The schools around Laurentian West answer to 3 boards
Beside Waterloo Region DSB, which has 23, sit Waterloo CDSB and CS catholique MonAvenir. Of its 31 tested schools, 6 sit in the top two fifths in Ontario and 13 in the bottom two. Within 3 km of Laurentian West are 32 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools, teaching 18,910 students.
What stands out about Laurentian West’s schools
One big school
St Mary's High School is the largest school here, with 2,240 students. Every school ↓
The comparisons are with the province’s schools, never across provinces.
3 boards, school by school
Each board’s schools in the area, largest first.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Region DSBForest Heights, Huron Heights, Janet Metcalfe, Oak Creek, Jean Steckle, Williamsburg, W.T. Townshend, Sandhills … | English public | 23 | 11,945 |
| Waterloo CDSBSt Mary's, St Josephine Bakhita Catholic, John Sweeney Catholic, St Dominic Savio Catholic, St Paul Catholic, St Bernadette Catholic, Monsignor Haller Catholic, St Mark Catholic … | English Catholic | 11 | 6,715 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Cardinal-Léger | French Catholic | 1 | 250 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Laurentian West’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 | 28 | 75% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 28 | 62% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 28 | 60% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 28 | 87% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 28 | 84% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 28 | 49% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 3 | 48% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 3 | 88% | 85% |
On Grade 9 math the area trails, 48% against 55% in Ontario. Across 8 measures: 1 above the middle, 4 below. Over three years, 13 schools gained on most measures and 13 lost ground.
Every school’s results (31)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| John Darling Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 80% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 90% | Second fifth |
| Huron Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 61% · OSSLT 88% | Second fifth |
| St Dominic Savio Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 71% | Second fifth |
| Alpine Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 73% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 59% | Second fifth |
| Driftwood Park Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 96% · G6 math 54% | Second fifth |
| Williamsburg Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 57% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 72% | Second fifth |
| Glencairn Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 51% · G3 math 68% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 93% · G6 math 63% | Middle fifth |
| John Sweeney Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 85% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 66% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 72% | Middle fifth |
| St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 76% · G3 math 71% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 66% | Middle fifth |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 48% · OSSLT 94% | Middle fifth |
| Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 48% | Middle fifth |
| St Mark Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 91% · G3 math 91% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 38% | Middle fifth |
| W.T. Townshend Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 74% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 50% | Middle fifth |
| Sandhills Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 59% | Middle fifth |
| Jean Steckle Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 50% | Middle fifth |
| Queen Elizabeth Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 36% · G3 math 39% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 79% | Middle fifth |
| Janet Metcalfe Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 53% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 55% | Middle fifth |
| St Bernadette Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 85% · G3 writing 48% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 92% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 42% | Middle fifth |
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 48% · OSSLT 86% | Fourth fifth |
| Oak Creek Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 60% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 56% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 50% | Fourth fifth |
| St Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 58% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 44% | Fourth fifth |
| Trillium Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 62% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 30% | Fourth fifth |
| ÉÉC Cardinal-LégerElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 70% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 59% · G6 math 44% | 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 |
| Meadowlane Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 47% · G3 writing 27% · G3 math 43% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 33% | Fourth fifth |
| Monsignor Haller Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 61% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 64% · G6 math 32% | Fourth fifth |
| Forest Hill Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 64% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 51% · G6 reading 64% · G6 writing 57% · G6 math 41% | Fourth fifth |
| Our Lady of Grace Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 56% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 71% · G6 writing 71% · G6 math 32% | Fourth fifth |
| Southridge Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 61% · G3 writing 51% · G3 math 37% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 69% · G6 math 38% | Bottom fifth |
| Country Hills Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 45% · G3 writing 41% · G3 math 34% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 78% · G6 math 22% | 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 |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 35 schools in and around Laurentian West 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 Laurentian West
The language each school teaches in, against every school in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
ÉÉC Cardinal-Léger teach in French; CS catholique MonAvenir runs the public ones among the 1.
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 Laurentian West’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 23, English Catholic 11 and French-language 1.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Laurentian West
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.
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
Boards set boundaries for each school; living inside one guarantees a place there, and moving across one usually means a request.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 35 schools in and around Laurentian West
Show all 32 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Laurentian West
Every secondary school within 15 km of the town, nearest first.
17 secondary schools are within 15 km: 11 English public, 4 English Catholic, 1 French public and 1 French Catholic. 2.4 km away, Forest Heights Collegiate Institute is the nearest.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,555 | 2.4 km |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,240 | 3.9 km |
| Huron Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,455 | 4 km |
| Resurrection Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,920 | 4.9 km |
| Cameron Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 5.2 km |
| Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,650 | 5.7 km |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,270 | 5.8 km |
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,115 | 7.9 km |
| Waterloo Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,480 | 8.4 km |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,560 | 8.5 km |
All 17 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Top fifth | 105 | 8.5 km |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,080 | 8.9 km |
| Laurel Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 9.9 km |
| Notre Dame Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | – | – | 10 km |
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS catholique MonAvenir | French Catholic | Top fifth | 495 | 11 km |
| Preston High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 855 | 12 km |
| Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,460 | 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Valley Village | 26,972 | 80 | 27,480 | 4 | 0.3 km |
| … | |||||
| Danforth East York | 17,073 | 106 | 48,535 | 5 | 0.7 km |
| Yorkdale-Glen Park | 17,043 | 87 | 35,975 | 2 | 0.2 km |
| St.Andrew-Windfields | 17,005 | 85 | 35,330 | 4 | 1.3 km |
| Humbermede | 16,959 | 71 | 29,885 | 1 | 0.5 km |
| Laurentian West | 16,857 | 35 | 18,910 | 1 | 2.5 km |
| Elder Mills | 16,790 | 22 | 8,910 | 3 | 1.7 km |
| Scarborough Village | 16,774 | 60 | 22,985 | 3 | 1.5 km |
| Leaside-Bennington | 16,710 | 112 | 51,295 | 7 | 0.8 km |
| Sturgeon Falls | 16,682 | 12 | 2,110 | 8 | 4.8 km |
| … | |||||
| Mount Pleasant North | 10,103 | 33 | 21,175 | 0 | 0.5 km |
In 218 of the 360 others the count is higher. 282 of the 361 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 Laurentian West
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurentian West | 35 | 1 | 12 | 2.5 km |
| Laurentian Hills 2.1 km | 40 | 1 | 12 | 2.1 km |
| Country Hills West 2.1 km | 32 | 1 | 12 | 2 km |
| Forest Heights 2.5 km | 33 | 1 | 12 | 1.2 km |
| Forest Hill 2.6 km | 39 | 1 | 14 | 0.8 km |
| Rosenberg 2.8 km | 35 | 1 | 12 | 2 km |
| Meinzinger Park-Lakeside 3.1 km | 45 | 1 | 13 | 1.6 km |
The neighbour with most schools is Meinzinger Park-Lakeside (45).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. A 3 km band around Laurentian West’s outline is included, as it is for every town on the site.
- The kinds of school. Kindergarten to Grade 8 is elementary, Grade 9 to 12 secondary, though the split varies by province and board.
- What isn’t here. What no open list gives: inspection grades, several years of enrolment, and Ontario’s private schools.
- Bands, not ranks. Fifths are worked out among every Ontario school with a result on that measure, then averaged per school.
- The year. The open list of 2024-25.
- Boards and systems. Boards come in one language each, and where the province funds Catholic schools, as public or Catholic; independent schools stand outside them.
Questions about schools in Laurentian West
Is there a French-language school in Laurentian West?
Yes: ÉÉC Cardinal-Léger, the French-language schools here.
How many schools are there in Laurentian West?
Inside the town there are 2; another 33 sit within 3 km.
How do I get a place at a school in Laurentian West?
Each board registers its own students; its website gives the school for an address.
Which boards run the schools in Laurentian West?
By number of schools: Waterloo Region DSB (23), Waterloo CDSB (11) and CS catholique MonAvenir (1).
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).