Photo: The original uploader was IDuke at English Wikipedia . · CC BY-SA 2.5The schools around Esquimalt answer to 3 boards
The largest is SD 61 Greater Victoria, with 21; beside it are SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone and SD 62 Sooke. Of its 29 tested schools, 8 sit in the top two fifths in British Columbia and 13 in the bottom two. Counting a 3 km margin, Esquimalt has 23 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools, 2 schools for every grade and 4 alternative or adult schools.
What stands out about Esquimalt’s schools
The strongest results
Christ Church Cathedral School (all grades) posts the area’s strongest results: the top fifth in British Columbia. Results ↓
Each finding compares the town’s schools with every school in its province.
The 3 boards that run schools here
Each board’s schools in the area, largest first.
| Board | System | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| SD 61 Greater VictoriaCloverdale Traditional, Colquitz, Craigflower, Eagle View, Ecole Macaulay, Ecole Marigold, Ecole Quadra, Esquimalt … | English public | 21 |
| SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophoneBeausoleil, Victor-Brodeur | French public | 2 |
| SD 62 SookeJohn Stubbs, John Stubbs Middle | English public | 2 |
Boards and districts as the provincial lists name them.
How Esquimalt’s schools do on BC’s assessments
The Foundation Skills Assessment in Grades 4 and 7 and first-time graduation: each school against every school in BC.
Its School Grade is B−: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | British Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 literacy (FSA score) | 21 | 479 | 468 |
| Grade 4 numeracy (FSA score) | 21 | 477 | 472 |
| Grade 7 literacy (FSA score) | 10 | 474 | 467 |
| Grade 7 numeracy (FSA score) | 10 | 449 | 454 |
| First-time Grade 12 graduation | 7 | 84% | 91% |
Furthest from the provincial middle is first-time graduation: 84% here, against 91% in British Columbia. The area is ahead on 0 of 5 measures and behind on 1.
Every school’s results (29)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Christ Church Cathedral SchoolAll grades | G4 literacy 509 · G4 numeracy 536 · G7 literacy 536 · G7 numeracy 566 | Top fifth |
| Ecole Marigold SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 515 · G4 numeracy 514 | Top fifth |
| Selkirk Montessori SchoolAll grades | G4 literacy 578 · G4 numeracy 602 · G7 literacy 618 · G7 numeracy 615 | Top fifth |
| St Joseph's CatholicElementary | G4 literacy 517 · G4 numeracy 533 · G7 literacy 532 · G7 numeracy 482 | Top fifth |
| Regent Christian Online AcademyAlternative or adult | G4 literacy 596 · G4 numeracy 626 · G7 literacy 537 · G7 numeracy 573 · Graduation 74% | Second fifth |
| Strawberry Vale ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 479 · G4 numeracy 492 | Second fifth |
| View Royal ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 492 · G4 numeracy 489 | Second fifth |
| Brookes WestshoreElementary | G4 literacy 500 · G4 numeracy 489 · G7 literacy 470 · G7 numeracy 452 · Graduation 100% | Second fifth |
| Cloverdale Traditional ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 493 · G4 numeracy 466 | Middle fifth |
| James Bay CommunityElementary | G4 literacy 477 · G4 numeracy 477 | Middle fifth |
| John Stubbs ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 465 · G4 numeracy 493 | Middle fifth |
| John Stubbs MiddleElementary | G7 literacy 479 · G7 numeracy 446 | Middle fifth |
| McKenzie ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 482 · G4 numeracy 477 | Middle fifth |
| Victoria West ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 482 · G4 numeracy 465 | Middle fifth |
| Eagle View ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 467 · G4 numeracy 470 | Middle fifth |
| Spectrum CommunitySecondary | Graduation 91% | Middle fifth |
| Ecole Macaulay ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 448 · G4 numeracy 474 | Fourth fifth |
| Tillicum Community SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 464 · G4 numeracy 454 | Fourth fifth |
| Colquitz Middle SchoolElementary | G7 literacy 452 · G7 numeracy 415 | Fourth fifth |
| Esquimalt High SchoolSecondary | Graduation 82% | Fourth fifth |
| Pacific School of Innovation and InquirySecondary | Graduation 84% | Fourth fifth |
| Shoreline Community Middle SchoolElementary | G7 literacy 452 · G7 numeracy 421 | Fourth fifth |
| Victor-BrodeurElementary | G4 literacy 425 · G4 numeracy 360 · G7 literacy 433 · G7 numeracy 374 · Graduation 97% | Fourth fifth |
| BeausoleilElementary | G4 literacy 457 · G4 numeracy 415 | Bottom fifth |
| Ecole Quadra ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 436 · G4 numeracy 415 | Bottom fifth |
| Craigflower ElementaryElementary | G4 literacy 396 · G4 numeracy 383 | Bottom fifth |
| Rockheights Middle SchoolElementary | G7 literacy 391 · G7 numeracy 354 | Bottom fifth |
| SJ Burnside Education CentreAlternative or adult | Graduation 20% | Bottom fifth |
| South Park Family SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 400 · G4 numeracy 407 | Bottom fifth |
BC Ministry of Education and Child Care: FSA 2021/22 to 2025/26 (the latest year with a value) and first-time Grade 12 graduation; masked where groups are small; resident students only. Open Government Licence – British Columbia.
Where the 32 schools in and around Esquimalt are
Every school as a pin, coloured by system; each opens its own page.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Esquimalt
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in British Columbia.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in British Columbia.
2 of them teach in French: Beausoleil and Victor-Brodeur; the public ones belong to SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
Who runs Esquimalt’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English and French public boards, independent and other schools.
Who runs them, in numbers: English public 23, French-language 2 and independent 7.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Esquimalt
French-language schools
French-language boards admit the children of rights-holders under section 23 of the Charter (a parent whose first language is French, or who was schooled in French in Canada), and may admit others through an admissions committee.
Independent schools
Independent schools set their own admissions and fees; the province funds part of their costs where they meet its conditions.
The neighbourhood school
Each board draws attendance areas: a child’s home address gives a designated school in each system. Families register with the board, and a school outside the area takes a child only if it has room.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 32 schools in and around Esquimalt
High schools within reach of Esquimalt
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 15: 9 independent and 6 English public. First by distance comes Esquimalt High School, at 0.8 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esquimalt High SchoolSecondary | SD 61 Greater Victoria | English public | Fourth fifth | 0.8 km |
| Selkirk Montessori SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Top fifth | 2.2 km |
| Spectrum CommunitySecondary | SD 61 Greater Victoria | English public | Middle fifth | 3.1 km |
| Pacific School of Innovation and InquirySecondary | – | Independent | Fourth fifth | 3.2 km |
| Christ Church Cathedral SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Top fifth | 3.8 km |
| VI School of Innovation and InquiryAll grades | – | Independent | – | 4.2 km |
| St Andrew's Regional HighSecondary | – | Independent | Top fifth | 4.6 km |
| Victoria School for Ideal EducationAll grades | – | Independent | Middle fifth | 5 km |
| Artemis Place SecondarySecondary | – | Independent | – | 6 km |
| Oak Bay SecondarySecondary | SD 61 Greater Victoria | English public | Middle fifth | 6.6 km |
All 15 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lambrick Park SecondarySecondary | SD 61 Greater Victoria | English public | Second fifth | 7.6 km |
| Mount Douglas SecondarySecondary | SD 61 Greater Victoria | English public | Top fifth | 7.7 km |
| ArtsCalibre AcademyAll grades | – | Independent | – | 8 km |
| Claremont SecondarySecondary | SD 63 Saanich | English public | Second fifth | 9.4 km |
| Lakeview Christian SchoolAll grades | – | Independent | Middle fifth | 11 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Esquimalt
Outside the usual elementary and high schools: online learning through Regent Christian Online Academy and The Link; adult and continuing education at SJ Burnside Continuing Education; alternative programs at SJ Burnside Education Centre. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in British Columbia
Similar-sized towns and their schools within 3 km, by population.
| Town | Population | Schools | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria-Fraserview | 31,095 | 66 | 2 | 0.2 km |
| … | ||||
| Dunbar-Southlands | 21,117 | 50 | 0 | 1.7 km |
| Pitt Meadows | 20,892 | 39 | 0 | 1.2 km |
| Salmon Arm | 20,891 | 14 | 0 | 0.6 km |
| Port Alberni | 19,671 | 13 | 1 | 1.2 km |
| Esquimalt | 19,512 | 32 | 2 | 0.8 km |
| Granville Entertainment District | 19,125 | 42 | 0 | 0.4 km |
| Oak Bay | 18,626 | 38 | 0 | 0.5 km |
| Collingwood | 18,399 | 64 | 2 | 1.3 km |
| Royal Oak | 18,364 | 52 | 0 | 0.6 km |
| … | ||||
| Nelson | 12,126 | 17 | 1 | 0.5 km |
32 of 58 similar towns count more schools. 22 of 59 have a school teaching in French.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Esquimalt
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esquimalt | 32 | 2 | 8 | 0.8 km |
| New Songhees 1A 1.9 km | 24 | 2 | 5 | 2 km |
| Victoria 3.9 km | 57 | 2 | 17 | 0.8 km |
| View Royal 4 km | 35 | 2 | 5 | 2.9 km |
| Saanich 5.5 km | 83 | 2 | 21 | 1 km |
| Colwood 6.3 km | 27 | 0 | 3 | 1.6 km |
| Oak Bay 7 km | 38 | 0 | 11 | 0.5 km |
Of the neighbours, Saanich counts the most schools: 83.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Schools inside Esquimalt and those within 3 km of its outline: a family nearby would weigh them all.
- The kinds of school. Elementary means kindergarten to Grade 6 or 8, secondary up to Grade 12 (Secondary V in Quebec); a few schools take every grade.
- Bands, not ranks. FSA scores and first-time graduation are placed by fifths among BC’s schools; international fee-paying students aren’t counted.
- What isn’t here. Provinces don’t grade schools by inspection; class sizes and enrolment over time aren’t in the open lists.
- The year. The 2025/26 list.
- Boards and systems. A school’s board decides its language; the province funds no separate Catholic system.
Questions about schools in Esquimalt
Is there a French-language school in Esquimalt?
Yes, there are French-language schools: Beausoleil and Victor-Brodeur.
How many schools are there in Esquimalt?
The town holds 5 of them; 27 more are within 3 km of its outline.
How do I get a place at a school in Esquimalt?
The board’s school locator gives the designated school; registration is with the board or the school.
Which boards run the schools in Esquimalt?
By number of schools: SD 61 Greater Victoria (21), SD 93 Conseil scolaire francophone (2) and SD 62 Sooke (2).
Sources: BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, K-12 school list 2025/26 (Open Government Licence – British Columbia) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).