Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 3.0Most schools around Southdale score below the middle in Ontario: 23 of 33
Top of the area on results: Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute and Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School. They come under 3 school boards. In or within 3 km of Southdale: 33 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools, with 21,225 students.
What stands out about Southdale’s schools
One big school
With 2,240 students, St Mary's High School is the area’s biggest. Every school ↓
Every figure here sets the area’s schools beside the rest of its province.
How Southdale’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 | 69% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 28 | 56% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 28 | 54% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 28 | 81% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 28 | 80% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 28 | 42% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 5 | 48% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 5 | 88% | 85% |
On Grade 6 math the area trails, 42% against 51% in Ontario. On 1 of 8 measures the area beats the provincial middle; on 7 it trails. The three-year changes lean upward at 16 schools and downward at 11.
Every school’s results (33)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 42% · OSSLT 84% | Fourth fifth |
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 48% · OSSLT 86% | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Franklin Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 63% · G3 math 63% · G6 reading 74% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 31% | 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 |
| Wilson Avenue Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 60% · G3 writing 46% · G3 math 53% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 81% · G6 math 46% | 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 |
| 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 |
| St Daniel Catholic Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 50% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 40% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 73% · G6 math 42% | Bottom 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 |
| 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 |
| Rockway Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 27% · G3 writing 8% · G3 math 19% · G6 reading 63% · G6 writing 52% · G6 math 26% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Which of the 3 boards runs which school
Each board’s schools in the area, largest first.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Region DSBCameron Heights, Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational, Forest Heights, Eastwood, Franklin, Wilson Avenue, Suddaby, J F Carmichael … | English public | 27 | 14,400 |
| Waterloo CDSBSt Mary's, St Anne Catholic, St Daniel Catholic, St Aloysius Catholic, St Paul Catholic, St John Catholic, St Bernadette Catholic, Monsignor Haller Catholic … | English Catholic | 10 | 6,575 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Cardinal-Léger | French Catholic | 1 | 250 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
Where the 38 schools in and around Southdale 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 Southdale
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, 1 schools: ÉÉC Cardinal-Léger, with 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 Southdale’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
The split by system: English public 27, English Catholic 10 and French-language 1.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Southdale
The neighbourhood school
No application round, no lottery: the address fixes the school, and the board handles the paperwork.
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
The French boards take rights-holders’ children by right and others by committee.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 38 schools in and around Southdale
Show all 33 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Southdale
The high schools a family here could reach, within 15 km.
Within 15 km, families can reach 17 high schools: 11 English public, 4 English Catholic, 1 French public and 1 French Catholic. Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute is closest, at 1.3 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 1.3 km |
| St Mary's High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 2,240 | 2 km |
| Eastwood Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,270 | 2.2 km |
| Forest Heights Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 1,555 | 3 km |
| Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,650 | 3.1 km |
| Huron Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,455 | 4.6 km |
| Grand River Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,560 | 4.8 km |
| Bluevale Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,115 | 4.8 km |
| Resurrection Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,920 | 5 km |
| École secondaire David Saint-JacquesSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Top fifth | 105 | 5.8 km |
All 17 secondary schools
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Collegiate InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,480 | 6.2 km |
| St David Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 1,080 | 6.6 km |
| Notre Dame Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo CDSB | English Catholic | – | – | 6.9 km |
| ÉSC Père-René-de-GalinéeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS catholique MonAvenir | French Catholic | Top fifth | 495 | 8.5 km |
| Laurel Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,765 | 9.7 km |
| Preston High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 855 | 11 km |
| Jacob Hespeler Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,070 | 14 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Towns its size in Ontario
Similar-sized towns and their schools within 3 km, by population.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista | 8,387 | 52 | 23,180 | 9 | 1.3 km |
| … | |||||
| Billings Bridge - Heron Park | 5,370 | 48 | 21,465 | 8 | 1.1 km |
| Central Frontenac | 5,348 | 4 | 450 | 0 | 6.3 km |
| The Ravines of Rainbow Creek | 5,333 | 24 | 11,115 | 3 | 2.6 km |
| Norwood | 5,308 | 5 | 1,185 | 0 | 0.6 km |
| Southdale | 5,277 | 38 | 21,225 | 1 | 1.4 km |
| Gourley | 5,271 | 38 | 19,735 | 1 | 1.1 km |
| Crown Point East | 5,215 | 28 | 13,680 | 2 | 1.3 km |
| Mt. Hope Huron Park | 5,174 | 33 | 17,610 | 2 | 1.2 km |
| Centre Hastings | 5,170 | 2 | 865 | 0 | 4.4 km |
| … | |||||
| St. Clair | 3,201 | 40 | 18,495 | 2 | 0.8 km |
60 of 272 similar towns count more schools. 171 of 273 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 Southdale
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southdale | 38 | 1 | 11 | 1.4 km |
| Mill Courtland Woodside Park 1.1 km | 43 | 0 | 11 | 0.8 km |
| Cedar Hill 1.3 km | 36 | 0 | 9 | 0.4 km |
| Meinzinger Park-Lakeside 1.5 km | 45 | 1 | 13 | 1.6 km |
| Alpine 1.6 km | 33 | 1 | 11 | 0.8 km |
| Victoria Park 1.7 km | 34 | 1 | 9 | 1.4 km |
| Laurentian Hills 1.8 km | 40 | 1 | 12 | 2.1 km |
Next door, Meinzinger Park-Lakeside counts 45 schools, more than any other neighbour.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The year. The 2024-25 list.
- Boards and systems. A public school belongs to a board of one language; in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan a board is also public or Catholic. An independent school runs itself.
- Bands, not ranks. EQAO publishes shares at the provincial standard; the band places each among Ontario’s schools by fifths.
- What isn’t here. Enrolment is a single year, where published at all, and no inspectorate rates schools.
- Which schools count. A school counts when it sits inside Southdale or less than 3 km beyond its edge.
- The kinds of school. Grades shown are the published range, from junior kindergarten (JK) upward.
Questions about schools in Southdale
How do I get a place at a school in Southdale?
Start with the board for the system you want; your address sets the school.
Which boards run the schools in Southdale?
By number of schools: Waterloo Region DSB (27), Waterloo CDSB (10) and CS catholique MonAvenir (1).
Is there a French-language school in Southdale?
Yes: ÉÉC Cardinal-Léger, the French-language schools here.
How many schools are there in Southdale?
2 are inside the town itself and 36 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).