Photo: A.Davey · CC BY 2.0Results around Ladysmith lean low: 3 of 3 schools in the lower two fifths in British Columbia
Taken together, Ladysmith and its 3 km edge hold 3 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools.
How Ladysmith’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 D: 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) | 2 | 421 | 468 |
| Grade 4 numeracy (FSA score) | 2 | 407 | 472 |
| Grade 7 literacy (FSA score) | 1 | 390 | 467 |
| Grade 7 numeracy (FSA score) | 1 | 341 | 454 |
| First-time Grade 12 graduation | 1 | 83% | 91% |
The widest gap is on Grade 7 numeracy, where the area’s schools reach 341 against 454 in British Columbia. On 0 of 5 measures the area beats the provincial middle; on 5 it trails.
Every school’s results (3)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Chemainus Elementary Community SchoolElementary | G4 literacy 435 · G4 numeracy 447 | Fourth fifth |
| Ladysmith SecondarySecondary | Graduation 83% | Fourth fifth |
| Ladysmith IntermediateElementary | G4 literacy 408 · G4 numeracy 367 · G7 literacy 390 · G7 numeracy 341 | 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 5 schools in and around Ladysmith are
A pin for every school, its colour the system it belongs to.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Ladysmith
The language each school teaches in, against every school in British Columbia.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in British Columbia.
A French-language school would mean a trip out of the area.
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 Ladysmith’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English and French public boards, independent and other schools.
Grouped by system: English public 4 and independent 1.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
2 boards, school by school
Each board’s schools in the area, largest first.
Among 2 boards, SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith leads with 3.
| Board | System | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| SD 68 Nanaimo-LadysmithLadysmith Intermediate, Ladysmith Primary, Ladysmith Secondary | English public | 3 |
| SD 79 Cowichan ValleyChemainus Elementary | English public | 1 |
Boards and districts as the provincial lists name them.
How children get a place in Ladysmith
Independent schools
Independent schools here charge fees but receive some provincial funding if they meet its standards.
The neighbourhood school
The neighbourhood school is the one the board designates for the address; choice beyond it depends on space.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 5 schools in and around Ladysmith
High schools within reach of Ladysmith
Every secondary school within 15 km of the town, nearest first.
Within 15 km, families can reach 3 high schools: 2 English public and 1 independent. 0.9 km away, Ladysmith Secondary is the nearest.
| School | Board | System | Band | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladysmith SecondarySecondary | SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith | English public | Fourth fifth | 0.9 km |
| Stz'uminus Senior SecondarySecondary | – | Independent | – | 3.2 km |
| Cedar SecondarySecondary | SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith | English public | Fourth fifth | 14 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Towns its size in British Columbia
Towns of a similar population, with their schools in or within 3 km; described, not ranked.
| Town | Population | Schools | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comox | 15,884 | 13 | 1 | 0.9 km |
| … | ||||
| Coal Harbour | 10,407 | 29 | 0 | 0.8 km |
| Quesnel | 10,253 | 13 | 0 | 1.1 km |
| Kitimat | 10,019 | 5 | 0 | 0.5 km |
| Blind Bay | 9,984 | 5 | 0 | 5.5 km |
| Ladysmith | 9,926 | 5 | 0 | 0.9 km |
| Shawnigan | 9,903 | 10 | 0 | 0.8 km |
| South Cambie | 9,846 | 78 | 3 | 1.1 km |
| Electoral Area C (Puntledge - Black Creek), Comox Valley | 9,803 | 15 | 0 | 9.6 km |
| Qualicum Beach | 9,640 | 6 | 0 | 0.7 km |
| … | ||||
| Electoral Area A, Cariboo | 6,172 | 14 | 0 | 1.6 km |
More schools than here: 65 of the 74 others. 23 of the 75 have a French-language school.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Ladysmith
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladysmith | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0.9 km |
| Electoral Area H, Cowichan Valley 4.2 km | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3.9 km |
| Electoral Area G, Cowichan Valley 5.5 km | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4.2 km |
| Electoral Area A, Nanaimo 13 km | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 km |
Most schools next door: Electoral Area G, Cowichan Valley, 7.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The kinds of school. Middle and junior high schools count as secondary when they start at Grade 7 or later, elementary otherwise.
- Which schools count. Counted: Ladysmith’s own schools and any within 3 km of its edge.
- Boards and systems. Boards here split by language only: English districts and a French-language board.
- The year. As the province lists them in 2025/26.
- Bands, not ranks. Each result is placed in a fifth of BC’s schools on the same measure; a school’s band averages its fifths. BC masks small groups and counts resident students only, so no school is ranked to the place.
- What isn’t here. There are no inspection ratings to show, and a single year of enrolment gives no trend.
Questions about schools in Ladysmith
Which boards run the schools in Ladysmith?
SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith (3) and SD 79 Cowichan Valley (1), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Ladysmith?
The board’s school locator gives the designated school; registration is with the board or the school.
Is there a French-language school in Ladysmith?
No, none within 3 km of Ladysmith; ask the French-language board for the nearest.
How many schools are there in Ladysmith?
3 in the town, 2 just beyond it, within 3 km.
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).