Photo: Kitchener-Waterloo Record · Public domainIn Cambridge, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
Waterloo Region DSB has 37 of them, and Waterloo CDSB, CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde share the others. Results are mixed: 11 of 54 schools above the middle in Ontario, 18 below it. 29,625 students attend the 54 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Cambridge.
What stands out about Cambridge’s schools
One big school
St Benedict Catholic Secondary School is the largest school here, with 1,955 students. Every school ↓
The strongest results
The area’s best results are at ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée (secondary), in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Each finding compares the town’s schools with every school in its province.
4 boards, school by school
Every board or service centre with a school in the area, and its schools.
The four systems cover the same streets, so the nearest school may not be the one a family’s system offers: English or French, public or Catholic, each has its own board.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Region DSBJacob Hespeler, Glenview Park, Galt, Groh, Preston, Chicopee Hills, Moffat Creek, Southwood … | English public | 37 | 18,235 |
| Waterloo CDSBSt Benedict Catholic, Monsignor Doyle Catholic, St Vincent de Paul Catholic, Saint John Paul II Catholic, Holy Spirit Catholic, St Aloysius Catholic, St Gabriel Catholic, St Augustine Catholic … | English Catholic | 22 | 10,190 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Cambridge, ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée | French Catholic | 3 | 1,005 |
| CS ViamondeDavid Saint-Jacques, David-Saint-Jacques | French public | 2 | 195 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Cambridge’s schools do on Ontario’s tests
EQAO’s Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments and the literacy test, 2024-25: each school against every school in Ontario.
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 | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading | 45 | 70% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 45 | 63% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 45 | 62% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 45 | 86% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 45 | 83% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 45 | 46% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 9 | 61% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 9 | 85% | 85% |
On Grade 9 math the area runs ahead, 61% against 55% in Ontario. On 1 of 8 measures the area beats the provincial middle; on 5 it trails. At 29 schools more of the measures rose than fell over three years; at 19, more fell.
Every school’s results (54)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 70% · OSSLT 94% | Top fifth |
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 70% · OSSLT 100% | Top fifth |
| Parkway Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 97% · G3 writing 89% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 59% | Top fifth |
| Lackner Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 80% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 77% | Second fifth |
| St Gabriel Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 92% · G3 writing 77% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading 92% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 67% | Second fifth |
| St Joseph Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 76% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 70% | Second fifth |
| Saint John Paul II Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 66% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 74% | Second fifth |
| J W Gerth Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 63% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 80% | Second fifth |
| Saginaw Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 85% · G3 writing 75% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 51% | Second fifth |
| St Elizabeth Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 52% | Second fifth |
| St Timothy Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 70% | Second fifth |
| Chicopee Hills Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 57% | Middle fifth |
| Coronation Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 89% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 74% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 46% | Middle fifth |
| Galt Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 68% · OSSLT 83% | Middle fifth |
| Jacob Hespeler Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 61% · OSSLT 83% | Middle fifth |
| Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 46% · OSSLT 92% | Middle fifth |
| St Benedict Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 52% · OSSLT 90% | Middle fifth |
| Grand View Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 39% | Middle fifth |
| St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| St Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 69% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 66% | Middle fifth |
| Silverheights Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 75% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 53% | Middle fifth |
| Woodland Park Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 78% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 54% | Middle fifth |
| Glenview Park Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 53% · OSSLT 85% | Middle fifth |
| Groh Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 69% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 65% | Middle fifth |
| Preston High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 67% · OSSLT 77% | Middle fifth |
| Blair Road Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 77% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 74% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 49% | Middle fifth |
| Hespeler Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 66% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 55% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 45% | Middle fifth |
| Highland Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 69% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 46% | Middle fifth |
| Holy Spirit Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 73% · G6 math 61% | Middle fifth |
| Preston Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 41% | Middle fifth |
| Hillcrest Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 46% | Middle fifth |
| Moffat Creek Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 42% | Middle fifth |
| Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 81% · G3 writing 53% · G3 math 64% · G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 53% | Middle fifth |
| St Augustine Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 53% | Middle fifth |
| Tait Street Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 35% | Middle fifth |
| ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-CambridgeElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 57% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 67% | Middle fifth |
| Manchester Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 61% · G3 writing 42% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 37% | Fourth fifth |
| Blue Heron Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 69% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 72% · G6 math 42% | Fourth fifth |
| Clemens Mill Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 68% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 35% | Fourth fifth |
| Elgin Street Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 46% | Fourth fifth |
| St Aloysius Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 30% | Fourth fifth |
| Howard Robertson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 74% · G3 writing 55% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 42% | Fourth fifth |
| St Margaret Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 69% · G3 writing 38% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 43% | Fourth fifth |
| Avenue Road Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 52% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 34% | Fourth fifth |
| Central Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 61% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 46% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 38% | Fourth fifth |
| St Michael Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 31% | Fourth fifth |
| Stewart Avenue Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 52% · G3 writing 33% · G3 math 39% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 55% | Fourth fifth |
| Centennial (Cambridge) Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 72% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 36% | Fourth fifth |
| St Gregory Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 53% · G3 writing 35% · G3 math 35% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 38% | Fourth fifth |
| St Peter Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 61% · G3 writing 30% · G3 math 43% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 71% · G6 math 57% | Fourth fifth |
| Christ The King Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 53% · G3 math 41% · G6 reading 71% · G6 writing 68% · G6 math 34% | Bottom fifth |
| Southwood Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 50% · OSSLT 74% | Bottom fifth |
| Chalmers Street Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 58% · G3 writing 51% · G3 math 47% · G6 reading 64% · G6 writing 62% · G6 math 35% | Bottom fifth |
| St Anne Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 63% · G3 writing 53% · G3 math 46% · G6 reading 68% · G6 writing 54% · G6 math 27% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 64 schools in and around Cambridge are
A pin for every school, its colour the system it belongs to.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Cambridge
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Cambridge, ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée and École secondaire David Saint-Jacques teach in French; CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde runs the public ones among the 5.
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 Cambridge’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Who runs them, in numbers: English public 37, English Catholic 22 and French-language 5.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Cambridge
The neighbourhood school
No application round, no lottery: the address fixes the school, and the board handles the paperwork.
Catholic schools
The Catholic boards are as public as the others: free, with elementary schools that generally require a Catholic parent and high schools open to everyone.
French-language schools
French-language schools are for children of section 23 rights-holders first; the board may admit others case by case.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 64 schools in and around Cambridge
Show all 54 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Cambridge
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
Within 15 km, families can reach 14 high schools: 8 English public, 4 English Catholic, 1 French Catholic and 1 French public. For the shortest journey, St Benedict Catholic Secondary School: 1.5 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Benedict Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,955 | 1.5 km |
| Galt Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 960 | 1.6 km |
| Jacob Hespeler Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,070 | 3.9 km |
| Southwood Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 700 | 4.1 km |
| Glenview Park Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,055 | 4.1 km |
| Preston High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 855 | 4.2 km |
| Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,115 | 4.9 km |
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS catholique MonAvenir | French Catholic | Top fifth | 495 | 7.1 km |
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Top fifth | 105 | 9.7 km |
| Notre Dame Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | – | – | 10 km |
All 14 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huron Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,455 | 12 km |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,560 | 13 km |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,240 | 13 km |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,270 | 13 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Towns its size in Ontario
Towns of a similar population, with their schools in or within 3 km; described, not ranked.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | 243,107 | 107 | 56,580 | 10 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Oshawa | 213,592 | 93 | 50,695 | 3 | 1.3 km |
| Burlington | 197,737 | 82 | 40,800 | 6 | 1.3 km |
| Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 188,504 | 86 | 24,770 | 30 | 0.8 km |
| Barrie | 174,469 | 54 | 29,165 | 6 | 1.4 km |
| Cambridge | 165,354 | 64 | 29,625 | 5 | 1.5 km |
| Whitby | 162,413 | 82 | 47,640 | 5 | 0.7 km |
| Guelph | 160,760 | 54 | 24,520 | 2 | 1.1 km |
| Milton | 157,345 | 96 | 55,790 | 6 | 0.2 km |
| St. Catharines | 153,865 | 62 | 21,825 | 3 | 0.7 km |
| … | |||||
| Chatham | 112,716 | 45 | 14,950 | 6 | 0.9 km |
More schools are within reach in 9 of the 19 other towns. 20 of 20 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 Cambridge
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 64 | 5 | 25 | 1.5 km |
| Pioneer Tower West 7.7 km | 27 | 4 | 9 | 3.2 km |
| Doon South 9.6 km | 16 | 1 | 5 | 3.6 km |
| Pioneer Park 10 km | 17 | 1 | 6 | 2.3 km |
| Centreville Chicopee 11 km | 31 | 4 | 12 | 1.1 km |
| Grand River South 11 km | 24 | 4 | 9 | 1 km |
| Idlewood 12 km | 26 | 2 | 8 | 1.4 km |
No neighbour of the 6 counts more schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The year. As the province lists them in 2024-25.
- Boards and systems. Each board covers a territory in one language and one system, public or Catholic; boards of different systems overlap.
- What isn’t here. No ratings by inspectors, no enrolment trend: neither is published school by school.
- Bands, not ranks. Bands compare within Ontario only, measure by measure, then average: never a place in a league table.
- Which schools count. Each school is placed by its address point; those inside Cambridge or within 3 km of it are here.
- The kinds of school. The kind of school is what its province lists: elementary, secondary or both.
Questions about schools in Cambridge
How do I get a place at a school in Cambridge?
Registration is with the board, which assigns the school for the home address.
Which boards run the schools in Cambridge?
Waterloo Region DSB (37), Waterloo CDSB (22), CS catholique MonAvenir (3) and CS Viamonde (2), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How many schools are there in Cambridge?
50 are inside the town itself and 14 lie within 3 km of its edge.
Is there a French-language school in Cambridge?
Yes, there are French-language schools: ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée, ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Cambridge, ÉIC Père-René-de-Galinée and École secondaire David Saint-Jacques.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 and school contact list (Open Government Licence – Ontario) · 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).