeconomic diversity. These programs aim to create a richer community by bringing together students from varied backgrounds and experiences (read topic guide).

 

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.


Students join a strong, inclusive, and driven community.

Accounts from parents, students, and alumni emphasize that The York School places a strong focus on inclusivity and diversity, fostering a welcoming atmosphere that celebrates various backgrounds and perspectives, underpinned by mutual respect and cultural acceptance.

The York School really focuses on making the community inclusive, not just from a gender perspective, but from many other aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. There's a lot of initiatives at the student level, at the faculty level, at the administration level, to ensure that these objectives are achieved.
—Mitch Green, parent (see full interview)
One of the things I like best about the York School is there is no typical family. We have a wide variety of ethnicities, people from Toronto, the GTA, other parts of Canada. Having perspectives from other parts of the world and their children really enriches the community.
—Mitch Green, parent (see full interview)
I love that the York School is an international school. It really adds a different dimension to the classroom, the dynamics, and the interplay of how we are living in a very big world that is so connected. You get exposure to different cultures and people who have a different perspective. And the school really encourages kids to explore, to look at different perspectives, and to be curious about the world around them.
—Sonia Thomas, parent (see full interview)

The co-educational environment plays a significant role.

Observations from students, parents, and alumni highlight that The York School’s co-educational environment, combined with its focus on the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, prepares students well for postsecondary education and the diverse nature of the real world.

The simplest way of how we differentiate ourselves is that we’re co-ed.  We look just to the north of us and there’s an independent boys’ school that’s IB, and just to the south of us is an independent girls’ school. So we’re the co-ed option, right in the heart of the city. It’s the gold-standard curriculum combined with the fact that the world is co-ed.
—Struan Robertson, Head of School (see full interview)
[When I think of what drew me to The York School], there’s the IB program. It’s also a co-ed school—that was also a deciding factor for my family. They wanted me to go to a co-ed school and I think that [was a big reason for choosing the school]. There’s not really too many co-ed IB programs, so that definitely played a big role.
—Leila Keshavjee, alum (see full interview)
We have twins, a boy and a girl, and we limited our choices to co-educational or gender-inclusive schools in the Central Toronto community. We were choosing independent schools after our kids were to complete their Grade 6 in the public school system.
—Mitch Green, parent (see full interview)

There are student-driven extracurriculars and leadership opportunities.

Testimonials from parents, alumni, and students reveal that at The York School, a wide array of extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities are often driven by student or collaborative student-teacher initiatives, promoting a well-rounded educational experience.

I'd say the biggest surprise at the York School was learning that the diversity of extracurricular offerings is often initiated by the students or by a student-teacher collaboratively. For example, there was some interest by a student and some of the teachers to start a mountain biking club and there it went. It started and my daughter participated and had a terrific time. And it was important for us that the school have a balance of both academic excellence and a wide extracurricular program.
—Mitch Green, parent (see full interview)
My kids surprised me with their participation in drama, which was not really in their comfort zone. They were both very proud of their performance. We had an opportunity to see them do a performance, and it was just fantastic! It shows that they feel comfortable enough with their peers to be able to freely participate, really put themselves out there. Especially kids between Grades 7 and 9, they're usually so self-conscious. That was something I would have never guessed they would get into.
—Sonia Thomas, parent (see full interview)
A lot of those initiatives you see at York School, regardless of how many years they've been going on for, a lot of them were started by students. And that's something that I think is very special. I spent a lot of time on the student council, and I think it was really empowering the amount of freedom that the students had to lead their own initiatives and start their own fundraisers and start their own Pay What You Can casual days and whatever it may be.
—Abigail Nash, alum (see full interview)

There are opportunities for parental involvement.

Observations from parents indicate that The York School excels in fostering robust parental engagement and support networks, offering numerous volunteering opportunities and creating a welcoming community for international families.

The parent involvement in the school is amazing. We all have similar values and mindsets, in terms of what we want for our kids, and with the support and the community, it’s been a very great experience for us. There are so many activities in which parents can be hands-on involved with the school. Up to this day, it really surprises me.
—Sasikan, parent (see full discussion)
The York School has a very robust Parents Association, and every parent is automatically a member when their child enrolls at York. There are over 80 volunteer positions across Junior, Middle and Senior Schools depending on one’s time and talent - everything from class parent to committee member and even occasional volunteers, who are called on as needed. There is also a fabulous community for international families who have moved to Canada from overseas and are looking for a network to help them acclimatize to life in Toronto. Before starting at York for the first time, parents are paired with an Ambassador who is there to answer any and all questions leading up to the start of school and is a friendly face to welcome them to the York community.
—Heather Faralla, parent (beginning 2018) (see full review)
 

THE OUR KIDS REPORT: The York School

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