Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Balfour’s schools come under 3 different boards
Hamilton-Wentworth DSB leads with 30 schools, alongside Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB and CS catholique MonAvenir. On the tests, 7 of 43 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 23 under it. Counting a 3 km margin, Balfour has 40 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools, for 22,565 students.
What stands out about Balfour’s schools
Results on the rise
At 34 tested schools out of 43, the three-year changes lean upward; Norwood Park Elementary School, Westmount Secondary School and Strathcona Junior Public School gained most often. Results ↓
One big school
With 1,650 students, Cathedral High School is the area’s biggest. Every school ↓
The strongest results
Top of the area: Norwood Park Elementary School (elementary), its results in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Each finding compares the town’s schools with every school in its province.
Which of the 3 boards runs which school
The boards and their schools here.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton-Wentworth DSBWestdale, Westmount, R A Riddell, Lawfield, Dr. J. Edgar Davey Elementary, Queen Victoria Elementary, Adelaide Hoodless, Franklin Road Elementary … | English public | 30 | 13,520 |
| Hamilton-Wentworth CDSBCathedral, St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic, Annunciation of Our Lord Catholic, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic, St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic, St. Joseph Catholic, St. Michael Catholic, St. Patrick Catholic … | English Catholic | 15 | 8,395 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Monseigneur-de-Laval, ÉÉC Notre-Dame | French Catholic | 2 | 650 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Balfour’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 | 37 | 67% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 37 | 62% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 37 | 58% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 35 | 81% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 35 | 81% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 35 | 45% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 4 | 55% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 4 | 83% | 85% |
Furthest from the provincial middle is Grade 3 reading: 67% here, against 76% in Ontario. Across 8 measures: 0 above the middle, 6 below.
Every school’s results (43)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Norwood Park Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 93% · G3 writing 86% · G3 math 74% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 96% · G6 math 72% | Top fifth |
| Westmount Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 66% · OSSLT 95% | Second fifth |
| Strathcona Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–5 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 72% | Second fifth |
| Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 85% · G3 writing 85% · G3 math 82% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 51% | Second fifth |
| Regina Mundi Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 97% · G3 writing 87% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 77% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 45% | Second fifth |
| St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 70% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 50% | Second fifth |
| St. Joseph Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 65% | Second fifth |
| Westdale Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 57% · OSSLT 88% | Middle fifth |
| ÉÉC Monseigneur-de-LavalElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 75% · G6 math 35% | Middle fifth |
| Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 63% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 50% | Middle fifth |
| Earl Kitchener Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–5 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 77% · G3 math 56% | Middle fifth |
| St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 55% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 71% | Middle fifth |
| Buchanan Park SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 75% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 62% | Middle fifth |
| Holbrook Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 63% · G3 writing 44% · G3 math 56% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 59% | Middle fifth |
| Lincoln Alexander Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 81% · G6 reading 68% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 24% | Middle fifth |
| R A Riddell Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 55% | Middle fifth |
| St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 42% | Middle fifth |
| St. Michael Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 56% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 52% | Middle fifth |
| Adelaide Hoodless Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 65% · G6 math 52% | Middle fifth |
| Chedoke Middle SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 38% | Middle fifth |
| St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 52% · OSSLT 78% | Fourth fifth |
| Franklin Road Elementary Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 63% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 43% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 54% | Fourth fifth |
| Kanétskare Elementary School Middle SchoolElementary · Grades 6–8 | G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 46% | Fourth fifth |
| St. Patrick Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 60% · G6 math 41% | Fourth fifth |
| ÉÉC Notre-DameElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 23% · G3 writing 23% · G3 math 45% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 65% | Fourth fifth |
| Annunciation of Our Lord Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 70% · G6 writing 74% · G6 math 33% | Fourth fifth |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 40% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 52% | Fourth fifth |
| Ridgemount Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 54% | Fourth fifth |
| Gordon Price SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 44% · G3 math 36% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 45% | Fourth fifth |
| Queensdale SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 66% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 73% · G6 math 39% | Fourth fifth |
| Westview Middle SchoolElementary · Grades 6–8 | G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 19% | Fourth fifth |
| Westwood Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–5 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 46% | Fourth fifth |
| Helen Detwiler Junior Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 66% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 44% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 36% | Fourth fifth |
| Lawfield Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 61% · G3 writing 40% · G3 math 34% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 38% | Fourth fifth |
| Cathedral High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 43% · OSSLT 64% | Bottom fifth |
| George L Armstrong Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 68% · G6 math 22% | Bottom fifth |
| James MacDonald Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 72% · G6 writing 62% · G6 math 30% | Bottom fifth |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 53% · G3 writing 32% · G3 math 26% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 71% · G6 math 38% | Bottom fifth |
| Dr. J. Edgar Davey Elementary Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 45% · G3 math 35% · G6 reading 71% · G6 writing 61% · G6 math 14% | Bottom fifth |
| Hess Street Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 50% · G3 writing 35% · G3 math 19% · G6 reading 66% · G6 writing 62% · G6 math 38% | Bottom fifth |
| Pauline Johnson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 65% · G3 writing 45% · G3 math 39% · G6 reading 62% · G6 writing 58% · G6 math 28% | Bottom fifth |
| Central Junior Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–5 | G3 reading 41% · G3 writing 35% · G3 math 48% | Bottom fifth |
| Queen Victoria Elementary Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 48% · G3 writing 44% · G3 math 40% · G6 reading 64% · G6 writing 66% · G6 math 14% | 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 47 schools in and around Balfour are
Each pin is a school, coloured by the system that runs it, sized by its students where the province publishes them.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Balfour
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
CS catholique MonAvenir runs the public French-language schools; all 2 are ÉÉC Monseigneur-de-Laval and ÉÉC Notre-Dame.
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 Balfour’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Counted by who runs them: English public 30, English Catholic 15 and French-language 2.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Balfour
French-language schools
Section 23 rights-holders, francophone parents or those schooled in French in Canada, have a place; others apply to the board’s committee.
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.
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 47 schools in and around Balfour
Show all 40 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Balfour
The high schools a family here could reach, within 15 km.
26 secondary schools are within 15 km: 17 English public, 7 English Catholic, 1 French public and 1 French Catholic. 1.5 km away, Westmount Secondary School is the nearest.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westmount Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,310 | 1.5 km |
| Cathedral High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Bottom fifth | 1,650 | 2.9 km |
| Hill Park System Alternative EducationSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | – | – | 2.9 km |
| St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Fourth fifth | 1,615 | 3.5 km |
| Sir Allan MacNab Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 660 | 3.6 km |
| Westdale Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,525 | 3.7 km |
| St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Fourth fifth | 1,810 | 3.9 km |
| École secondaire Georges-P-VanierSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Top fifth | 85 | 4.1 km |
| Nora Frances HendersonSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 1,270 | 4.2 km |
| Sherwood Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 1,255 | 4.5 km |
All 26 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ÉSAC Mère-TeresaSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS catholique MonAvenir | French Catholic | Middle fifth | 300 | 4.5 km |
| Bernie Custis Secondary School Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 955 | 4.7 km |
| St. Mary Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 935 | 4.7 km |
| Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 790 | 6.8 km |
| Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,115 | 7.4 km |
| Glendale Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 1,260 | 7.9 km |
| Aldershot High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Halton DSB | English public | Top fifth | 720 | 8.3 km |
| Dundas Valley Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 810 | 8.5 km |
| Sir Isaac Brock System Alternative Education Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | – | 65 | 8.7 km |
| Saltfleet High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,280 | 9.7 km |
| Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,320 | 10 km |
| Ancaster High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,180 | 10 km |
| St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,640 | 11 km |
| Waterdown District High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,140 | 12 km |
| Burlington Central High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Halton DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 865 | 12 km |
| Orchard Park Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Hamilton-Wentworth DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,070 | 14 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Balfour
Also within reach: alternative programs at St. Charles Catholic Adult Secondary School and Turning Point Alternative Education School. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in Ontario
Similar-sized towns and their schools within 3 km, by population.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial | 6,690 | 14 | 8,430 | 0 | 4.6 km |
| … | |||||
| Red Lake | 4,285 | 5 | 745 | 1 | 0.3 km |
| Templemead | 4,188 | 25 | 12,965 | 2 | 1.6 km |
| Spring Valley | 4,175 | 10 | 5,860 | 0 | 0.5 km |
| Merivale Gardens - Grenfell Glen - Pineglen - Country Place | 4,172 | 44 | 21,315 | 6 | 2 km |
| Balfour | 4,171 | 47 | 22,565 | 2 | 0.9 km |
| Barry's Bay | 4,151 | 4 | 625 | 0 | 1.8 km |
| Pioneer Tower West | 4,122 | 27 | 11,270 | 4 | 3.2 km |
| Lake of Bays | 4,105 | 1 | 140 | 0 | 14 km |
| Inch Park | 4,065 | 50 | 23,125 | 3 | 1.3 km |
| … | |||||
| Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards | 2,505 | 2 | 215 | 0 | 20 km |
18 out of 261 comparable towns have more schools. 162 towns of the 262 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 Balfour
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balfour | 47 | 2 | 17 | 0.9 km |
| Greeningdon 0.7 km | 44 | 1 | 17 | 1.5 km |
| Hill Park 0.8 km | 48 | 3 | 17 | 1 km |
| Centremount 1.3 km | 47 | 4 | 15 | 0.4 km |
| Buchanan 1.4 km | 48 | 3 | 16 | 0.8 km |
| Bruleville 1.5 km | 44 | 2 | 17 | 2.1 km |
| Rolston 1.5 km | 42 | 1 | 17 | 0.3 km |
Most schools next door: Hill Park, 48.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Counted: Balfour’s own schools and any within 3 km of its edge.
- The kinds of school. Where a province publishes grades, the card gives them; elementary and secondary follow those grades.
- What isn’t here. No ratings by inspectors, no enrolment trend: neither is published school by school.
- Bands, not ranks. Ontario’s results are whole percentages with small groups left out, so the page gives fifths, not ranks.
- The year. The province’s school list, 2024-25.
- Boards and systems. Every public school has a board: English or French, and in this province public or Catholic too. Independent schools have none.
Questions about schools in Balfour
Is there a French-language school in Balfour?
Yes, schooling in French is at ÉÉC Monseigneur-de-Laval and ÉÉC Notre-Dame.
How many schools are there in Balfour?
Inside the town there are 1; another 46 sit within 3 km.
How do I get a place at a school in Balfour?
Registration is with the board, which assigns the school for the home address.
Which boards run the schools in Balfour?
Hamilton-Wentworth DSB (30), Hamilton-Wentworth CDSB (15) and CS catholique MonAvenir (2), with each one’s schools in brackets.
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).