Photo: Jason F. Voll · CC BY-SA 3.0Four parallel systems run Fairfield’s schools through 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
Waterloo Region DSB has 22 of them, and Waterloo CDSB, CS Viamonde and CS catholique MonAvenir share the others. Results are mixed: 8 of 26 schools above the middle in Ontario, 14 below it. Counting a 3 km margin, Fairfield has 25 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, for 16,650 students.
What stands out about Fairfield’s schools
One big school
With 1,765 students, Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute is the area’s biggest. Every school ↓
The strongest results
The area’s best results are at St Matthew Catholic Elementary School (elementary), in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
The comparisons are with the province’s schools, never across provinces.
4 boards, school by school
The boards and their schools here.
Ontario funds four systems side by side, and here all four overlap: a family picks English or French, public or Catholic, and each choice has its own board and its own schools.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Region DSBCameron Heights, Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational, Waterloo, Bluevale, Elizabeth Ziegler, MacGregor, Suddaby, Empire … | English public | 22 | 12,090 |
| Waterloo CDSBSt David Catholic, St Anne Catholic, St Agnes Catholic, St John Catholic, St Matthew Catholic, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic, St Teresa Catholic | English Catholic | 7 | 4,050 |
| CS ViamondeL'Harmonie | French public | 1 | 290 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère | French Catholic | 1 | 220 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Fairfield’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 | 21 | 71% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 21 | 60% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 21 | 57% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 21 | 81% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 21 | 83% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 21 | 45% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 5 | 73% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 5 | 88% | 85% |
Furthest from the provincial middle is Grade 9 math: 73% here, against 55% in Ontario. 2 measures above the provincial middle, 6 below, out of 8. At 11 schools more of the measures rose than fell over three years; at 12, more fell.
Every school’s results (26)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| St Matthew Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 72% | Top fifth |
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 75% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| Cameron Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 74% · OSSLT 90% | Second fifth |
| Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 73% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 67% · OSSLT 97% | Second fifth |
| École élémentaire L'HarmonieElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 92% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 81% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 79% | Second fifth |
| ÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-BruyèreElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 84% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 68% | Second fifth |
| Empire Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 70% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 52% | Second fifth |
| St Teresa Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 45% | Middle fifth |
| Suddaby Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 58% | Middle fifth |
| Waterloo Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 57% · OSSLT 85% | Middle fifth |
| Sheppard Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 72% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| Elizabeth Ziegler Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 47% | Fourth fifth |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 54% · G3 math 64% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 45% | Fourth fifth |
| Sandowne Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 35% | Fourth fifth |
| St Agnes Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 71% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 74% · G6 math 43% | Fourth fifth |
| St Anne Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 68% · G3 writing 53% · G3 math 55% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 45% | Fourth fifth |
| Westmount Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 66% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 38% | Fourth fifth |
| J F Carmichael Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 65% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 70% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 33% | Fourth fifth |
| Lincoln Heights Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 75% · G6 math 47% | Fourth fifth |
| Smithson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 57% | Fourth fifth |
| Bridgeport Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 51% · G3 writing 42% · G3 math 53% · G6 reading 70% · G6 writing 72% · G6 math 50% | Bottom fifth |
| Prueter Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 58% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 62% · G6 writing 67% · G6 math 17% | Bottom fifth |
| Hillside Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 30% · G3 writing 15% · G3 math 15% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 72% · G6 math 19% | Bottom fifth |
| King Edward Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 55% · G3 writing 33% · G3 math 36% · G6 reading 77% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 30% | Bottom fifth |
| St John Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 44% · G3 writing 34% · G3 math 39% · G6 reading 63% · G6 writing 63% · G6 math 43% | 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 31 schools in and around Fairfield are
A pin for every school, its colour the system it belongs to.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Fairfield
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
Schooling in French, 2 schools: École élémentaire L'Harmonie and ÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère, with CS Viamonde and CS catholique MonAvenir running the public ones.
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 Fairfield’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Their systems: English public 22, English Catholic 7 and French-language 2.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Fairfield
The neighbourhood school
Children go to the board’s designated school for their address, unless another school agrees to take them.
Catholic schools
Ontario’s Catholic boards are publicly funded. Their elementary schools generally ask that a parent or the child be Catholic; their high schools are open to all students.
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 31 schools in and around Fairfield
Show all 25 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Fairfield
The high schools a family here could reach, within 15 km.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 16: 10 English public, 4 English Catholic, 1 French public and 1 French Catholic. The closest high school is Bluevale Collegiate Institute, 1.4 km out.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,115 | 1.4 km |
| Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,650 | 1.6 km |
| Cameron Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 2.3 km |
| Waterloo Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,480 | 3.4 km |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,080 | 3.6 km |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,270 | 3.7 km |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,560 | 4.5 km |
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,555 | 4.9 km |
| Resurrection Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,920 | 5 km |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,240 | 5.3 km |
All 16 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Top fifth | 105 | 7.3 km |
| Notre Dame Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | – | – | 7.5 km |
| Huron Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,455 | 8 km |
| Laurel Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 8.2 km |
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS catholique MonAvenir | French Catholic | Top fifth | 495 | 10 km |
| Preston High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 855 | 13 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Fairfield
The area also has alternative programs at Rosemount - U Turn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creditview | 5,598 | 34 | 23,540 | 0 | 1.3 km |
| … | |||||
| Fessenden | 3,551 | 31 | 14,805 | 1 | 0.4 km |
| Horton | 3,550 | 8 | 1,905 | 0 | 7.9 km |
| Edwards - Carlsbad Springs | 3,536 | 32 | 12,475 | 12 | 12 km |
| Hampton Heights | 3,498 | 41 | 19,085 | 4 | 0.4 km |
| Fairfield | 3,497 | 31 | 16,650 | 2 | 1.4 km |
| Shuniah | 3,458 | 3 | 690 | 0 | 15 km |
| Glenview West | 3,431 | 31 | 15,980 | 3 | 0.6 km |
| Trillium Industrial Park | 3,420 | 51 | 25,620 | 5 | 1 km |
| Riverdale East | 3,416 | 17 | 10,905 | 0 | 0.9 km |
| … | |||||
| Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards | 2,505 | 2 | 215 | 0 | 20 km |
60 of the 197 others have more schools in reach. 118 of 198 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 Fairfield
Schools in or within 3 km of each neighbouring town; distances in a straight line.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 31 | 2 | 8 | 1.4 km |
| Mt. Hope Huron Park 0.4 km | 33 | 2 | 7 | 1.2 km |
| Central Frederick 1.3 km | 36 | 1 | 8 | 1.3 km |
| Bridgeport East 1.3 km | 40 | 2 | 11 | 1.7 km |
| City Commercial Core 1.6 km | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0.8 km |
| Cherry Hill 2 km | 43 | 2 | 12 | 0.6 km |
| Auditorium 2.1 km | 34 | 0 | 10 | 0.8 km |
Cherry Hill has the most schools nearby, 43.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The year. 2024-25, the latest open list.
- Boards and systems. Boards are set by language and, in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, by faith: public or Catholic.
- Bands, not ranks. Top fifth means a result among the best fifth of Ontario’s schools on that test; the card shows the average of a school’s fifths.
- What isn’t here. Ontario’s private schools aren’t in the open list; no province publishes inspection grades.
- Which schools count. Schools inside Fairfield and those within 3 km of its outline: a family nearby would weigh them all.
- The kinds of school. Kindergarten to Grade 8 is elementary, Grade 9 to 12 secondary, though the split varies by province and board.
Questions about schools in Fairfield
How do I get a place at a school in Fairfield?
Ask the board which school serves your street, then register through it.
Which boards run the schools in Fairfield?
Waterloo Region DSB (22), Waterloo CDSB (7), CS Viamonde (1) and CS catholique MonAvenir (1), with each one’s schools in brackets.
Is there a French-language school in Fairfield?
Yes: École élémentaire L'Harmonie and ÉÉC Mère-Élisabeth-Bruyère, the French-language schools here.
How many schools are there in Fairfield?
2 are inside the town itself and 29 lie within 3 km of its edge.
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).